What rocked NU 107's boat?

I grew up hearing that "NU Rock 107" DJ phrase. I grew up with three older brothers who were either into the New Wave genre or the 80's pop rock. So NU 107 has been a part of my radio life.

What is happening right now is a sign of how far our radio has gone. Remember the time when our grandparents listened to the dramas on the radio, when every Sunday, old songs are played on air and every radio station has its own ID catering to various music genres. Remember when you would sing along when "Lee Kum Kee" is played or the "United American tiki-tiki".

Our radio industry is dying. Why? What is killing it?

Apple did. Chinese portable music players did. You did. I did. With the mass production of mp3 players, mp4s, ipod and phones with music players, anyone can listen to music anytime, anywhere. No need for radio frequencies and signals. Just a computer to which you can download your favorite music or any music that suits your mood or the ambience. Why listen to a radio station and wait for hours to hear your favorite music? Not to mention the casual interruption by advertisers?

Think of how Campus radio which used to be "cool" among College people became the Barangay LS that it is now? Because the College students can now afford a 600 peso worth mp3 bought in Quiapo. Why did the other radio networks followed? Because only few listen to them now.

The only time I can listen to radio networks now is when a ride a jeepney. I remember a friend who joked that he listens to 97.1 or 93.1 is because he is a driver. Through this, one can see the wall that divides the economic classes. The rich plays his type of song with the latest ipod while the poor tunes in to Love radio.

We kill the radio industry every time we make fun of Mr Fu's antics, when we get irritated by Nicole Ayala's broadcast laughter, when we jokingly comment on how jologs radio stations have become. It's not their fault that the times have changed. The Disc Jockeys we look up to have changed course just to stay in business. It was not their fault that advertisers no longer invest on mass media that only the economically-challenged patronize. Was it their fault that you and I no longer listen to one of the earliest forms of mass media?

How shall I tell my children that NU Rock 107 once rocked our youth? How I shall tell them that we shared coffee breaks and smoke while listening to the "NU rock 107, and that was..."

A day in Pyjamas

It's been a while since I last spent the day in pyjamas. I woke up late, stayed in bed for a few more hours, went online, facebooked, surf the net for non-academic reasons, watched TV, ate and slept. Just like a bum. Take a bath late in the day, or skip lunch just to be in bed once more.

After a long time, I finally had lots of time to do nothing. With my usual busy schedule, I practically had lots of time doing lots of things, like running errands, attending classes and socializing. I usually wake up early, take a bath and start my day with my to do list.

It feels a little weird though that despite my efforts of becoming an official bum, I never did. Because here I am, blogging once more in my last night's pyjamas on my unfixed bed.

When was the last time you spent your day in pyjamas?