Did not expect to be getting so emotional over someone’s random local radio station shutting down, but here we are.
While sure there’s still a place for radio in the music industry, there’s no denying that the media format is slowly dying (and has been for quite some time). Many stations have continued to make layoffs and budget cuts as AI technology rolls in and streaming takes over.
Unfortunately, hopping in your car and turning the dial isn’t a tradition that looks like it’ll have a whopping resurgence anytime soon, but I gotta admit, there’s a wholesomeness about it that I miss. There was just something magical about tuning into the top country countdowns on Sunday mornings and hearing “Jesus, Take the Wheel” in the back of my mom’s car a billion times.
Pretty much most of the internet felt that same wave of nostalgia hit straight to their guts while watching a now-viral TikTok from a user who shared a snippet of the final broadcast of his hometown’s country radio station. Listening from his tractor, @___gw___2 shared a clip of him riding around listening to the station about to shut down. They decided to really hone in on the tears playing Zac Brown Band’s 2010 hit, “Colder Weather” as their final track ever.
Many users bonded in the comment section over the absolutely diabolical song choice and the sad dying culture of radio:
There were also plenty of people voicing exactly why radio is dying, calling out the fact that listening to the same 10 pop-country hits on repeat with a billion ads littered in between isn’t necessarily considered a “peak” listening experience nowadays:
I have to sympathize with the poor guy, though, who verified that his hometown station in particular was more than just a hot-charts regurgitation machine, noting that it “played music your grandfathers age.” He also explained in the comment section, “This town was small. Station ran for 78 years. What was once the home of our local sports, news, weather and music is now gone. It’s hard to say goodbye to something you’ve had that long.”
While don’t get me wrong—I love the convenience of the digital age and am a ride-or-die Spotify user— this video is a prime example of just another lost piece of our childhoods that I can’t help but mourn. Let alone with “Colder Weather” playing in the background.
Unfortunately, the dying format might have a better chance of making a comeback if we could just get Bob Kingsley back behind the mic and those under-the-cabinet kitchen radios were still a staple in every home.