The medium that once inspired entire families to sit around and stare in fascination at a big wooden box for hours has become one dumb, droning commercial for acne creams and Limp Bizkit. New Edition became New Kids, who became 'N Sync. Right now, you could drive anywhere in the country and hear the same "alternative" rock station you listen to at home--same name, format, music, and advertising. Even NPR, now underwritten by pharmaceutical and agricultural companies, recently killed legislation that would have liberalized low-power FM licensing.

But there are small pockets of reception where beauty can still be found. There are still radio pirates, and great college and public stations everywhere. And now, through the Internet, anyone--even people with good taste--can legally have a radio station, and make it available worldwide, providing he or she can afford it.

As radio gets more and more generic, it's becoming increasingly difficult to romanticize. But as technology in radio develops, it's becoming interesting to observe. EDITED BY JEFF DeROCHE