How I watched Obama’s inauguration? AM radio.

Saw today how the internet is abuzz over itself, (new word, look it up), regarding how many different ways we all watched Obama’s inauguration. Except for me. Another unfortunate family emergency put me on the road during the historic events and I was forced to listen... via the dying medium that is AM radio.

Yes. The dying medium that Nielsen or anyone else can’t seem to measure accurately more than once a quarter. The dying medium that recently saw Rush Limbaugh get a new mega-millions contract to continue his political love nationwide. The dying medium that dominates American morning drive like no other.

Sure, my iPhone knock-off with built-in Dick Tracey TV antenna could’ve picked up local coverage—maybe.

Sure, someone could’ve texted me updates—maybe.

Someone else might have even held the phone up to a TV so I could put it on speaker—maybe, (and a really desperate move in that case).

Sure I could’ve watched clips later on YouTube—maybe.

Instead of crappy workarounds like those, I just wanted to hear it live. So my only real choice was the car radio. (FM coverage was actually less thorough from the stations I scanned.) The pre-game coverage and subsequent play by play yesterday? Well, given my environment: Flawless.

The haunting and stunning Yo-Yo Ma/John Williams theme that has yet to be up on iTunes? As good as anything on FM. (Check out what YouTube did to the sound by comparison because it was not anywhere close to what I heard.) I could listen to all the subsequent guests and poets as well. If I missed something someone said, ironic, but I knew I could catch video or get transcripts online later.

Yep, that AM radio sure is a dying medium.

(Image via.)

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