95.5 WBRU used to be one of my top picks for radio stations set in my car. Not so much anymore…read more It is rare that I stop on the station for more than 1 - 2 songs at a time. It really is a fall back as others have mentioned. It has fallen into playing less rock and more "whine". The music though, does not stop me from entering contest upon contest that they offer, more-so online than on-air. Most recently, I won 10 tickets to a Rob Zombie concert on December 3rd at Mohegan Sun. Using a descriptor that a friend of mine often uses. . . "bomb!" a.k.a. awesome!, great!, cool!. Whats not so cool? Being given very little information and direction towards actually getting those tickets. "Between Monday - Friday from 9 - 5, come pick up your prize." Where exactly is that station? Anywhere to park? Where in the building do I go? Figuring it should be simple enough, I went online and eventually found the address of the station. Drove over there (it's located in the middle of Brown University's campus). . . no parking in site. Walked blocks after finally finding a pull-off, entered the building. . . and found no one. No one at the front desk (with is through a couple doorways), no one answering the operator line on their telephone number listed online. After a bit of pacing back and forth outside, I decided to give it another shot. . . finally found someone inside who was able to get me my tickets. None too easy. . . but I am EXTREMELY GRATEFUL for the prize, none the less :-D Can't wait to go to the show. Perhaps if they had a little more direction, or a section on their website explaining prize pickup. . . or simply someone who answers to phone so as to ask some questions. First time prize recipients. . .need a little more direction than they are given. Overall, a mediocre radio station with some great contests and prizes!

WBRU why oh why do you taunt us Connecticut people? Every time I travel to your beautiful state I'm…read morereminded just how good you Rhode Islanders have it regarding radio stations. Well, at least you have one good radio station. WBRU isn't perfect but I would kill to have a radio station like it in Connecticut. I can only tolerate so many times listening to Demi Lovato or Bruno Mars. Today during my morning commute I swear the same Justin Timberlake song was playing on three stations at the same time. We have and always have had some of the worst radio stations in the nation. Other than the fact that WBRU's signal doesn't reach my place of residence, WBRU's only real negative is that it does play an exceptionally large number of older songs. I'm all for the classics but I actually prefer listening to new and exiting stuff. Although I admit sometimes it is nice to crank up the volume when hearing The Smith's How Soon Is Now over the airways. I end up turning up the volume a lot when traveling through the Ocean State. Unfortunately my blissful ride usually ends with me driving into Stonnington (I lose the WBRU signal around there) and immediately being greeted by a blabbering Justin Timberlake :-( So Rhode Islanders please pray for your nutmeg neighbors. We live in a soul-less radio hell and I can only hope that someday the station boosts its signal to eleven so it reaches us over here.

WERS used to be one of the best college radio stations in the country. Then, they apparently forgot…read morethat they are a college radio station. Instead of letting students take the lead, they hire a few cringeworthy amateurs like their insuffurable afternoon drive announcer and a host of their weekend Coffeehouse acoustic show who brings in the same six albums in her collection every week and plays the same one song from each. Last Saturday, I counted more than half a dozen songs which are played virtually every week. The careers of two of her favorites--Joanna Newsom and Broken Social Scene--hopefully be cut short by the international shortage of helium. They sound like Alvin and the Chipmunk tribute bands. Musical tastes are subjective but if the announcers don't know anything about the music, they should educate themselves. That's what college is supposedly about. The host of The Coffeehouse talks more about coffee than music. (Her conversation mirrors her musical choices--every comment on repeat). WERS might be able to cut back on their now incessant fundraising drives if they diverted some of the money they spend on MBTA advertising back into the station and if their management would more responsive to their students and their listeners.

This is the worst college radio station in America, which is nuts because 30 years ago it was among…read morethe best. College radio is widely understood as the freeform radio vanguard, where one can hear musical offerings unavailable on commercial radio. When I tune into a college station, I don't want to hear a single song I know. 99% of what WERS plays nowadays is Top 40 "alternative" music from the 80s and 90s. Stuff I've been sick of for decades. Honk shoo. It's a college station masquerading as a commercial station masquerading as a twenty year-old iPod. If you are a retailer looking for the most unchallenging background noise for your shoppers to ignore, or perhaps a listener looking for a radio station to convince you that not only has there been no good music made in the past 35 years, but also that maybe music was just never good, WERS is it.

I never mind having to stop here because it means you've won a prize! Ive won several prizes over…read morethe years-on todays trip I picked up 4 RWP and Zoo passes along with 4 passes into their Mythical Creatures special exhibit!

While I do like some of the programs (Bill Habberman and Dan York), I wish you would review the…read moreothers as they seem to promote decisivness just for the sake of your profits. Redeye radio is horrible opinionated for example.

Out of all my orange items, Rhode Island Public Radio was on point with their orange mug. In the…read morephoto I uploaded, you can see how desirable it is. As part of panhandling over the airwaves, this NPR affiliate offered an orange standard size mug for generous listeners charitably emptying their wallets. The mug arrived clean and ready for liquid. The finish is shiny and is thoughtfully adorned with bold white letters. All things considered, a basic mug is all you need to enjoy a cup of tea or creamy, rich hot chocolate. Your financial contribution not only helps buy the highest quality studio microphones for those sobering, mentholated voices, it helps people who work in mug factories buy radios to listen to public radio. The bottom line is that if you turn your dial to Rhode Island Public Radio you need this mug. Are you listening?

Rhode Island Public Radio (WRNI) is Rhode Island's only local source for NPR and public radio, and…read moreit is AWESOME!