AM to Podcasts ... pool our knowledge?

My first radio, AM only, used a signal diode, ferrite tuner, and piezoelectric ear phone, no battery required. Radio receiver improved and FM became an option but programming remained Top-Pop, Country and Western, Religious, and classical on FM. By the early 1970s you could get progressive radio and advanced, eclectic rock and roll. But soon AM became horribly boring and along with FM, whole radio markets were captured by folks with an 'ax to grind' and no imagination. Satellite radio was at first welcome until I realized they didn't really care what subscribers wanted to hear. Then Internet radio and podcasts. This leads me to this podcast review:

• Autoline Daily - fits in my 20 minute commute, they do a short, well written paragraph or two about what is going on. It is often where I first hear about new Toyota and hybrid developments even though they are not fans. They are fair-enough, journalists.
• Autoline This Week - their just under an hour detailed report. Not always interesting, at least they go into more detail.
• mpgomatic - just found him this morning and I'm impressed. For example, his C-MAX review ends with a screen showing:
  • 42.4 MPG - Cruise @68 MPH
  • 43.8 MPG - 60-72 MPH target, manual
  • 46.4 MPG - Cruise @60 MPH
  • 51 Degrees - Wind 3 MPH 93% Humidity

Now some podcasts have sampled in the past but I am either going to or have already dropped:

• FullyCharged - When Robert was interviewing people in his Prius, there was a good mix of technology and social. But lately he has gone 'all green energy' and that is about as interesting as watching the power meter.
• Car Talk - how many times can you hear someone making the sound of a broken gas car before the joke wears off. So little technical content that relates to what is going on.
• MotorWeek - great descriptions of 'art' but nothing else. Might as well listen to someone standing in front of a Salvador Dali painting describing their impressions.
• others . . .

It doesn't take much capital to produce a podcast and some of the one-man shows are pretty good. But my ears are interested in technology, not sheet metal art. Also, a bunch of good 'ole boys cuttin' up has a pretty limited appeal, mostly immediate family members and none of my kin are in that business.

It is nice to have choices and far as I'm concerned the AM and FM bands should be turned into bi-directional, wireless networks. Let us find the content that interests us and not some 'agenda' by the broadcast owners. That is what killed AM, is killing FM, and no doubt satellite is following.

Bob Wilson