Two Thousand Ears.

I'm proud to say that around 1PM PST this afternoon, Egg Radio broke 1000 listeners. Egg Radio has about 5000 regular listeners, but this is the first time that over 1000 have been tuned in at once. It's been difficult getting this point. "The Egg" has endured server meltdowns, bandwidth crunches, and spam attacks.

If you read my site, but have never heard of (or listened to) Egg Radio, here's the scoop: I've always been a huge fan of radio. I was one of those kids who recorded fake radio shows on his Fisher Price tape recorder. I forced my brother and neighborhood friends into playing parts in radio theater. I taped music off FM and spliced in my own talk-breaks. Eventually, I started working in radio. When I was in New York I had worked for several high-profile radio stations as an air-personality and/or producer. Most of my experiences were good. Some were not.

The thing about radio as an industry is: it sucks. It is (typically) managed by corporate yes-men or skill-less, soul-less, mind-less automatons. The on-air staff is (usually) made up of angry, bitter, egomaniacal hacks who secretly (or not so secretly) hate each other and wish failure on each other. And, despite what you might think, the pay is pitiful, the hours are horrendous and your job is always at risk.

On top of all that: the music currently being programmed on FM is dismal. The same bland couple-o-hundred songs spin over and over again. The same bland artists. FM "formats" have become so specific that variety is non-existent. Listening to FM radio is so tedious for me that, while driving, I listen to talk radio.

And don't even get me going about "morning shows".

Despite this HUGE down side, I missed radio when I left. I missed the creativity. I missed the instant feedback you'd get when you aired a truly funny bit and the phone lines lit up. I missed the quiet hum in your headphones when you pressed "MIC" on the console as you prepared to speak to thousands of people.

Last February I decided that I could do it better. I could build a better station than the big companies. I chose an eclectic format: based on "alternative rock", but with deeper cuts that spanned a few decades. I mixed in comedy. I mixed in pop-culture. I mixed in music that you would never, ever expect to hear on the radio. Hell, I even mixed in Strong Bad songs.

But then I did something that radio the giants would never do: I put the listeners in charge. I let every listener rate the songs from one to eleven (this one goes to 11). The higher the rating, the more often it would be played.

I could do this, you see, because I also built an entire radio programming software package: from scratch. My radio software tracks thousands of songs, categories and artists. It schedules and automates the music based on a complex algorithm that I created and tweaked over the months.

I also acted as air-talent and even let listeners have a turn at being "Guest DJs". I billed Egg Radio as exactly what it is: "Radio for Geeks with Taste".

It worked.

Currently, I don't have that much free time and don't give The Egg the attention it deserves. But that's going to be changing in 2006.

So, if you're still reading, you might as well click over to Egg Radio and check it out. Finally, I would be remiss by not thanking the core group of Egg Heads who have stuck by me through thick and thin: Shinigami, Spender, Sancrist, Groonk, Heather, Danni, Blackie, and a slew of others. You know who you are.

Thank YOU guys. I will not let you down.

Comments

[Helena]

Damn you AJ! You're the Nerd Rhett Butler! Every time I think I'm free of you haunting my dreams, you go and say something like, "I also built an entire radio programming software package: from scratch"

Damn you right to hell!

[jennifer Lankenau]

Not a big FM radio fan myself either. I listen to the morning news on AM more often than not just to listen to Paul Harvey. He's like my Andy Rooney of the radio.

Once I read the bit about Strong Bad songs, I was SO there.

I will never ever ever ever ever write a song about the Sibbie.

[Blackie]

Arrrrrrrrr, Well done mate.

I'm very proud to have made my way into the Egg's nest. I stumbled in from Wil Wheatons web site back in early '05. Good times early '05. I missed the cracking of the Egg by just a few weeks but couldn't be happier since I found such a wide array of music and absolutly great people. AJ really does liten and will drop in new music just to see how it fares. The "Rate-O-Matic" is a beautiful thing.

My suggestion to all you Egg Radio "virgins", go now, your ears will thank you. (the button is over there <<<< ya bilge rat.) Then stop by our temporary home, Egg Island. Stop in, say hi, have a drink and relax. Tell em Blackie sent ya and the rum is on me.

Egg Radio, where it is ok to be a little cracked.

[adam]

This sounds REALLY cool. Anyone who references Spinal Tap and Strong Bad is channeling me. I'll link your site from mine, which will bring you another three regular visitors!

Adam

[zooz]

stumbled upon you via Gordon and The Demographic Shift.

Excellent reading thanks

[AJ]

Helena-- You have such a weakness for nerds. It's frightening. You need to date a dumb, athletic guy stat.

Jenn-- That song is in rotation. :-)

Blackie-- Thanks for your ridiculously loyal support. Seriously.

Adam-- Linked ya back. Your three visitors are welcome here at Chez Nutcase.

Zooooooz-- Gordon rocks. Welcome.

[OC Girl]

I couldn't get though my days with out some of your egg on my face AJ...

Congrats! That truly *is* awesome indeed...

[Mister Groonk]

i found eggradio through wil wheaton's site as well. haven't been disappointed since!

now if i could only get The Egg streamed into my car.

then my world would be perfect.

abso-funking-perfect, it would be.

[Jacquie]

I've seen the link but I've never checked it out. If I knew it was yours, I would have been there in a heartbeat. I'm glad you posted this FYI. Congrats on the 1000 listeners and I'm heading over there right now!!!

[Jacquie]

Ok, I can't believe I've been missing out on Egg Radio all this time. Why didn't you say something sooner!

(Now Playing... Bob Marley..."Lets get together and feeeel alright..." ... Ok, I will let him sing it. RIP)

[Jill]

Wow, AJ. Fucking wow.

I'm going to put a link up on my blog as soon as I get a sec.

Happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for super-cool geeks like you. Geek is a compliment, I swear.

[special sauce]

Ah, those sweet heady days of early Egg Radio. How I love it. And slowly, ever so slowly, I'm converting people.

You, AJ, are the king of, well, damnit, I don't know what, but you're the king alright.

[Blackie]

"It's good to be the king."
Just went from Danny Elfman to Rage Against the Machine.
\m/ indeed

and Groonk is so very right, the Egg in my car would be a very good thing. I was actually kinda psyched last year when AJ pull a April fools prank and told us he had sold out the Egg to XM or Sirus. I had dreams of diving and getting Egged. you are a cold bastigie. But we luurve ya anyway.
Arrrrrrrrr

[Pauly D]

I...had...no...idea.

In the immortal words of Jodie Foster from Contact..."It's just so...beautiful."

[JoeC]

I think the radio is been going down hill... god knows when it started. Too much crap white noise & no quality programming. Well, at least over here, the programming might sux but we have happy happy DJs.. maybe there are on drugs.....

Cheers!

[JM]

Accomplishments abound.

Well done.

:-)

[Unsomnambulist]

I didn't know YOU were Egg Radio, so I never gave it a spin. I'll try it out now.
That said, I rarely ever listen to radio, mostly for practical reasons, especially at home, especially online.
As a promotional thing, to draw traffic, and also for those who mostly listen to the iPods, have you considered a weekly podcast/best of?

[melina]

Hey AJ, I always wondered what the cute wee hen symbol was for! Yay Egg Radio! For this reason alone, I think I may have to upgrade my internet connection so I can actually listen to egg radio at home vs. at work where I am constantly interrupted anyway. I have ranted many times about the sheer puffery of our "local" radio station programming and DJ's.

Also, how does one audition for a listener guest dj spot? Free ride up to Big Sur? heh heh heh...

[Rarity]

Great music on the Egg Radio, I must say! (How did you come up with the name?)

But I don't see no Rate-O-Matic or little wee hen on my left... Is this some sort of test? If so I failed it misearbly...

Anyways, I'll be listening to The Egg Radio whether I get to rate or not!

cluck, cluck!

[Not Quite Charlie Brown]

I am loving Egg Radio! But, as Rarity says, I can't seem to figure out how to rate the songs (most of them are awesome though)...

[Rabbit]

I've tried the link three times. I can't listen. Damn you, dial-up.

[Blackie]

The Rate-O-Matic is temporarily down while AJ kicks the old web site in the arse. It will be back as soon as he has the time to get the web site straightened out.
The lil hen with the "i-pod" looking thing and the colorful background is the linky-link to the Egg.
There were some links to smaller bandwidth streams for dialup folks. If I can dig one up, I'll post it.

[Merujo]

Hey! I meant to tell you that I finally got Egg Radio to work on my computer (don't ask me what my damage was.) And I like it!! Excellent work, AJ. It's good stuff, indeed.

Just over the summer I've had my very first experiences with radio, as a performer-type person, and it's been a total hoot. I can totally understand how you would miss it. Just for the short bursts when I'm in the local NPR studio, with my headset on, talking into a big nerf-y mic, it's the coolest thing in the world. (I was out in my car today and flipped on the radio, having forgotten that one of my commentaries was running today. I almost drove off the road when I heard myself - I have this weird phobia/hate of the sound of my own voice. Despite my self-vocal-loathing, I love doing radio stuff.)

[kristine]

awww, what a love-fest over here!
is this an internet-only thing or is it on satellite?

[Heather]

I am so flippin' proud of you - and feel so blessed to be involved in the minute way I have been. You have something great here: that was illustrated beautifully when you hit this milestone.

Congratulations. I can't wait to see where this goes, and you know I'll be right here for the ride with you =)