A Different Kind Of UFO Report

This is a sad development for a couple of different reasons. In spite of being known for a lively and diverse music scene, Portland has a truly crappy selection of radio stations. -At least as far as the Rock n Roll music category goes. Now it just became a bit worse. It's true that one can't expect much from Corporate Radio, which is the norm these days. One can expect to hear the same songs played over and over again, sometimes hearing the same one replayed within an hour or two. Those redundant play-lists along with the massive amount of time taken up by commercials is what I loathe about Corporate Radio. I miss the old days when my favorite local stations were privately owned and operated. In this era of MP3s, satellite radio and internet podcasts, it would seem that there isn't as much interest in plain ol' music coming over the airwaves anymore. I do enjoy the convenience of being able to load my own play-lists on my computer or playing CDs, but at heart I'll always be a radio person. Even with the annoying commercials, I enjoy letting the radio station surprise me by what comes on next and letting the DJ handle the job of spinning the tracks, while I am involved with my own thing and not being tied down to my computer or a set of earphones. Whenever I'm driving, the radio is always a component of that activity. I'd go crazy without it. Now I will be deleting my most used car stereo preset. Yesterday my favorite FM rock station, 101 KUFO FM was killed off without any prior warning. Now it will serve as a conservative news station, hosting the likes of Glenn Beck and Lars Larson, a local blowhard/Rush Limbaugh wannabe. As if those gasbags weren't already getting enough airtime on the AM dial, now listeners will be treated to hearing their hateful pontifications in stereo. How nice. I'm already missing those repetitive play-lists. Another aspect I'll miss is discovering new artists that I might have otherwise never heard of. The other local rock station 92.3 KGON, plays a strictly "classic rock" format, that much of which I don't mind and even used to be really into, but it shares the same Corporate Radio stigma of badly lacking in variety. KGON has been around since I was a kid and used to be privately owned. Now I think of it as the "Official Tom Petty / ZZ Top Station." In a few hours of listening, you'll feel like you're stuck in a time loop spanning the 70s to the early-to-mid 80s. I can handle only so much of that. A DJ who once worked at KUFO, wrote a decent little epitaph for that station. Other (former) KUFO listeners have been voicing their displeasure over this abrupt termination. There are some examples to be found here and here. An online forum dedicated to Portland radio is discussing it here.

Screenshot from the former KUFO website

You'll be missed. For the most part.