While I try to keep my media forms of entertainment to minimum (as you already know I don’t have cable TV) in an effort to block out garbage information from being absorbed in my mind, I do have a strong appreciation for radio. This is for two big reasons.
First, music is still the most pure, motivational, and inspiring form of entertainment I am aware of. Ever since I was a little boy, we almost always had the radio on in our home. Whether it was from a stereo receiver, or a tiny handheld, whether we were cleaning the house or just hanging out, we were always listening to what was on the air waves. It always made the home warmer. Music was there for me through all my best and worst times. Music has made me laugh, helped my cry, and inspired me to move forward.
Second, the information is always current and local. Well …… we can get current information from TV and any online media, but only with radio and local news papers do we learn of local news and events. As a social extrovert, I like to know about events in my area. Unfortunately online social media is not quite yet an adequate hub of information for local events. That is, if we know what we are looking for, we will find it through browsing online …… but that still requires that we already know what we are looking for. Personally, I have always incidentally learned of concerts, shows, and events of interest from the radio first, then followed up with them online.
Bonus reason: IT’S FREE. Besides the cost of the radio itself, and the electrical current to power the radio, there is no service charge to listen to radio. This is something that still blows my mind even today; the most wonderful form of entertainment we have is absolutely free. This is the reason XM and later SEROUS radio never took off; because even though commercial free radio is attractive, free radio will always be more attractive. Then once the smartphone became the norm, and PANDORA and i Heart radio became popular (also free), SEROUS became obsolete. The only price we pay for radio, is having to be exposed to garbage information in the form of ads. Excuse me for saying so, but TOTALLY WORTH IT.
It is for these reasons that I always have a good stereo receiver and speakers in my home (and almost always on), and in my vehicle (also on).