They’re calling it Sonic Theater and promising “Audio books and radio dramas for all tastes.” Can’t quite picture how this will work but it’s a free channel, so we’ll see. My newest favorite channel is The Loft. Acoustic rock, I think. Heard a James Taylor song today that (again) I’ve never heard before. Missed the title. One lyric caught my ear: “Wild with expectation, on the edge of being old.” That’s me in nine words. Tried to find the song but gave up.
Let’s go live.
I walked past a jewelry store in the mall this weekend and noticed a boom box sitting by the entrance. It seemed out of place. Then I noticed a young man talking on his cell phone but in a strangely animated way. He was doing what we used to call a “live remote” on a local radio station. “This is Bobby Steele and I’m live at Zales where they’re having a Sizzlin’ Summer Sooper Sale!” Many years ago I did my share of remote broadcasts but in those days it involved a lot equipment. Big speakers, antenna, transmitter, banners, cables, microphones, etc. Took a while to set up and take down. But there was –in our small town– a sense of something special happening. This guy before me is on…the…radio! How cool. The young man I walked past in the mall could have been any guy talking on the phone. To those listening on the radio he probably sounded just as dumb I I did with all the gear. But there was no magic happening there at the mall. Back to you.
XM Satellite Radio Update
I’m still mindlessly surfing the channels. They give you a little remote so you’re less likely to crash while doing this. I really like the…what do we call them? Jocks? DJ’s? Talent? They’re there, but not too there. I’ve noticed that I’m driving less aggressively. In less of a hurry. No doubt, because I am enjoying my time in the car more. Early favorites: Fred, Top Tracks, The Joint, Soul Street, The Groove, CNN Headline News.
Douglas Rushkoff on AOL
“AOL never had a future. AOL was a training ground. An introduction to the Internet for people who didn’t know how to deal with ftp protocols. None of us thought it could last, because once the technological barriers to entry for the Internet had been lowered, no one would need AOL’s simplistic interface or it’s child-safe, digital content wading pools. People would want to get on the *real* Internet, using real browsers and email programs.” — Douglas Rushkoff
Beyond AM. Beyond FM.
I subscribed to XM Satellite Radio today. The idea of “subscribing” to radio still feels a little funny. I got in the car, turned it on and punched up one of the 100 channels. It was Jimi Hendrix singing “Like A Rolling Stone” from the Monterey Pop Festival. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever heard that version on the radio before. It’s too early to offer any useful comments on the service because I was punching through the channels like Tom Hanks running through the toy story in Big. A snippet of an interview with Melissa Etheridge interview on the E! channel… a rousing gospel (soul, not country) number on one of the Urban channels… CNN Headline news. I had to stop and come inside. I have a few long road trips coming up so I can really evaluate the service. Oh, the audio quality was pretty amazing. Stay tuned.