Anyone listening to the radio lately?

The last month or so has been very disrupted for me: Mad rush at work before Eid, then a 2 week vacation, and now 2 weeks back in Muscat playing catch-up after my leave.

I have found myself in my car a lot lately. Sitting in traffic. What on earth is going on with Ghala? It's total gridlock there every day - I'm glad I do not have to work there every day or I think I'd be riding a motor bike.

So with all this time spent sitting in traffic, I have been listening to the radio occasionally, and have noticed a few changes - have you?

Firstly, as previously reported on this blog, Rachel has left - I wont miss her, I just didn't like her style, and honestly wondered why she remained in her job for so long. It now seems that the music being played is a lot more current, and Darren Shortt seems to have kicked his breakfast show up a notch - I like the Nathan segment, and the ice cream song (even though I hardly ever get it - names of things was never my strong point).

Other than the odd advertisement for the 80's night this weekend, I have not yet heard the new girl Erin's show, but I'm guessing that she will be starting soon. It'll be good to hear a new voice, if only for a change - but her voice seems to carry well on the radio. Perhaps I'm just biased to North American accents ;)

The widely spread "secret" that a new radio station is to launch now appears to be actually happening - I'm told that within a few weeks a new English language radio station will be launching nationwide here in Oman. It's format has been rumoured to be the following:

Morning show with a live DJ, rolling music until the drive-time and then another live DJ, and then more rolling music until the next morning show. I for one am not sure what to think about this. I remember when Hi FM started it's test broadcasts, and it was just non-stop music - and it was great - for a week, until all the songs in the rotation were well and truly played to death.

I have to wonder how effective that will be as a competitive radio - if I want non-stop music, I have access to that via my own cds and mp3s, and if I'm bored of a track I can always skip it - "why do I listen to the radio"? I thought to myself recently.

And, I realised, for me, I listen to the radio for different reasons at different times. In the mornings I'm listening because I'm driving to work, and I find the traffic reports are helpful - I have to drive to a lot of different places for my job. I also like the banter, and, shock horror, the music seems fresher recently. In the day, it's for some music that is not in my car's music system, and on Wednesday nights I like the house mixes. Which while we're on that for a moment: Hi FM appear to have obtained the rights for Roger Sanchez, a prominent house DJ from Miami and well known by aficionados of the world famous Winter Music Conference held annually there. Being someone that likes house music (amongst many other types of music) I look forward to hearing some of his mixes on the radio.

Now, those readers of my blog that have been following me for a while will know that I like to poke fun at Darren, and while researching for this post I saw the following picture:


What on earth is going on with that waist coat Daz!?!

I don't actually know the name of this new radio station - if you do, can you share it with us all?

Are you listening to HiFM lately, or am I the only one?! What do you all think about it? I honestly feel it's gotten a lot better than it was - how about you? If you do listen to the radio - why do you listen?

le fin.
Anyone listening to the radio lately? Anyone listening to the radio lately? Reviewed by Sythe on Saturday, October 02, 2010 Rating: 5

13 comments:

  1. I did until the batteries in my radio ran out.

    Then I bought an ipod.

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  2. Good post, Sythe. I actually have stopped listening to the radio the past month. Don't know why. I should start listening again, especially since you say they're playing better music. Is the new station Sabco's? I listen to radio to catch up on what's happening around town. And sometimes the music is good too. :)

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  3. To be honest - I want music - I love Weds nights too and the more of that the better as far as I'm concerned!

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  4. I have been listening to the radio a little more recently too and since the summer I have noticed that the music is much better. It was always out of date and boring before, but now it seems much more up to date - which is great. I quite enjoy the Kid Say slot apart from the fact that we never get to hear the answer as it is given when we are out of the car doing school drop off - it's fun nonetheless - however I just can't get over Darren's style. I do not like it, he speaks too quickly, and is just all in all quite annoying. So I'll listen for a day or so, go back to the ipod and then the children want to listen again - so we do, for a day or so and so it goes on !!!

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  5. I'm allergic to Omani radio stations.

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  6. The new radio station will indeed by Sabco's. I am excited about that too, Hi Fm could use some competition :) Sythe, Hi Fm is a good distraction during the morning traffic jams, especially ones on 18th November street. I haven't heard the Nathan show yet (don't get up that early), but his voice sure is cute!
    I wish Darren would stop commenting on how he will get in trouble for saying this, and saying that...we get it. Censorship.
    Other than that...good music most of the time, the only time I find myself turning it off at the speed of light is when that annoying Al Saffa Chicken jingle comes on... :)

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  7. Thanks for all of your comments, at least I'm not the only one listening to the radio!

    :)

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  8. I was listening to Darren's show this morning on the the way past the Hi FM building after school drop off, only to see Darren legging it across the road. As he was talking on the radio at the time, I can only assume that at least part if not all of it is pre-recorded!

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  9. The times recently that I have been forced to listen to Hi Fm, it's still pretty pants. If I had to choose, I prefer the music on Oman Radio usually (more 'urban' music).

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  10. I struggle with Hifm to be honest for many of the reasons above! I try to listen to Radio Sultanate of Oman, better in the morning for more retro music - good ol' 70s and 80s! But the dj is as difficult to listen to as Darren! I'm desperately trying to find a way to download radio shows from UK to play on the way to work! Anyone else doing that?
    Your blog's a great read btw, I've just started one merely to keep family and friends updated back home.
    Take care, and happy iPod listening! I stop shouting at the radio when I have mine on! x

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  11. HiFM is painful to listen to sometimes but you're right Darren Short had turned it up a notch lately. It's nice that he has different games/challenges every morning but not the same boring one day after day. I don't mind Oman Radio either, I think the DJ there is smart tho' he waffles on a bit sometimes. But both seem to be geared towards a British audience...hullo there's other nationalities here too. Cheers great blog

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  12. Well..... thank god they have finally got rid of 'Rachie ROO'!!!! why was she always laughing after she spoke.... what was funny??? Erin should be a breath of fresh air after that... As for Darren Shortt ROCK ON!!! He is funny and i enjoy listening to him. You just cant please some people if u dont like the music then listen to a CD.... LONG LIVE HI FM!!!!

    K x

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  13. RACHEL WAS THE BREATH OF FRESH AIR ALWAYS CHEERED MY DAY UP ! ALWAYS HAPPY ! NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT !! THANKS RACHIE ROO !!!

    XX

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