In my January 1 entry I discussed my hobby as an over the air radio enthusiast. Over the past few years Internet radio has grown by leaps and bounds. I wrote every message to this blog listening to an Internet radio station. There are several types of Internet radio stations:
1. Over the air station - in this way a station is no longer localized. A person in Boston can listen to a station from Seattle for example.
2. Internet only station. Many radio enthusiasts who can not break into the radio business can broadcast their own stations on the web.
3. XM radio. I had been thinking for over years about subscribing to XM radio. I was reluctant to pay money for a satellite radio plus $13/month. I can get the music stations form XM through my AOL subscription.
Below is a copy of an article I wrote in December 2004 for Decalcomania, a newsletter for radio enthusiasts. Since that time I have discovered more Internet radio stations. Right now I am listnening to WJMK.com which is also available in Chicago on HD radio. When the CBS radio Jackasses took over oldies at WJMK they brought the oldies format including some personalities to the HD stations which is also available on the Internet at http://wjmk.com. Likewise in New York City WCBS-FM is now available on HD radio and on WCBSFM.com. It is just not the same without the radio personalities who graced the station for 33 years.
Music of Your Life – http://www.musicofyourlife.com - There are many broadcast stations that carry this format, but none in New York City. This a change of pace for me.
WXPK – The Peak - http://www.1071thepeak.com/listen/index.php This AAA station is in Westchester County about 30 miles north of my home. I can barely pick it up even on my car radio. They play some classic rock with current album cuts.
WUSN - Chicago – America’s Country Station - Since there is no country radio station in NYC, I need to go to web to get my weekly dosage of country. I use Radio@AOL to access it.
WLNG – http://www.wlng.com From Sag Harbor Long Island. A good blend of oldies. I don’t have to trade for airchecks of it any longer.
WLBU- Santa Fe New Mexico - http://www.blu1029.com/ I am listening to this while I am composing this article. The music format on blu 102.9 FM has never before been heard as a full-time radio format in the US. Originating on the beaches in Café del Mar on the Spanish island of Ibiza, the musical genre we call blu, sometimes referred to as Chill, has been a European phenomenon in the adult club scene." blu has its roots in pop, dance, electronica, smooth jazz and world music. I really hope this format grows. It is very hard to turn it off. WQCD (CD101.9) in New York plays some of this music.
WRLL – Chicago - http://realoldies1690.com/main.html Plays mostly 1950s – 60s oldies. There are move AM stations adopting this format. WMTR – Morristown and WPEN – Philadelphia come to mind. Mainstream FM oldies stations like WCBS-FM have deemphasized this era of music.
Superoldies - http://www.superoldies.com/main.html . The current library boasts approx. 12,000 songs from over 3600 artists. The time frame is 1955 – 1969. I have listened to oldies stations for many years and find songs here that I have never heard. You will not hear burnouts like Happy Together", "I'm A Believer", "Baby Love", "Sweet Caroline", "Satisfaction", "Twist & Shout" & "Big Girls Don't Cry"
Capital Gold - http://www.capitalgold.com/ - This is a British oldies station with an American accent. It is similar in scope to WCBS-FM
My Generation - http://www.my-generation.org.uk/ Gary Jackson is the DJ. I remember back in 1966 the late Scott Muni played British hits on WOR-FM that did not chart in the USA. Gary plays those on http://www.live365.com/stations/278851 He knows his British 60s oldies.
Mr. Aircheck Radio - http://www.live365.com/stations/mraircheck4159 Russ Horton, I believe a former Decalcomaniac, plays classic airchecks. Other sources for airchecks on the web include http://www.reelradio.com , http://mp3airchecks.com , http://www.airchexx.com , http://northeastairchecks.com/, and http://www.bigappleairchecks.com
BBC Radio 2 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/ - It is online live, but I listen to the archived show Sounds of the Sixties that changes weekly. Brian Matthew is the host. Many shows are archived.
Blue Beat – http://www.bluebeat.com - This service has absolutely everything and the quality is excellent. They have streams playing, blues, classical, country, folk, oldies. You name it and they’ve got it. They claim they offer 400,000 tracks and 320 channels of pure listening pleasure.
Boomerradio – http://www.boomerradio.com This service appeals to baby boomers as its name implies. There are four channels; Acoustic Café, Smooth Jazz, Sweet Soul Music, and ClassicMix.
WFUV – 90.7 FM in NYC or http://wfuv.org - Fordham University’s station has a Folk Music/Americana format. I can get it over the air from my home, but I like the web stream to hear archived shows like Pete Fornatale’s Mixed Bag..
WBGO – 88.3 FM from Newark, NJ – Traditional Jazz station. The reception of this station is fuzzy at home, so I like to access the web stream.