Showing posts with label radio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label radio. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

My audio and video bookmarks (2026 update)

This blog entry is an update of an earlier one that I wrote way back in 2021 containing links to audio and video channels that I tend to enjoy. The list is basically for my own use, to have a lot of my favorite links stored in one easy-to-find location.  A lot has changed since 2021, which required removing several defunct links and rewriting certain sections below. However I've decided not to delete the earlier blog post -- even though this new post replaces it -- in the interests of not deleting my own history.  (This page last updated on January 7, 2026.)

So, here are some audio and video links that I've found useful:

PLUTO TV:
This site's "live TV" section is free, supported by occasional commercial interruptions like broadcast television, and has a gazillion channels.  It's a lot like watching regular TV, but each channel will sometimes focus on just one show.  Here are direct links to some of Pluto TV's channels. Note that when you visit the links below, the default setting on the site is for the sound off.  You must click the red "Unmute" button in the bottom left corner of the screen to hear the audio of the program.

ABC NEWS LIVE:
This channel can also be watched on YouTube here.

BBC NEWS:
This channel can also be watched on the BBC website here.

BRITBOX MYSTERIES:

CBS NEWS 24/7:
CBS News 24-hour live news channel. This channel can also be watched on YouTube here. 
There are also numerous local CBSN channels for various cities located in the "Local Channels" section of the site.  For example, CBSN NEW YORK can be found on PlutoTV here.

DOCTOR WHO:
This used to be my favorite Pluto TV channel, but nowadays I can just watch classic "Doctor Who" channels on the official YouTube channel instead. I have a blog post about the YouTube channel's offerings. 

CLASSICA (classical music):

THE LONE RANGER:

MTV SPANKIN' NEW:
Does MTV still play music videos?  Yep, there are numerous music video channels on PlutoTV, including this one which focuses on newer artists.

NBC NEWS NOW:
This channel can also be watched on YouTube here.

NEWS 12 NEW YORK:


TUBI TV
Like Pluto TV, Tubi TV has a large selection of "live TV" channels -- some of which are the same ones that Pluto has, but also ones that Pluto doesn't.  (Personally I find the viewing experience on Tubi to be less glitchy, when watching on my laptop, than Pluto.) You can scroll through their live TV offerings at the link below: 

CBC News (Canada) highlights:

Tubi TV also has free video on demand, where users can watch specific episodes of a series by selecting the episode that they want to watch.  There are a ton of series to view on here, so a good way to find shows is to simply browse the site.  The links below provide some highlights.

Silent movies:

Old TV shows:
This page shows various old TV series that are available to watch on demand.  Click the titles to view the programs.  Some of my favorites are:

THE AVENGERS (1960s British TV series):

DARK SHADOWS (1960s gothic soap opera):

DENNIS THE MENACE (1950s/60s sitcom):

FATHER KNOWS BEST (1950s sitcom): 

KAMEN RIDER (classic Japanese superhero TV series):

MUTANT X:

THE PRISONER starring Patrick McGoohan:

THE SAINT (1960s series starring Roger Moore):

SECRET AGENT (a.k.a. DANGER MAN) starring Patrick McGoohan:

SPACE 1999 (1970s series):

THE ROKU CHANNEL:
https://therokuchannel.roku.com/
This is a site similar to Tubi TV which has numerous video-on-demand episodes and movies, but also some live TV streaming channels, including NBC News Now and ABC News Live.  (ABC's website also has a live stream of ABC News.) Simply use the search bar on the site or follow the links to browse the available content.  Some of the available dramas include classic British TV series like Kavanagh QC, Peak Practice and The Darling Buds of May.


The CW:
The site offers free on-demand movies and TV shows, as well as live streaming of various channels.


PBS:
On the PBS website, one can watch live streams of local PBS channels as well as watch video-on-demand episodes.


PUFFER TV:
This site allows views to watch network TV channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS) without having to use an antenna.  The available channels are limited to the California area (stations such as KPIX, KNTV, KTVU, KQED, KRON and KGO) which broadcast programs according to the Pacific time zone.  

Some TV channels provide a live stream of their locally-produced over-the-air content on the websites, such as my local Detroit Fox affiliate:


FILMON:
The above link goes to a live video feed of British TV. Unfortunately, the site only allows visitors to view less than a minute of some British TV for free; paid subscribers to the service are able to view it uninterrupted.  However, if you don't want to pay, just keep refreshing the page before the free minutes is up, to view more of the channel.  To see the BBC One TV schedule, click here.  Generally BBC live TV is not available outside the UK.  The BBC's page for Doctor Who can be found here.

FilmOn also has a Silent Cinema live TV channel which allows viewers to see two minutes of the channel for free.  (Again, just keep refreshing the page if you don't want to pay.)

FilmOn does have some free live TV channels (no refreshing required), such as the EuroTrash channel (of old foreign B-movies).  Click the "Live TV" tab at the top left of the screen to browse the available TV channels; the "free" ones are indicated next to the title of the channel.


FREEINTERTV:
This site has a variety of international TV channels available to watch.

GALXY TV:
This is another site that has live channels that can be viewed online.

GIA TV:
This site has many streaming channels, including Throwback Television (consisting of old TV shows).


YOUTUBE:
This site, of course, has some TV episodes, radio episodes, and movies for free, as well as user-generated content of interest.  

YouTube channels devoted to old movies include Moviecraft, Inc., Silent Film House, I Demand Complete Silents and more. 

YouTube channels showing British TV shows include BBC Archive, Classic British Telly, Play for Forever and Soap Reupload.  

Kamen Rider and other Japanese live-action action shows can be found on the TokuSHOUTsu YouTube channel. 

You can also find here the live feeds for ABC News Live, NBC News Now, and the U.K. channel Sky News.


VIMEO:
This site is like YouTube, where users have uploaded various video content.  For example, here is a reconstruction of the silent film version of The Phantom of the Opera:


RUMBLE:
Rumble is a conservative alternative to YouTube, but also features some videos unrelated to politics. For example, the channel Subtitle Translator has uploaded many old silent movies of interest.


THE INTERNET ARCHIVE:
This site has literally millions of old video and audio to enjoy, including pages to listen to Old Time Radio as well as classic TV and silent movies to watch.


MARIAVISION:
Live TV feed of the Catholic TV channel.


AMERICAN ARCHIVE OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING:
This website contains thousands of archived videos, including episodes of the MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour dating back to 1975 (up to the present), as well as William F. Buckley's Firing Line.  (When going to the pages for those particular series, click the red "View the collection" button to be taken to the page where you can view the episodes.)


iSPOT:
Have you seen a commercial recently on TV and want to watch it again or know more about it (who was the actor, what the plot description was, etc.)?  The above site provides data about new commercials.


-- AUDIO FILES:--

AUDIO VISUALS (1990s Doctor Who fan-made audio dramas):


BBC RADIO:
Until recently, there would be no problem listening to BBC radio shows for free over the internet anywhere in the world via the BBC website. However the BBC has recently moved to limit listening to those in the UK, although the links below still work for me to "listen live" to the most popular channels:  

Some shows can be listened to for a much longer period, and some can also be downloaded as MP3 files so that you can save them permanently on your computer in case the site ever removes the content.  (That link generally not available outside the UK, but can be viewed if you stop the page before it redirects to an error page.)  For example, the page of "In Our Time" podcasts can be found here.

To view lists of BBC radio schedules, click here.  

(BBC Radio 4 is the channel that plays the most original new radio drama.  (Those two links are also generally not available outside the U.K.)  BBC Radio 4 Extra [formerly known as BBC Radio 7] airs a lot of classic radio drama and comedy episodes.)

The BBC Radio 4 Extra page for Sherlock Holmes radio dramas is here.  In the past, listeners outside the U.K. were allowed to hear the shows listed there, but that changed in 2024.  My own favorites were the ones from the 1950s and 1960s starring Carleton Hobbs.  An alternative to hearing those episodes on the BBC website is YouTube, although many of the episodes uploaded there suffer from inferior sound quality. (An exception are those posted by Brodie Vickers.)

DRAMA OF THE WEEK:
The BBC's "Drama of the Week" page highlights a particular radio drama that aired in the past week and makes it available for download.  The episodes are generally only available for 14 days, so it pays to check the page at least once a week to download the available content.  There is also the Comedy of the Week, which is available to download for 30 days.
  

CBC RADIO (Canada):
The live streams of CBC Radio One (talk) and CBC Music [formerly CBC Radio Two] stations can be heard here.


CRNTalk radio:
The live streams of the various channels of CRN radio (which airs conservative talk radio programs) can be heard here. The Michael Medved Show airs weekdays around 4-5 pm EST on CRN1.  


Detroit FM radio stations:
My blog post above from 2023 contains links to the websites of the FM radio stations in the Detroit area, where you can listen live to many of them.  


Earthcam:
Abbey Road crossing 24/7 webcam:


FABCAST (Beatles podcast):


TUNE IN:
I don't have cable TV, but I frequently listen to the live audio feed of CNN on the Tune In website.  You can hear a live feed of MSNow on there as well.  There are numerous radio stations that can be heard on the site.  Local radio stations can be listened to on Tune In, or by visiting each station's website to see if a live audio stream is available.  For example, the local WDTK "The Answer" (formerly "The Patriot") 92.7 FM Detroit channel (which plays conservative talk radio shows) can be heard here and WJR 760 AM Detroit can be heard here.  


MyTuner Radio:
This site also lets you listen live to various radio stations.


The World of Doctor Who: Panel to Panel:
Podcast about Doctor Who comics hosted by Jeremy Bement. This is a continuation of his archived podcast Doctor Who: Panel to Panel that ended in 2024.


Zoomer Radio:
This Canadian radio station airs an hourlong block of old-time radio every weeknight at 10pm EST on the "Theater of the Mind" program, which can be heard online via the "Listen Live" button on the website.


OLD-TIME RADIO:
Many old-time radio episodes can be heard on the aforementioned YouTube and Internet Archive.  For example, the YouTube channels of Brodie Vickers (British radio) and Michael Degen.


Here are a few more pages where OTR files can be downloaded:

Old Time Radio Researchers Group Library:
The Ted Davenport Collection can be found here:
The "Certified" series can be found here:
The OTRR page at the Internet Archive:

Old Time Radio Downloads:

Jerry Haendiges' OTR page:

Old Time Radio Lover:

Old Time Radio Shows on MP3:

Radio Echoes:

The Gildersleeve Project:

jfyuga's Internet Archive uploads:

The Joe Hehn Memorial Collection:

Rand's Esoteric OTR:

Ray Bradbury radio shows:

The Suspense Project:

The Theatre 5 Project:

Well, that should keep you busy watching and listening for now!  :-)
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Friday, June 16, 2023

A Guide to FM Radio Stations in the Detroit Area

I've written a post on my blog before about the TV channels in my area, so here's a post about the radio stations in my listening area.  Below you will find a list of the FM radio stations I was able to pick up on my radio when I listened to it yesterday and today.  (I decided to limit the list to FM stations because of the work involved in putting this together, without adding AM channels to the mix.)

Many of the channels in the Detroit, Michigan area are actually Canadian, being broadcast from nearby Windsor, Ontario.  Some stations refer to themselves as located in "Windsor-Detroit" and in fact many Detroit listeners may not actually realize that they are listening to a Canadian radio station due to how prominent they are on the dial.  Detroit is also near the border of Ohio, and therefore stations from the nearby city of Toledo, Ohio can also be received, although usually less clearly.

For the most part, I limited my list of Detroit-area stations to channels that I was able to receive easily without having to struggle with the antenna to bring it in.  I did include a few "staticky" stations below, however, if I thought that they were particularly interesting -- but if they have a weak signal where I live, I usually note that in the list.     

The embedded links in the entries below lead to the website of the station, where you can usually "listen live" to the channel.  If I didn't hear the station give its call letters on the air during the time that I listened to it yesterday or today, I have included the call letters in brackets below, having found that information online.  Many channels prefer to use a phrase like "Mix 96.7" on the air, rather than the station's actual call letters (CHYR, in this case).

I might add that one of the stations that I listen to the most lately is not on the list below.  That's because I only listen to it online (usually on my phone) since I don't think I can receive it on my radio.  That station is Zoomer Radio 740 AM, broadcasting from Toronto, which airs an hour of old-time radio at 10pm EST every weeknight.  

If you have an interest in Detroit-area broadcasting industry news, you will want to check out the Michigan Radio and TV Buzzboard for the latest about what is going on locally.



DETROIT-AREA FM RADIO STATIONS (as heard by me on June 15-16, 2023):

88.7: [CIMX]: "Pure Country 89" (iHeart Radio) (modern country music)
This Windsor station used to be "89X" in the 1990s, home of alternative rock music, until becoming a country music station in 2020.  You can read about the station's history on its Wikipedia page.  Back on March 8, 2015, 89x played a song by Canadian band Mother Mother, who I'd never heard of before -- but who have since become my favorite current band.

89.1: WEMU (NPR) (public radio)
Eastern Michigan University station, in Ypslanti, MI.

89.3: WHFR (college radio)
Henry Ford Community College station, in Dearborn, MI.  A block of old-time radio shows can be heard Tuesday mornings on the "Radio Vault" program.

89.5: [WDTP] "Smile FM" (contemporary Christian music)
Same as 103.9 FM.

89.9: [CBE] "CBC Music"
Windsor station.  Formerly CBC Radio 2, back when CBC Radio 1 was on the AM dial. (See 97.5 below for more on that.)  In the 1990s this was home to alternative late-night shows "Brave New Waves" and "Night Lines."  They would also play new radio drama on "Monday Night Playhouse" back then, before CBC dismantled their radio drama unit in the 21st century due to budget cuts.  These days they have made more of an effort at inclusion and representation, so that the hosts and music selections are more ethnically diverse than they were in the past.  

90.5: WKAR (public radio)
90.5: [CJAH] (UCB Canada) (contemporary Christian music)
On Thursday, when I had the radio facing one direction, I was receiving WKAR.  On Friday, I tuned in to the same channel, with the radio antenna moved, and I was hearing UCB instead, a Canadian Christian music station. Both come in staticky.  

90.9: WRCJ (classical & jazz)
Back in the 1990s, this was WDTR, the Detroit public schools channel, which would occasionally play old-time radio.

91.3: WGTE (NPR) (public radio) 
Toledo, OH.  WGTE is also the call letters of Toledo's PBS TV channel 30 (which unfortunately I don't receive with my TV antenna).

91.7: WUOM (NPR/Michigan Radio) (public radio)
Ann Arbor, MI.

92.3 [WMXD] "Mix"  (R&B/soul music)

92.7: WLQV "Faith Talk Detroit" (religious/political talk) 
(also AM 1500) 
Staticky reception.  Occasional bleed-through, depending on the angle of the antenna, with "Windsor's Country" which airs on the same channel, 92.7 FM [CJSP], as well as 95.9 FM [CJWF] where it comes in better.

93.1: [WDRQ] "New Country" (modern country music)

93.5: W228CJ "The Roar" (Motor City sports talk) 

93.9: [CIDR] "Virgin Radio" (iHeart Radio) (modern hits)
Windsor station. Used to be "The River."  According to its Wikipedia page, there are no Virgin Radio stations broadcasting in the United States.  But there are 12 in Canada -- including CIDR 93.9 FM.  
Nostalgic note: Back in 1982-1985, CKJY was at 93.9 FM and had a "big band" format.  On weeknights around 9pm, the station aired "The Golden Age of Radio Theatre" hosted by Vic Ives, which was my introduction to such radio shows as Fibber McGee and Molly, The Hall of Fantasy, Screen Directors' Playhouse, The Weird Circle, and more.  

94.3: [W232CA] "Relevant Radio" (Catholic talk)

94.7: WCSX (classic rock)
Birmingham, MI station.

95.1: [CKUE] "Cool FM" (rock music)
Canadian station, poor signal. "Cool FM" also broadcasts on 100.7 FM (see below).  According to CKUE's Wikipedia page, 95.1 FM is broadcasting from Chatham-Kent, Ontario, and 100.7 is a repeater station covering the Windsor area.

95.5: [WKQI] "Channel 955" (iHeart Radio) (modern pop music/hits) 

95.9: [CJWF] "Windsor's Country" (country music)
Windsor station.

96.3: WDVD (modern pop music/hits)
Back in the 1980s, this was WHYT.

96.7: [CHYR] "Mix" (pop music)
Canadian station playing "hot adult contemporary" music.  The Wikipedia page can be found here.  

97.1: WXYT "The Ticket" (sports)
This is the FM channel of longtime AM radio station WXYT.  The AM station first aired 100 years ago, in 1923, and beginning in 1930 was known by the call letters that would become famous: WXYZ, eventual home of radio heroes like The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet.  In 1984, the call letters were changed to WXYT, to reflect its talk-radio format, and in the 1990s would air the Rush Limbaugh program (who eventually moved over to another long-running AM station, WJR).  In 2000, WXYT-AM became an all-sports station, and in 2007 WXYT-FM 97.1 went on the air.  (This info obtained from the Wikipedia entries of both stations.)  Not being a sports fan, though, I have rarely listened to it. 

97.5: [CBEW] "CBC Radio One" 
Windsor station. This is the main CBC radio channel, which used to be available only on the AM band (where I usually ignored it).  The content is similar to NPR, with interviews, documentaries, news, etc.

97.9: WJLB (hip hop)

98.3 [W252BX]: "Detroit Praise Network" (gospel music)
Same as 99.9 FM (see below).   

98.7: [WDZH] "Alt 98.7 Detroit" (alternative rock)
In the 1980s-90s, this used to be the home of WLLZ, Detroit's heaviest hard rock station.  WLLZ was later revived on 106.7 FM (see below).  This current "Alt 98.7" appeared following the demise of "89X," so that there was still a prominent alternative rock station on the dial. 

99.1: CJAM ("community radio")
University of Windsor, Ontario radio station, although they do say that they are broadcasting from "Windsor-Detroit."  Staticky reception, but worth the effort because of the weird and obscure music they play.

99.5: WCYD (country music)
Around 1985, this was the home of WDTX, which would play a lot of cool indie type bands.  I think this was where I first heard Lou Reed's song "Walk on the Wild Side."

99.9 [W260CB]: "Detroit Praise Network" (gospel music)
According to the station's Wikipedia page,  99.9 FM is a "translator" station, repeating a signal that is also aired on 98.3 FM (see above). 

100.3: WNIC (adult contemporary, 1980s music)
Dearborn, MI station. The call letters used to stand for "Detroit's Nicest Rock," because they would play "soft rock favorites."  It was kinda funny in the 1980s that they were sandwiched between two of the hardest rocking stations, WLLZ and WRIF.  

100.7: [CKUE-FM-1] "Cool FM" (rock music)
This is a repeater of 95.1 FM (see above), serving the Windsor listening area.  It comes in better than 95.1 in my area.

101.1: WRIF (hard rock)
Sort of a cross between WLLZ and WCSX, in that they would play some classic rock stuff, too, not just the latest metal bangers.

101.5: [WDTK] "The Patriot" (conservative talk radio)
Depending on how you turn the antenna, this station comes in.  I used to listen to it a couple years ago for the Sean Hannity show (after WJR dropped him), but preferred to listen via the website rather than the radio itself, due to the poor signal.

101.5: WRVF "The River" (adult contemporary pop/rock)
Toledo, Ohio station.

101.9: WDET (NPR) (public radio)
Wayne State University station.  If memory serves, it was when listening to this station circa 1986 that I first heard a song by Canadian singer Jane Siberry, and in 1999 first heard a song by one of my favorite local Detroit-area bands, Outrageous Cherry.  (The cool thing about the latter is that when I went out and bought the CD, based on the song I'd heard on the radio, it turned out that that song was one of my least favorite tracks on the album!)  

102.3: CINA (foreign-language music, mostly Arabic)
Windsor station.

102.7: [WDKL] "K-Love" (contemporary Christian music)
Mt. Clemens, MI station.  Back in 1987, ironically, 102.7 FM (when it was WKSG) aired the paranormal talk show Psychically Speaking, which you can hear an example of here.  The Wikipedia page notes that WDKL operates a repeater on 107.1 FM, and indeed it can be picked up interfering with the signal of the Ann Arbor-based WQKL operating on the same frequency, depending on how you turn your antenna.

103.5: WMUZ (Christian talk/music)
Perhaps best-known for the long-running Bob Dutko Show.  (Around 20 years ago, I actually called in to the show once when they were discussing some topic that I thought I could chime in on. I didn't get on the air, though, because by the time I got up the nerve to call, the screener told me that they had already moved on to another topic.)

103.9: W280EL "Smile FM" (contemporary Christian music)
At the top of the hour of 8pm and 9pm (roughly) on Friday, an announcer gave the call letters WCSX in Birmingham, MI and W280EL in Yates, MI.  I was a little confused about that since WCSX is a classic rock station, not CCM.  But Wikipedia's page about WCSX explains that it carries W280EL as an HD subchannel. According to Wikipedia's page about Smile FM, 103.9 FM is a "translator" station, repeating the signal of WVMV (91.5 FM, which I don't receive). Another "Smile FM" station is on 89.5 FM.    

104.3: WOMC (1980s-90s music)
This used to be known as an "oldies" station.  Back in the 1980s, "oldies" meant 1960s music, but that definition has steadily been going forward in time, to the point that one is no longer surprised to hear a Green Day song being played.  (I thought that I was making a joke here, but when I checked their playlist after writing that sentence, I found that they had indeed played a Green Day song around 30 minutes ago.)

104.7: WIOT "Toledo's Rock" (iHeart Radio) (rock music)
Toledo, OH station.

105.1: [WMGC] "The Bounce" (classic hip hop)

105.9: [WDMK] "Kiss FM" (R&B/soul)

106.3: [W292DK] "Air1 Worship Now" (contemporary Christian music)

106.7: WLLZ (hard rock)
"Detroit's Wheels," a revival of the famous heavy metal station of the 1980s & 1990s.

107.1: [WQKL] "107one" (classic alternative rock)
Ann Arbor, MI station.  (Also see 102.7 above for another station operating on this frequency.)

107.5: WGPR "Hot 107" (R&B/hip hop)

107.9: [W300DI] (Spanish-language talk/music)
According to Wikipedia, this is "a low-powered FM translator" of WDTW 1310 AM.



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