What were the radio stations of your youth that helped you on your music/audio journey?

KPFA, KSAN  San Francisco
KZAP, KHIQ   Sacramento
XERB Mexico (Wolfman Jack)

Growing up in NYC as a teenager in the 70’s the biggest influence in radio were WNEW rock, WRVR jazz WBLO all the way to the left, WFUV was in there too but maybe later. But there were other stations (Illegal for sure) broadcasting late at night. These stations were fairly radical in what they were playing. One in particular was somewhere on Long Island. It was an awesome station.
I only listen to the radio in my car these days and only sometimes.  NPR sometimes but I'm so tired of politics and the obvious bias they employee. I prefer to bias tubes thank you. There is a great classical station whose call sign escapes me at the moment.
Does anyone still use a tuner? I have a really decent one here that hasn’t been plugged in for....oh 30 or so years

WABX-Detroit
then, after the move,
KXLU-Los Angeles

In Detroit: WRIF , WJZZ, WWWW, WLLZ 

During the 1970’s, the University of Dayton (Ohio) had a student-run station, call letters WVUD, at 99.9 FM. Every weeknight from 7-8 PM, they had a program called “Wax Museum” when they would play an entire new album of music. The difference was that this show was set up to facilitate recording the music. The show started with a tone that allowed the audience to set their recording level. Then the tone would sound at the start of each segment, signaling to begin recording, and then another tone to signal stop-recording before ads were played. I don’t know how they were able to do this, but it went on for years and was a great way to hear new music. Sadly, the station was sold, I think by the early 1980’s. I haven’t heard of any other station doing this.

Commercial radio has since become mostly garbage. There is “Classic Rock”, but how many times can you hear the same songs from 30-40 years ago? There is “alternative music”, but so much of that is rap/hip-hop, “hey-ho”, “beep-beep-beep-beep” and not interesting to me.

Currently, I enjoy listening to a couple of local stations (I know this is departing from “radio from my youth”, but yet it still is). WSWO, 97.3 FM and available on-line under daytonoldies.com, is located in Huber Heights, Ohio and features music from the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. Unlike the classic rock stations that play the same set of tunes, usually from the 1970’s to 1990’s, this station plays the older and/or seldom heard oldie tunes and the variety is entertaining. The station is only 100 watts but sounds great to me 8 miles away (haven’t needed to listen on-line yet).  This station is run by volunteers, some of whom are retired local radio personalities, one was a former mayor of Dayton, and there are other people that just enjoy putting together shows to entertain people.  They welcome donations. 

I have not been much of an oldie country fan, but I now enjoy listening to WBZI, 100.3 FM and simulcast on a few other stations in the general area, which is located in Xenia, Ohio. These are traditional country songs, not the current country rock that is popular now. The focus is more upon voices and musicianship rather than the rock band sound. I find it relaxing and entertaining in the evenings. During the day, they also have a radio version of “Trading Post”, when callers phone in with items to sell — I sometimes like to listen to that as well.