You Had Better Do What You Are Told . . . Listen to the Radio

by Dick Mac

In the 1960s I found AM rock radio to be a little slice of heaven. The soundtrack for hot summer days in the projects was often WRKO-AM's Top 40 music, and it was exciting!

Then in the early 70s my world was changed by WBCN-FM, the first commercial rock FM radio station in the world was right in my hometown. As that decade grew to a close, FM radio became a vast wasteland of pablum, mediocrity, and commercialism. I realized that I would rather listen to the same scratchy 45-RPM single over and over again than listen to ego-bloated FM jocks, newly-minted shock jocks, and the boring middle-of-the-road so-called rock music that they played.

In the early 1980s I found WBUR and NPR.

Now I listen to WNYC, and I am so happy I have it.

Public radio requires listener support. The so-called 'moderates' and 'conservatives' (which, by the way is the same thing in America) will tell you that there should be no public funding for NPR and the other programs that make-up public radio.

In reality, government funding is only 7% of funding for public radio, and I am willing to hazard a guess that the 7% is dramatically lower than all the tax breaks given to commercial radio stations, which means I believe public radio costs the taxpayer less than commercial radio.

Because I prefer NPR programming and don't like to listen to commercials for booze, condoms, and douche bags, I have to pay a little money.

Today is the last day of WNYC's Winter Fundraiser. I made my contribution. Have you?

Support your local public radio station.

WNYC Support Page