Sometime in the late 1980s, I turned to WAMU to get away from commercial radio. WHFS had been my go-to station for years, but the price of becoming increasingly popular was taking its toll with more and more commercial interruption as they say in the biz. Now I have a hard time listening to WAMU's supposedly commercial free broadcast. The bombardment of pre-recorded mini commercials masquerading as a list of sponsors is driving me bonkers. Yes, I understand that programming is expensive because they tell me so every few minutes and 3 or 4 times a year with endlessly annoying fund raising campaigns. Such is the price of success.
That being said, I realize I am an eccentric old whiner. I do think public broadcasting is very important. I just wish NPR and the like could come up with a more creative fund raising plan.
When I can't take the professional drone of WAMU anymore, I am grateful for old school and very local WPFW. Just yesterday I heard a strange melange of sound bites about incarceration punched up by 10 seconds of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," a short bout of dead air, and a real person apologizing for hitting the wrong button. I love that. Even their fundraisers are low key, and I smile when I hear the deejay call out new members by hitting the kind of bell I associate with summoning bell hops in old movies.
WPFW keeps DC real for me. And so do local musicians playing original music in funky little places or a one of a kind film fest brought to you by fellow local eccentric Brian D. Horrorwitz.
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Color School @ Gypsy Sally's Vinyl Lounge
Cravin' Dogs/ Trophy Husbands @ Villain and Saint
Hall Brothers @ College Park Legion
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King Soul @ Villain and Saint
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The Bob Band @ JV
The Thrillbillys @ Villain and Saint
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Psych Out Cinema @ Slash Run
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