What is the point of the radio when you have a CD player in your car?

[Kirobaito]

I only listen to ESPN Radio - the specific genre of music I like just doesn't come on anymore. I have an mp3 player that I can connect into my tape player, so I use that.

[Shoeberto]

If I get tired of the CDs I have on hand, I'll listen to an '80s station. If I don't want to listen to that, I turn my radio off.

[Rengori]

The only radio I want to listen to is NPR for Car Talk.

[Necronopticous]

I can't remember the last time I ever listened to the radio on purpose.

[Sephex]

<i>*There is never a time where a song comes on that you don't want to hear (I'm not stupid, I know there are tracks on CDs that you don't like, but those can be skipped which beings me to...)</i>
Once in a while a song will come on that I really don't like, but it's a small inconvenience.

--But most of the time I find that there isn't a song that I like on any station. I am not picky when it comes to music, but most stuff played on the radio is so lifeless to me.

<i>*You can't skip songs on the radio</i> True, but I can press one button that will give me another station for the duration of that song.

--See above.

<i>*You're a safer driver because you aren't spending more than half the time fiddling with the radio controls to find the same boring, generic song that you heard an hour ago</i>
I never fiddle with my radio controls because I have only a couple of staions that I listen to and I rarely have any complaints with them to have the need for fiddling.

--Well, most people that I have seen use car radios frequently seem constantly mess with the controls. I guess you are one of the few exceptions!

<i>*You never have to hear some jackoff stroke his/her ego between every single song</i>
Depending on the personalities, but I like to listen to the ones on my station because they make me laugh.

--Yeah, radio personalities can be funny sometimes, but if I put on the radio to listen to music...I want to listen to MUSIC!

<i>*Your songs are uncut and uncensored</i>
The station I listen to most does not censor or cut songs.

--Well, if you listen to stuff that isn't "offensive" I can see how what I said doesn't apply to you or anyone else in your position. That's fair.

<i>*As said before, no commercials</i>
Again, it depends on the station. The station I listen to has commercials geared towards it's audience and they're more funny than annoying.

--Once again, the commercials are frequent. I don't care if every commercial is hysterical. I put on the radio to listen to music, not to be told what I should buy. I'm a grown up. I am capeable of making my own decisions.

<i>*Listening to what you want when you want it is always better</i>
Sometimes I get bored with everything I have and like something different.

--Put in a different CD. I listen to many different types of music, so that's why I never need to listen to the radio. Every time I am in someone else's car (because that's honestly the only time I ever hear FM radio) I hear the same crap every time. There is ZERO variety of music selection on the radio. You rarley hear me say "'X' song is overplayed" because I don't decide to put it on constant rotation all day.

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Leeza pretty much covered it all. I like the radio, especially XM. I really appreciate my cds, but it's nice having a bit of variety once in awhile, not knowing what's next. I also get to listen to some stuff that I normally wouldn't have been exposed to. It's an all around good experience for me.

You're not listening. I only have a problem with FM radio. XM radio is great. However, not many people have it yet. I know that it is rapidly growing, but most people listen to FM radio. As much as I like XM radio, I still have a problem with not controlling what I want to listen to, I admit. But it cuts out all of the other crap that I despise about FM radio.

And I already explained in my original post how I expose myself to different stuff without sitting through FM radio.

Example: I heard a lot about The Mars Volta. I really got sick of people talking about them all the time, so I checked out their songs through the internet. It turned out that I loved them, and I listen to them frequently these days.

I find that if there is a band out there that I like, I will end up hearing it no matter what. The band can be underground or as big as the Beatles--I will end up hearing it. I haven't listened to much radio in the last decade, but my music collection continues to grow (with much variety)--and FM radio has played no part in it on a personal level.

[Leeza]

You wanted to know what the point of having a radio in a car was and we gave you <i>our</i> points, but each to his own I guess, Sephex.

Putting in a different CD is still a CD that has been played over and over so something totally different and <i>not knowing what comes next</i>, as kimmin has said, is sometimes just what is needed.

<i>*Your songs are uncut and uncensored</i>
The station I listen to most does not censor or cut songs.

--Well, if you listen to stuff that isn't "offensive" I can see how what I said doesn't apply to you or anyone else in your position. That's fair.

Most of the stuff I listen to is offensive, but yes, on ocassion they will play a clean version of a song and then have the next song be uncensored. Doesn't bother me because it's not like I haven't heard the uncensored song a million times before.

[Del Murder]

I listen to a station that rarely plays a song I don't like, and during commercials I switch to a similar station. Radio saves money and CD-switching time.

[Necronopticous]

99% of the music I listen to doesn't come on any radio station, which is interesting since I listen to about 99% of the musical genres.

[Hawkeye]

Im seriously considering buying Siruis just for Howard Stern

[Big D]

There are some absolutely awesome radio stations in my country. Concert FM is brilliant - classical, baroque, opera, jazz and contemporary music, as well as deep and meaningful artist interviews and documentaries. It combines great and meaningful music with loads of historical and musical info, and it's totally commercial-free thanks to state funding.

National Radio is similar, but focusses on a wider range of music and information, as well as being one of the country's leading radio news providers. None of the hype or bulldust that pollutes TV news or newspapers; it's also the only place you'll find a real documentary these days.

On the commercial side of things, there's Radio Hauraki, which used to be a pirate station but turned legitimate, and plays nothing but classic 70s and 80s rock - Metallica and the like. Nothing else.
Not my favourite station, but good if you like that kind of thing.

For me, listening to the radio can be a great way of broadening your interests. With CDs, you know who or what you're gonna hear. With the radio, there's a chance you'll discover something new.

[edczxcvbnm]

I listen to a station that rarely plays a song I don't like, and during commercials I switch to a similar station. Radio saves money and CD-switching time.

People switch CDs? I have been listening the the SAME CD for the past 8 months and before that the same CD for....1.5 years or longer.

FM radio is complete <img src="/xxx.gif"><img src="/xxx.gif"><img src="/xxx.gif"><img src="/xxx.gif">. If I want a funny radio personality I turn on AM radio or switch over to NPR. Why? Because those people are actually good enough to talk for hours on end without becoming stale.

AM RADIO!!!!!!!

[Strider]

I usually listen to Fresno's local rock station in the morning while I'm on my way to school. Or, at least, I did until they replaced it on Monday.

I'm sure you've probably heard of this guy, Sephex, since apparently he's #1 in Chicago. Some homeboy named ManCow, and it's TERRIBLE. Needless to say, I find myself more reliant on my own music than I was before at that time of day.

And yeah, while I'm workin', I usually switch between my CDs or KRZR or, if it's there, whatever games happen to be on the sports radio stations.

[Sephex]

I usually listen to Fresno's local rock station in the morning while I'm on my way to school. Or, at least, I did until they replaced it on Monday.

I'm sure you've probably heard of this guy, Sephex, since apparently he's #1 in Chicago. Some homeboy named ManCow, and it's TERRIBLE. Needless to say, I find myself more reliant on my own music than I was before at that time of day.

And yeah, while I'm workin', I usually switch between my CDs or KRZR or, if it's there, whatever games happen to be on the sports radio stations.

Yeah, ManCow used to be cool untill his ego became bigger than the moon. I remember this one day he said government helecopters were spying on him at his apartment. That's when I stopped listening to him (this was years ago when I listened to that show when I had an office job). Which reminds me, I forgot to mention that talk shows are fine by me too, not that I listen to them in the car much. But I reserve that for AM radio these days.

[Rye]

I don't have a CD player in the family car, but if I did...

[GooeyToast]

Im seriously considering buying Siruis just for Howard Stern

Same