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WFMU Offers Music, Comedy for Listeners Sick of Clear Channel Dominance

by Nicholas Katers

wfmu.jpg

My regular complaints about politics, media and society will be replaced today by one of my biggest pet peeves. I hate commercial radio stations whether it is the Morning Zoo with Fart Man and Zonkers (I hope I made that up) or two old people talking about their colonoscopy. The terrible playlists, crappy promotions and annoying DJs on these stations are so unbearable that I haven’t listened to commercial radio for more than five minutes in the last five years.

The realm of satellite radio is just an extension of commercial radio since Sirius and XM are plastered all over racecars, TV commercials and other moving billboards. I came across New Jersey’s free-form station WFMU a while ago in my search for alternative sources of entertainment. I was surprised that a station without commercial support and underwriting could survive in a world where listeners are constantly assailed by crass commercials.

WFMU is a free-form station in Jersey City, New Jersey that has been operating for 50 years as of April 24, 2008. This station does not have ABC News at the top of the hour, commercials for the local Kia dealership and awkward interviews with terrible comedians performing at Funny Bonez. I have looked to WFMU as a refuge from cable television as well as commercial radio when I am not interested in listening to the voices on public radio.

I would suggest several programs on WFMU as a sampler of the station’s eclectic approach to radio. The Best Show on WFMU is a comedy show hosted by Tom Scharpling that features enough music, interviews and calls to entertain comedy fans for three hours a week. Seven Second Delay is a one-hour comedy show hosted by Monk creator Andy Breckman and WFMU station manager Ken Freedman. Dave Emory’s interesting show For the Record is offered on several independent stations throughout the United States including WFMU. Emory’s program deals with fascism, world politics and current events that are left untouched by other media outlets.


Posted in WFMU, alternative media on April 25th, 2008

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