OK, first of all, YES, I still listen to the radio.
R-A-D-I-O, for you younger readers.
It plays in the car… and on devices we used to call ‘stereos’.
Anyway, I don’t listen to the radio all the time…
For example, now as I write, I am listening to iTunes with my headphones firmly planted. (I’ve got Dan Gibson’s “European Spa” playing… earlier, I was tuned to Tony Vincent’s “In My Head”…)
In my car, I flip around stations or listen to CDs/books on CD.
When I’m in the house, I usually turn on the TV for company.
But, when I’m in the barn, I listen to the same radio station – all the time.
I know every voice, every show host and every advertiser. In fact, I can tell what time it is by what I’m hearing.
I love that!
Except…
NOT ANY MORE! Waahhhhhhhh.
I cannot believe that my favorite station went away – and it took my barn rhythm with it!
I miss my radio show!
I’M SO VERKLEMPT!
My barn rhythm is GONE. Without my regular radio station, I’m am simply unable to do my chores correctly. I’m all out of order and forgetful.
It is as if my AutoPilot flew the coop and left a shattered shell of a barn helper.
I’m Verklempt…
…trying to do my chores with Current Country in the background.
Sniff… they’re gone.
NOW NOW NOW…
I have nothing against Country.
It just isn’t my station.
You see, listening to the local talk radio station…
(oops, did I just lose half of you when I said “talk radio station”?…)
…yes, the ‘local to my small town’ talk radio station…
kept my mind busy while my body did all the work.
I loooved the easy country charm of the fishing show (I don’t fish), the color of the local news commentary, the sweetness of our regular weather guy who really tries to get it right, the determination of the sports guy to rev us up over local teams, the gusto of the anchor who would really rather be imbibing great wine and golfing, and the soft lilt of the female anchor who loves animals.
I miss them.
They were my friends while I worked. They filled me in on the day’s happenings, told me what to wear and how to drive on the roads… they made me happy and told stories that only local radio could afford.
Where did they go?
My friends. I didn’t know them, but I felt as if they helped me start my day.
NO RECEPTION
Of course, they didn’t leave without notice.
I just didn’t believe them because when I dialed-in their new station, it wasn’t there.
How could they leave me for a station that doesn’t exist?
Except, it did exist… to those who lived in closer.
For me, they vanished.
And, I’m sad.
I cannot even get them in my car.
(It doesn’t help that Scoutypants climbed on my car and ate the antennae… I need to get that fixed…)
Poof.
Gone.
And so is my barn groove.
I’m all out of step.
I NEED TO GET A NEW GROOVE
So, I’ve been trying to get into the new Country station.
I’ve learned that they will play 10,000 songs between now and February 1st.
And, they will get a big name DJ in there by February 1st.
I’ve also been able to decipher just about every word to every song, which is a first – except now that I can decipher every word to every song, I now really know when I’ve heard it before.
However, this is good for me because I am one of those people who can never, ever remember words to songs. I mean, I know the song… and I can hum it, but I have no idea of the words.
With my new station, the words are very clear.
I’ve listened to a guy who lost his gal over a fight. I’ve captured the beat of the guy who drinks beer and sits on his hiney. I’ve heard Miranda Lambert (thanks you, THE VOICE, because I know who she is…) talk about disappointing her Mama. And, I have heard several songs with the words, “daisy dukes” which makes me recollect a time when I could wear them…
I’m getting it!
Except, I miss the familiarity of my local friends talking about local stuff.
And, I’m tired of my chores taking twice as long because I keep messing up.
Dawnie needs her groove back.
I want the alive broadcast of my local people…
JUNIOR HAM OPERATOR?
OK, so I think I’m gonna have to go out and get a signal booster and put it on the barn.
Gawd, I feel ridiculous saying that…
But, it’s true.
I guess I’m an old dog.
I want to hear about the weather and the local happenings and the golf and the wine and the sports… just not in songs.
I want to hear real people – talking.
Or maybe I just want company with me in the barn. A nod, a wink, a commentary going on in my head, a one-way conversation that inspires me to think about my surroundings and my day.
I like having my friends prep me for what’s ahead.
I guess I like the old style social media just as much as the new style social media.
Old dog…
I just miss them…
ELSA AND ANNA – our January Bucket fund. Click image to read or donate!
As a former multi-station owner I can tell you a few things. I do not care for country (except of course the old timey cowboy songs and the IMO only really-o truly-o country singers from way back) but our flagship station played country/western because the demographics in that location called for it. Stations get bought, sold, and format-changed with astonishing regularity. A few years ago we had a local station that was all Great American Songbook and I listened to that tiny, low-frequency AM station (low budget, indeed) 24/7 and was heartbroken when it was replaced with first all Spanish language news/talk (I don’t speak Spanish, me bad, I know) then with all sports all the time. So what’s someone to do? Why, start searching the internet for the formats you like and do the streaming webcasts thing. Or, subscribe to satellite radio and pick your format. The small, low budget stations that are all about local are so wonderfully charming and locally informative it’s really hard when they go away, so if you find one even one out of your immediate area but that is somewhat relevant and you like them, be sure to not only support their advertisers but e-mail the station and tell them that because sales staff in small, very local stations ninety percent of the time doesn’t really know if the community is truly supporting the station’s advertisers or not – they’re too busy doing five jobs and trying to survive the economy – moral of the story, feedback is vital! Especially the supportive kind! I am a huge fan of radio and could happily live the rest of my life with zero tv, and I love discovering the quirky, small, very local stations – they’re out there, happy hunting! And don’t get too hung up on not liking country. CMA awards shows notwithstanding, it is not the majority’s choice of listening.
Kellie: Sadly, The new stations are too weak to play in Grass Valley… where I live. You’d think the AM would work, but it doesn’t. You are lucky!
KFBK is still around, they just moved from AM 1530 to FM 93.1. My husband I listen to them all the time as well. Especially the traffic report since I commute from Penn Valley to Fair Oaks every day.
I just googled John McGinness, and I got this station kfbk you can listen to on Iheart radio. Anyway, here is the link if you want. http://www.iheart.com/live/217/?autoplay=true. Maybe you can connect a bluetooth speaker to your phone or something when your in the barn. I totally get the whole talk radio thing, I need talk radio for adult conversation for the most part.
Her name is Norma. She shops exclusively with Ebray.
You could always get internet out there, add on a barn laptop and then listen to them over the net. Maybe? Course you’d have to keep the One Who Has a Secretary (sorry, I forget which character it is lol) out of the barn cause well, shopping over the net is so easy. . .
I totally understand where you are here! I have a local radio station I listen to between 6 and 9 am. Not the whole three hours, but it is local. I know the voices. They let me know what is happening locally! I would be lost without them. At 9 AM though they start to play the OLD, and I mean OLD COUNTRY! Johnny Cash. Willie Nelson. Conway Twitty…get my drift?
I SYMPATHIZE! I really Do! I do hope you get your groove back…SOON! Mama Tess needs it! :)
I feel for you, Dawn…I listen to our local NPR station and know what time it is based on what’s on. I love listening to the local news and definitely the talk shows. When I was stationed in Germany, I also got hooked on the old time radio shows…got rehooked on them when my new truck had a free year of Sirius radio. Maybe that is the route you can go…
My favorite talk radio station in Chicago changed management a couple of years ago and fired a bunch of my favorite personalities. It was like losing some good friends. This year, management changed again and they got many of the former folks back. I am SO relieved to have my friendly talk radio station back! If you’re interested, try to get it on the a PC, Smartphone or tablet in the Barn, I think it’s the greatest! http://wgnradio.com/listen/