Well over a year ago, my iPod decided to shoot itself in its little face, and it's never been the…read moresame since. I had to go back to using my REGULAR RADIO [good god, no...].
Fast forward to the present. I found a way to coerce the ol' iPod into working again, but day in and day out, I find that I prefer actually learning something about the world while I take my morning commute. 9 times out of 10 I'm tuning in to 97.3FM to hear the broad range of local and international talk, news, and music radio.
Not to say that I don't get down with some Morning Edition and All Things Considered on 88.9, but sometimes you need to hear journalism from a little outside of your comfort zone. 97.3FM is the only place in the area that you can tune in to Democracy Now, Harry Shearer's Le Show, Tell Me More with Michel Martin, and Talk of the Nation with Neal Conan, among many, many other programs through the day.
Also once a week, history nerds can get stoked on listening to Clay Jenkinson on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, and food nerds can drool while listening to Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Splendid Table.
And sometimes I get effing tired of listening to classical and jazz music ad nauseum. There, I said it. I said what's really on the minds of public radio listeners. 97.3FM really mixes up the musical offerings around RVA, and in any one night you can expect to hear punk, jazz, funk, hip-hop, zydeco, country, rockabilly, "folk," or whatever.
The only downside is the very limited broadcast area, due to the "Low Power" designation. Depending on the day, I have reception north to past VCC, south to around 288, east to just past the airport, and west past Short Pump.
Tune in and check it out. There's something for everyone on WRIR.
