The Last Leg

Greenville, NC has a couple things wrong with it as a city, not just a market. The loop around it is route 264. Then 264a and 264 alt criss-cross it. At more than four spots you can find yourself at the intersection of 264 and 264. I had to use a compass to even find my hotel.
I began wishing I could use a Radio Compass. But alas we were not at sea. Very near to it though. In the same market is the town of Washington. It's about 30 miles further East and has a little patch of Atlantic shore line. http://website.lineone.net/~norman.groom/SCR269.htm
I was able to catch a little of 105.1 WDLV-LP and was tally let down when I heard yet more christian rock.. .they are the 6th christian outlet in the market. (why dont Buddhists or Muslims or Jewish people ever start religious radio stations?) I was hoping to have time to catch 106.9 WUBN-LP in Wilson and 95.9 WZNC-LP in Roanoke Rapids. But rumor is that those are christian outlets as well.

Greenville-Jacksonville-New Bern isn't totally without good radio. They have 100.7 WRVA for Triple A, 91.3 WZMB for a little College variety a fun service of East Carolina University. WRVA runs mostly the standard Triple A fare. But WZMB is a real mixed bag. Some shows are strikingly professional. Others are... not. http://www.wzmb.ecu.edu/

I tuned into WKNC 88.1 for the drive to the airport this morning. interestingly enough the story Corps bus should be driving thru Fayetteville just today as I am departing.

Red Dirt Radio

The soil is red here, from a high iron content. Almost all the worlds ferrous oxide deposits originate in some of earths earliest bacteria. Some microorganisms use a metabolic process called Chemolithotrophy to obtain energy from inorganic molecules. A the time (2 .7 billion years ago) this was critical because there was nothing organic to eat. It was these bacteria, water air and rocks. Because very little energy is generated in the oxidation of ferrous iron into ferric iron, these bacteria must oxidize massive amounts of iron in order to live or grow. So as these early bacteria multiplied into the trillions they deposited large quantities of iron everywhere. This is why the earth is red here in the Carolinas.

I listened to WQFS as long as I could driving east on I-40 and as it petered out at noon, I heard Vitamin C by the band Can then a soft spoken young DJ who sounded unconfident. Then nothing. I was able to get WKNC for a time after than but I-40 goes south after Durham toward nowhere.. then nothing but more NPR talk. I stopped in Clinton, NC which has three local radio stations despite its small stature; WCLN, WRRZ-AM, and WCLN-AM. Religious talk, country oldies and reg. mex, in that order.

Right here in Fayetteville, the radio blows. To the west is the untrained but interesting WUAW out of Triton High. 89.3 WZRI out of Fayetteville, which by all rights should be variety of some kind is actually runs mostly 80 rock. 91.9 WFSS is another NPR outlet but they do sport a few exceptional shows including Original Down Home Blues which I am listening to right now. 90.1 WCCE to the north runs smooth jazz and easy listening.And you can't forget red Dirt radio on KVOO, a fine source of local talent.

The real winner in this corner of the state is 90.5 WDCC out of Central Carolina Community College in Sanford. Eclectic, but listenable. It's a fine station that mixes things up just enough to stir you into trying new bands. But its a little too far south west of where I am tonight.