The image above is a map of The Best College Radio Stations courtesy of DJ Sujay of Radio Collective whose mission statement is well targeted for the promotion of genuine cultural creations rather than the mechanically produced programming that is the law in commercial radio.
"We believe that independent radio is an unparalleled source of music and cultural exchange. Our goal is to discover and share the most interesting radio shows in the world, with the world."
In the homogenized wasteland of commercial radio, there is some small degree of "programming diversity" but the spectrum is surprisingly narrow considering how much lip-service we give in America to creativity and freedom of expression.
Jordan Page, artist, activist and social commentator, writes about this narrow spectrum of programming in his brief, cleverly titled essay "Homogenization of Radio: Let us all give thanks and pay grateful homage to Clear Channel"
"There are many systems of control that shape our lives in this great nation we call America. They govern our daily lives on most fronts, our political and spiritual views, but it is undeniably more personal when they attack a people's access to art by filtering and bottlenecking anything that does not fit perfectly into the mold."
There are almost 20 "morning zoo" radio shows still being aired even though this trite format has been regurgitated since the 1980's when it was considered a fresh approach being promoted by broadcasters like Glenn Beck. If you listen closely to their script, you are sure to recognize the zoo litany.
How many dithering duos start our days with their inane banter and canned station slogans like "the 50-minute music hour?" or "the workforce block?" The subtext suggested by such standardized professional programming rhetoric seems designed for distracting or mollifying legions of cubicle-bound workers.
More about DJ Sujay, the Radio Collective and the crucial need for truly independent "freeform" programming in my next post.
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