Does Anyone Actually Like Listening to Radio DJs?

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Serious question. I don't really listen to radio at all anymore, so I guess I'm not in the target audience, but whenever I'm in the car or something and someone has the radio on, I can't get over how grating the DJs or hosts or whatever are. Pointless banter that's just uncomfortable instead of funny, equally pointless digressions on topics no one cares about, etc. etc. My ideal version of radio has the DJs saying only two things:

1) After a song goes off, they say the name of the song and the performer/group.
2) Before the next song starts, they give the same information about it.

Honestly, this could be done by some sort of automated system, and would probably be better that way.

Again, I'm clearly not the person that radio stations are getting to listen, so maybe I'm just insane or something, but does anyone honestly enjoy listening to these people, or is it just something you tolerate so you can get to the good part (i.e., music)?

[Cool Chris]

I said in another thread I am somewhat surprised FM Radio still exists, with all the other listening options now. I listen to sports talk radio in the car, and during commercials 'll flip through my FM stations. 99% of the time I don't hear anything worth listening to, and switch back. So much of FM seems like talk radio now anyway (at least in my market).

[Dublagent66]

I haven't listened to the radio regularly since the late 80's.  For the most part, can't stand DJ's.  Only the clock radio wakes me up in the morning.

[ReaperKK]

I used to listen to a morning show called Lex & Terry when I was in High School but I grew out of it, since then I either listen to my Spotify or the mp3s I have on my ipod in the car. If I'm in my gf's car I'll turn on the XM radio sometimes.

[Chino]

I like listening to radio DJs in the morning. I'm a fan of Bax and O'Brien out of Massachusetts. They don't play music in the hour and a half I listen to them every morning.

[King Postwhore]

Growing up in the 70's, DJ's did have personalities.  A lot of radio stations now just have morning show and then more songs.  Back in the day, a DJ played album cuts, played what they wanted.  Now there is scripted songs from bands.  It's not the same anymore.

[Chino]

Growing up in the 70's, DJ's did have personalities.  A lot of radio stations now just have morning show and then more songs.  Back in the day, a DJ played album cuts, played what they wanted.  Not there is scripted songs from bands.  It's not the same anymore.

You also got to here completely different music as you travelled across the country, now Z100/iHeartRadio has every freaking county playing the exact same playlists.

[King Postwhore]

Yup.  Just like the generic "Frank" stations.  I live off my I-Pod now.

[Chino]

A spotify subscription and Pandora+ hold me over pretty good.

[King Postwhore]

My 420GB of music hold me over.

[Tick]

Honestly, this could be done by some sort of automated system, and would probably be better that way.

Uggg...
I can wait till the whole world is automated. People, who needs um.

[Stadler]

I like listening to radio DJs in the morning. I'm a fan of Bax and O'Brien out of Massachusetts. They don't play music in the hour and a half I listen to them every morning.

They're excellent, but they're old school.  They remind me of Smith and Barber from PLR out of New Haven.   I used to listen to them EVERY morning.   But the current crop... annoying.  It's like reality on the radio.  The inane chick, the studly, but probably gay (not that there's anything wrong with that per se, but don't remain in the closet AND still try to be the sharp-tongued, judgmental pop culture arbiter), male sidekick, and the "older, wiser" leader of the group that has to be schooled in the latest and greatest by the other two dipshits.   It's that "Morning Zoo!" format, where 'we're so crazy!!!'   Please; I'll listen to Stern reruns or the latest batch of CDs I bought from eBay.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I like listening to the morning show DJs on the nu-rock station, but most of the rest of the day is godawful music.  The drive home is typically a CD or my iPod.  Speaking of which, feck you, Apple.  Just because.

[Chino]

I like listening to radio DJs in the morning. I'm a fan of Bax and O'Brien out of Massachusetts. They don't play music in the hour and a half I listen to them every morning.

They're excellent, but they're old school.  They remind me of Smith and Barber from PLR out of New Haven.   I used to listen to them EVERY morning.   But the current crop... annoying.  It's like reality on the radio.  The inane chick, the studly, but probably gay (not that there's anything wrong with that per se, but don't remain in the closet AND still try to be the sharp-tongued, judgmental pop culture arbiter), male sidekick, and the "older, wiser" leader of the group that has to be schooled in the latest and greatest by the other two dipshits.   It's that "Morning Zoo!" format, where 'we're so crazy!!!'   Please; I'll listen to Stern reruns or the latest batch of CDs I bought from eBay.

Reality on the radio... that's the perfect way to describe it. I used to love listening to Elvis Duran back in the day, but his show has devolved into that mess and then some. Chaz and AJ (and whoever that girl is that they have now) are, in my opinion, unlistenable these days. It's like they go out of their way to be moronic. I feel my IQ dropping whenever I accidentally hear their show.

[Stadler]

I like listening to radio DJs in the morning. I'm a fan of Bax and O'Brien out of Massachusetts. They don't play music in the hour and a half I listen to them every morning.

They're excellent, but they're old school.  They remind me of Smith and Barber from PLR out of New Haven.   I used to listen to them EVERY morning.   But the current crop... annoying.  It's like reality on the radio.  The inane chick, the studly, but probably gay (not that there's anything wrong with that per se, but don't remain in the closet AND still try to be the sharp-tongued, judgmental pop culture arbiter), male sidekick, and the "older, wiser" leader of the group that has to be schooled in the latest and greatest by the other two dipshits.   It's that "Morning Zoo!" format, where 'we're so crazy!!!'   Please; I'll listen to Stern reruns or the latest batch of CDs I bought from eBay.

Reality on the radio... that's the perfect way to describe it. I used to love listening to Elvis Duran back in the day, but his show has devolved into that mess and then some. Chaz and AJ (and whoever that girl is that they have now) are, in my opinion, unlistenable these days. It's like they go out of their way to be moronic. I feel my IQ dropping whenever I accidentally hear their show.

His show and the show that is on Sirius from the LA Hot 100 station are the two shows that I was thinking of when I wrote that.   You've got it perfectly. 

[dparrott]

There are a couple of local old school hip hop/R&B stations with no or little DJ talking, just all music.  I like that. 

[Imaginos]

There's a local station in my town where people can get a time slot and come in an play whatever they want, and its commercial free. They had a metal show I listened to years ago that sadly got taken off the air, and now I listen to a punk show there, and I've loved the DJs for both shows. The metal show had two DJs who were both really cool and had a good rapport. I'd call in every week and request something, and I genuinely loved listening to them as much as I did the music. The punk show is pretty much the same deal, two cool guys who play good music and are just fun to listen to.

[DebraKadabra]

As King posted, it's because DJs are given a LOT less leeway about the "pointless banter" than they were back in the day when there were true on-air personalities who happened to just also spin records.

It's probably why I won't go into terrestrial radio, even though I've been told countless times over the years that I have the perfect voice for it. I'm happy with the online show I host, and I break in and act stupid and give out gaming/music news every 30 minutes.

[chknptpie]

I listen to a morning show every day on my drive to work. Specifically The Brady Report segment on Holmberg Morning Sickness. The show in general is funny, but The Brady Report is their weird news segment that is very entertaining. Holmberg is a bit of a shock jock and can be a bit racist and misogynistic sometimes, but I generally can see past it for the laughs.

I listen to a different station on the way home - for the sheer odd mix of music it plays. It's from a local trade school for high school kids called EVIT, so a lot of the DJs are just inexperienced and terrible. However - it play like my ipod on shuffle: 90s hip hop to a early 2000s punk song.

[pogoowner]

I listen to an alternative station owned by a local university, and the DJs talk about the music and nothing but the music, so they're not bad. As for the typical FM station, most are absolute garbage, and most are owned by the same company and have very little leeway. WDVE in Pittsburgh, where I used to live, has a pretty good morning show, though, which is funny and has a ton of local flavor.

[El Barto]

There's a local station in my town where people can get a time slot and come in an play whatever they want, and its commercial free. They had a metal show I listened to years ago that sadly got taken off the air, and now I listen to a punk show there, and I've loved the DJs for both shows. The metal show had two DJs who were both really cool and had a good rapport. I'd call in every week and request something, and I genuinely loved listening to them as much as I did the music. The punk show is pretty much the same deal, two cool guys who play good music and are just fun to listen to.

We had such a thing here way back when. Local record stores would lend them albums to play. On their late night thrash show they regularly played songs from Spreading the Disease which made me a big Anthrax fan and fundamentally changed my interests in music. I'd listened to metal since I'd listened to anything, and that moved me solidly towards thrash.

edit: Seems KNON is still around, doing the same thing. I'll have to pay more attention.

As for me, I listen to public radio. Either NPR or the only jazz station in town operated by the University of North Texas (and sadly not known as KUNT). Occasionally I'll listen to classical radio. IN the case of jazz and classical announcers are pretty damned important. When you hear an Afro-Cuban jazz cover of Love For Sale you usually need an explanation afterward. It's also fun listening to college kids stumble through their broadcasts.

[lordxizor]

I seriously wonder if listeners like the banter between songs. The radio stations must think people do. My other thought is that it's cheaper to pay the DJs than it is to play more songs, so they kill time with chit chat to save money.

I don't listen to a lot of radio, but when I do (unless it's a morning show where it's supposed to be about the talk) I'd rather they just shut up and play more music.

[orcus116]

Not sure if this falls into this category but as a New Yorker I'm lucky to have WFAN which has a fantastic lineup of talk radio hosts throughout the day. It isn't music radio which seems to be what this topic is about but I'd listen to the hosts any day over music. If I want to listen to music in my car I'll put on my own.