Right, but again even my generation (I am 21 years of age) does not always enjoy feeding an iPod, and listening to one continuously can be fatiguing. Our generation also doesn't have a lot of time on their hands, and while sometimes sitting and researching bands may be fine, there is plenty of time where one wants to just "flip something on", and in the case of a WNEW, hear some new music and some of their favorite alternative. That's why radio, though its TSL may vary, still remains a part of the listening portfolio of over 90% of Americans above age 12.
The thing is the spectrum varies infinitely - I for one tend to feed my iPod about once a week and listen to it while at the gym, on public transportation, engaging in recreation, and occasionally at home. I listen to the radio while in the car about 90% of the time, at work 100%, and often at home while doing work. Sometimes iPod randomness is fine; sometimes I want to listen to something someone is paid full-time to program. My friend, on the other hand, NEVER uses his iPod in the car and relies exclusively on radio, but NEVER uses radio outside of the car. Another friend claims to never listen to radio but listens to Z-100, Fresh, and WPLJ (there goes that callsign brand again) whenever we are driving, much to my amusement.
Radio still works - but it has the worst perception on earth aside from Wal Mart and american car companies (perception lags reality). The media loves to label things - and radio is labeled as "uncool" and "old". It doesn't help radio doesn't invest enough in public relations (my day job).
It also doesn't help that Clear Channel has marginalized the business through cutthroat business practices, forcing "real" radio companies to match them on their cheapness. Hence the huge losses going around these days, and cookie-cutter formats with central servers in Idaho. I trust that this someday will pass.
The new WNEW would not suck and does not have to sounds like Vin Scelsa to do so. I strongly suggest you listen to WXRT for a few minutes (
www.wxrt.com). Over 5,000 songs in rotation and plenty of DJ input for the rest, plus great specialty shows ranging from Jazz to live concert sessions. This is a station that will play Cat Power with the latest Killers and a dash of classic Oasis, followed by the Clash and a segment they call "Local Anesthetic Capsule", which is a local band that ties into a larger specialty show called "The Local Anesthetic".
I sound like I am a raving idiot going on and on about the station, but few commercial AAAs, or commercial stations in general, are better programmed in my opinion than this.
And this is coming from a New Jersey DJ who has worked at a commercial alternative station and manages/hosts the Rutgers radio station that does a freeform AAA format - where we pick all the music. And even my music snob friends at the station tend to like it.
