Monday, February 15, 2016

105.1 FM

I usually only listen to the radio when I drive around in the car but I have been driving more than usual lately and have been surfing stations. I usually listen to talk radio or just run through the FM stations until I find music that I like. The problem with the radio is that there are way too many commercials.

I can't stand hearing a radio personality talking to me about the news or a current event then sneakily changing the subject to how much they love their new car or mattress, or where they get their carpets cleaned, or telling me about the importance of monitoring your credit. I understand that commercials are how radio stations pay their bills but I am still so sick of hearing the same commercials all the time no matter what station I turn to. There are certain plumbing and jewelry companies that appear to have unlimited advertising budgets.

Several weeks ago I  came across some dance music and was shocked to hear 4 or 5 songs with no commercials between them. Each time I got in the car I would turn back to that station to see how long they could go without any commercials. After two weeks of listening I can tell you that 105.1 FM based out of American Fork appears to be a commercial free station. Every so often they say the station name between songs but that's it. It is so subtle that I still don't even know the name of the station. There are no DJ's, radio personalities, trivia, prize drawings for the lucky 7th caller, news, weather, and especially NO COMMERCIALS!

The station plays mostly dance, hip hop, and dubstep styles of music. Most songs have the typical musical characteristics and feature a drop at some point in the song. The more I listen to this station I realize that they play many of the same songs over and over so there may be repetition concerns for people who like a lot of variety, but I am just amazed that I finally found a commercial free radio station.

I've recently decided that I would rather hear the same song several times during the day on the same radio station if it means I don't have to listen to any commercials. Having that choice makes me feel like I'm not being pandered to and manipulated by the corporate sponsors of a radio station. Instead I am probably being branwashed by the artists and whatever their message may be, but at least it has a catchy beat.

Since this is a fairly new station I'm not sure if it is just a publicity stunt or temporary but for now my hat is off to 105.1 FM for not making listeners put up with commercials or the usual small talk that seems to dominate most radio stations.