I don't subscribe to cable or satellite television any longer. I'm certainly not a luddite or arrogant enough to turn my nose up at those who still do, however I find more and more that I am drawn to other forms of media. I grew tired of the constant barrage of commercials and interruptions and have always been drawn to new technology. I do think we all could read more books though.
I found many new ways to get much higher quality content and have been an avid Podcast consumer for a long time. I also am a satellite radio subscriber, since I spend sometimes ten hours a day in my car.
If you haven't heard of Radiolab, you have been missing some very high quality programming.
I was recently listening to the Oops episode, in which Jad and Robert, the show's hosts, were elaborating on four different stories of "oops" moments.
For instance, the first story described Harvard Psychologist Henry A. Murray's experiments involving humiliation. One of his subjects was Theodore John Kaczynski, also known as "The Unabomber".
During these experiments, which certainly would not pass modern APA Ethics, the subjects were asked to write an essay, then they were humiliated time and time again about the things they had written. Incidentally, this wasn't for the purely sadistic pleasure of Murray. It was sponsored by the then Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency as research to help soldiers resist interrogation.
Shows like this one really get me thinking and feed my brain. I often find after listening to Radiolab, I am more productive and feel more mentally stimulated.
There is something very personal and captivating about listening to something on the "radio". It holds your attention and often demands it. Most programming is also commercial free, so it depends on other forms of support. Radio-Lab for instance is a product of WNYC and is funded partially by NPR.
A search of the itunes store alone can turn up thousands of other gems worth their weight in gold. The Groks Science Show is another. While not as polished as Radio-lab, it also showcases what two people can do using a computer and some ideas. All for free to the consumer.
This echos an old fear of when television was first invented that was spurred by the radio industry's potential loss of revenue. "Television will Kill Radio!" Which obviously hasn't happened.
What might happen though is that the internet might just kill television and radio as we know it. Even commercial broadcast radio is littered with mostly advertisements.
Modern media companies need to take notice now. We as consumers have a much larger choice about how we receive our content and the internet has put broadcasting in the hands of almost everyone. Potentially, online broadcasting has the ability to reach an even larger audience than television and radio due to its multi-continent and global ability.
Since this quality content is free, consider supporting radiolab.
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