The Steel Guitar Forum

I was watching David Letterman tonight and Howard Stearns was on mentioning that Satelite Radio was next big thing. In his discourse he mentioned that right now there are stations on this system broadcasting bluegrass not from but the 60's. He claimed for various reasons that this is the medium of the future. I have always been a big fan of radio and to me this would be a great way to break out of the corporate controlled broadcasting we are now subjected to. Wouldn't it be nice to hear steel guitar or any other variety of music on the radio not geared to the mass market. Does anyone have experience with this medium? Do you get these stations over the computer or cable? Apparently you have to pay but it sounds like it may be worth it!

Try sirius.com or xmradio.com to get the lowdown. Now, you can listen to eminem or Smashing Pumpkins all day, totally uncensored, commercial free for about $12 a month. Howard Stern is probably right, it is the wave of the future. I can't imagine what Sirius paid him but his move to Sirius will really increase their subscriber base if all of Howard's fans make the move too. I don't follow Howard or listen to his trash but I agree with what he says about the FCC. I would subscribe if I could listen to steel radio all day too.

I was listening to XM-13 (Hanks Place) the other night with the headphones on, fairly relaxed, when a funny (i.e. peculiar) thing happened. Hank Williams "Your Cheatin' Heart" came on, and suddenly I could smell my father's Compass pipe tobacco from 40 years ago. That's the tobacco he'd a had in his pipe when we'd have been spinnin' the 33-1/3rd LP on the old Stromberg-Carlson.

The brain works in funny ways tying things together.

You can get both over the computer if you are a subscriber. Siriuis offers a 3 day free trial just go to their website and get a password. Our own Buddy Cage has been guest hosting on folktown 38 for Meg Griffin off and on-he just signed off an hour ago-but the free offer is still there and you'll get a feel for what you want. If it's classic real country, trust me , it's there. Just about every sub-genre on the planet has room there, and country is well represented.

Howard Stern's show is mostly trash, but he's a very smart guy and knows the radio business inside and out. He's going to MAKE it the next big thing-think of it like Joe Namath signing with the Jets and leading the AFL to the forefont.

Satellite lets YOU make the decisions about what you hear. Not some conglomerate that's in bed with whatever administration happens to be in power, letting politicians dictate what goes over the air. If you don't like it, well you can change the channel. There's lots. And you can lock your kids out of certain channels, just like cable or satellite TV. It's also a wonderful flick of the ole fickle finger of fate to those who not only don't listen to Howard themselves, but don't want you to be able to either. I LOVE anything that bothers those folks.

So Rock On Howard. I'm not a listener, but I'm on your side. Satellite is definitely the way to go. I never thought I'd pay for radio, but at 9.99 a month You'll never get me to give it up now.

JB

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Fulawka D-10 9&5
Fessenden D-10 8&8
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel
www.buddycage.net

http://www.nrpsmusic.com/index.html

Check out timetrax.com for those thinking of an XM-Radio subscription. I got one of those boxes comin' to me in about 4 weeks, hope the folks at XM let me fire it up (as in accept my unit ID no.)