Several years ago, I declared that “having a life” was more important than the web site – and if I was unable to keep the “average days since last review” of each radio below 180 days, I would need to turn off the directory to protect visitors from rogue websites caused by expired domains.
The time has come to let go – at least of the radio directory part of the web site.
Several years ago, I had observed that Wikipedia was often outdated and inaccurate – that observation is no longer true.
- TuneIn has established its brand solidly as the “go to” web site to find radio stations.
- IheartRadio fills the need for a radio content aggregator.
- Mobile streaming apps have replaced PC streaming for most people.
- Podcasts are displacing live streaming
- Talk radio is a mere shadow of its former self
- There are other better sites to track FCC licensing changes.
Probably most importantly, Google no longer sends significant quantities of visitors here. Playing to an empty auditorium is pointless.
Thanks to my new wife who I love dearly, I am repairing my health and looking forward to travel and using our remaining time together wisely. Despite the web site having been essential to bringing us together, the time has come to get off the stage while people still have good memories and I’m proud of the work. We discussed this yesterday.
I would like to thank the people who helped keep the directory viable for this long, especially my friend Brian from Cleveland, but also people who have moved on – frequently because of my own inability to let people help me. Keeping volunteers motivated is hard to do, and not a skill that I have mastered.
What you find here in the future is hard to say. For now, the blog will remain, but without traffic from the radio directory, its future is cloudy as well.
A more deserving couple, I cannot imagine. This has always been a labor of fun and learning for me. I truly enjoy all of the folks here and always have. I cannot quantify what I have learned here as well. Amazing 🙂
Thank you.
For those who have been here since 2009, having someone you love who loves you makes all the difference in the world. In 2009, I nearly died when I collapsed in my kitchen living by myself. The next four days in the hospital were a terrifying mess, followed by weeks of inept care by a primary care doctor.
Last Tuesday, I was feeling very poorly, and in the evening broke out in shivers, and a sudden spike in temperature. This is a classic reaction to the body protecting itself from a large infection.
We called Blue Cross and the Novant Hospital and everyone agreed the symptoms warranted going right to the Emergency Room. Countessrobini rode in the ambulance, staying in the ER and fending off the typical ER mistakes until I was admitted and arrived safely in my room around 5 AM.
A few hours later, I was rushed into a procedure to drain an infection caused by a large kidney stone I didn’t know I had. I easily could have died of sepsis if not for the correct diagnosis and effective treatment at the hospital, which was the result of a wife protecting me and asking questions. Living by myself, I likely would have gone to sleep and hoped I would be better in the morning.
Truly – two heads are better than one. God bless you both.
thank you, dear brian.
Fred,
We’ve annoyed each other from time to time, but I have really appreciated your site and the work you did that benefited me and so many others.
One of the things that I continue to use regularly is the FCC radio station history that you make available. Wiki is nice, but it excludes that. I’d ask you to consider keeping that on line unless it is a burden to you.
Life is short, do what is best for you and your new wife, we will survive without a website. All the very best to you and the people that matter to you.
CC
Good luck from a looong time lurker.
Thanks for all the effort.
I think I have read just about everything you have written in the various versions of the blog for around 10 years now, as they were interesting and I always valued thinking about your opinion.
You not only have a brighter attitude, but also a great degree of self-awareness about yourself (and how you’ve changed). The presumption is that men get set in their ways as they get older. It is so cool that the opposite is happening for you. I really enjoy the topics on the blog and the people here. To use an overused meme here, it is our safe space to talk, thanks to you creating it.
P.S. On Chrome/Windows, your graphics are showing up, but there is still an unsafe warning. On my Chromebook, it’s blocking the graphics inserted into posts.
Chrome doesn’t tolerate content from “secure” web pages from self issued security certificates. There is an “advanced” option to go to a web site although it can’t be trusted. The WordPress software keeps being unpredictable over whether to send images over secure connections. I was forced to do this fake security certificate because apple refuses to allow a browser to disclose GPS coordinates over an unsecured connection.
Ack! How about one or two more days of listings? I would love to capture the full list of my favorites without having to submit to iheart corporate intrusion….
For those with this issue
http://streamingradioguide.com/favorites-list.php
http://streamingradioguide.com/favorite-station-list.php
If I may share the app that I use on my PC- it is free, allow favorite stations (but not shows), and the favorites are stored locally rather than on a corporate servers such as iHeart’s. It is radiosure.com
If my friend Parrott is lurking, the radiosure app also includes your favorite Canadian stations.
The end of an era! Thank you Fred for everything. And thanks for keeping the blog going, at least for the time being. You have many supporters, as you have found out, all of whom deeply appreciate the time and care you’ve devoted to this project.
Thank you Mr. Stiening for your blog and radio database. I have accessed them frequently and gained much enjoyment.
Best wishes to you and Countessrobini. May G-d bless and keep you both safe.
It’s OK to say God 😉 This isn’t Google.
Whew!
thank you, adam, for your kind good wishes.
yes! and thanks to the faithful ladies of the tuesday night prayer circle at mount pisgah AME church in lawnside , new jersey, for praying for my husband. they’re not ashamed of believing every word of the apostle’s creed and and neither am i.