Your drug oriented radio station: what would it be like?

[Alfa]

Imagine that you would be the producer of a drug oriented radio station. What programs, shows, music would you broadcast? How would your ideal time table look like?

[Panthers007]

There were two such programs in the Boston, Mass. area a few years ago. One might still be up and running.

One was called Lost & Found - put together by Eli Polonski*. It played a wide genre of psychedelic rock from the 1960's and early 70's. Artists whose material rarely saw the light of day - back in "the day." The Fugs, Electric Prunes, Hot Tuna, etc. Eli's show went national, and his studio at MIT (WMBR 88.1FM) was overrun by the original artists dropping in for interviews, stories, and live sets. I was a constant down there, and it was fantastic!

The other was called Psychedelic Regressions on WZBC (90.3FM), hosted by Jamie Cohen. Jamie, too, played much of the acid-head material that rarely got a spin in Hysterica (America) during the day. Jamie did an excellent job re-introducing a new generation to what artistic venues were launched - musically speaking - through the usage of psychedelics. Eli and Jamie often swapped material. What was rather amusing, in an ironic way, was that WZBC was run out of Boston College - a staunch Catholic school that had problems with boys & girls even holding hands in public. My headband was off to Jamie for rubbing their noses in it.

* Alfa: If you wanted to ask questions to Eli himself, get in touch with me.

[~lostgurl~]

I think the music played would need to be split into sections, like it is "stoner hour" with music played that is associated with certain drug use. Night time would likely have some kind of dance or techno music with the earlier hours of the morning slowing down with house or psy-trance. Also music that is written about drug use should be implemented into the playlist.

Debates on drug policy with members of parliament and anti drug war campaigners with talk back call ins from listeners.

Interviews with famous or knowledgeable people on topics of interest.

The latest drug news at 6pm with news from around the world including law changes, new findings, large busts and anything else that listeners might be interested in.

Commercials would likely be related also, maybe head shops, forums and drug related websites.

Comical radio presenters would be preferable, likable people to listen to on your way to work in the mornings.

Maybe some harm reduction based input, not to the same extent as this forum but maybe small tips added into the presenters general chitter chatter. This could also be done by having competitions with strange and unusual prices.

Nothing should be run of the mill, every aspect should be original so that it doesn't blend in with regular radio stations.

Well those are my thoughts for now. Make it one of a kind and it will collect a following.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	beautiful... and the idea's good too ;)
	Good post, swim agree's
	Great suggestions.

[radiometer]

My drug radio?

I'd have the Ninja Tune crew kidnapped and strapped in to DJ 24/7.

[FuBai]

I would probably want plenty of drug news/ interviews with important figures and in depth analyses like the Chemistry of Addiction (recent BBC radio 4 programme). Music of course could play an important role but I would have to say I would listen to a drug radio station purely for the news, discussions and documentaries as I can get music and vacuous chatter elsewhere.

[cra$h]

a lot of hendrix. but the time blocks would go
3-5am- random songs, mostly call ins
5-9am- talk, with music every 10 minutes or so, bands like grateful dead
9-3pm- classic stuff, Doors, hendrix, etc.
4-9pm- more call ins, maby an interview or 2, some more modern rock (particularly grunge)
9-10pm- metal hour, but tolerable metal and not that pig squeal shit
10-12pm- random mix between bob dylan and metallica
12pm-3am- techno

[Alfa]

More reactions please! What kind of programs would you broadcast?

[splish6]

Howbout having people call in to describe their drug experiences, like a trip-report hour or something.

And set some sound effect to go off at 4:20 every day.

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by splish6

Howbout having people call in to describe their drug experiences, like a trip-report hour or something.

And set some sound effect to go off at 4:20 every day.

Drug literature and poetry reading also? If someone with a good speaking voice and presence were to read literature / poetry / trip reports it could be interesting.

The problem with the 4:20 thing is different time zones. Unless you just did it every hour

Originally Posted by purplehaze

On the note of programs, people reporting about current events in reform from all over the world aswell as new laws.

Any other interesting drug news would also be cool to have reported.



I think a diverse and eclectic set of music would be appropriate for a drugs radio station. I mean, the listeners should have an open mind right?

Maybe some historical orientation tying the music to certain drugs or counter-cultures, etc., would be handy at the beginnings and other parts of sets.

[purplehaze]

Would the station be able to air copyright protected material?

Edit:
On the note of programs, people reporting about current events in reform from all over the world aswell as new laws.

[beena]

I would like to listen to a radio show that is funny and a bit subversive. Years ago I used to like listening to Chris Evans when he was on Radio One and these days I often catch Chris Moyles in the morning. He's not as funny as Evans was back in the day though cos he's too subordinate to the Radio One bosses (a bit of a kiss-arse) wheresas Evans was a bit rebellious and used to challenge them a lot. If you could have a radio station with genuinely funny people hosting the shows (I'm not explaining this very well but think Richard Pryor, back in the day, or Peter Cook or Bill Hicks hosting the show). Some real funny banter between the music.....
Also I'd try and recruit celebrity DJs and well known drug takers like Pete Doherty, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Imagine the Whitney and Bobby show? Quality. And they'd always be the unpredictability factor....Pete Dohertys breakfast show...will he turn up...what state will he turn up in, etc, etc. I bet Pete and Amy would play some quality tunes if they actually got their shit together. Seriously, now that I think about it Pete Doherty is actually a fairly intelligent, witty person anyway and would probably make an excellent DJ.
Then, you know how on Radio One they have people emailing and texting in saying what they're doing or what they did the night before, etc, etc....well, all the texts would be from listeners with drug anecdotes to tell,etc. A kind of community radio show for drug takers. A bit like Drug Forum on air perhaps?

[infekt]

Music: a show for jam bands, folk, and blues-rock, a show for jazz, a show for underground and early 90's hiphop, a show for metal and progressive rock, a show for triphop/electronica.

Interviews and showcases of up and coming musicians would be great too. In terms of talk, lots of drug-related news including policies and research.

[darkglobe]

MONDAY AM: The entire Pink Floyd discography.
MONDAY PM: The entire Velvet Underground discography.

TUESDAY AM: Lots of dodgy prog-rock!
TUESDAY PM: A bit of 80s Punk, methinks.

WEDNESDAY (ALL DAY): Midweek mash-up, possibly an all-day request show.

THURSDAY AM: The Blue-rinse brigade - songs for the aged (i'd never get away with that title...)
THURSDAY PM: Last chance 2 chillout - ambient/unintrusive chillout music to get ya ready for....

FRIDAY AM/Early PM: Wake up and wackout - goa/psy-trance, drum n bass, industrial, hardcore, techno and stuff...
FRIDAY Late PM: The comedown... a bit of sphongle/infected mushroom's calmer stuff, a bit of slow trance stuff.

SATURDAY: See friday!

SUNDAY: Wouldn't be broadcasting, my target audience would all be in bed most of the day EDIT: Actually, sunday would be the perfect day for an open discussion forum (with free to phone telephone number of course) where listeners could ask questions and get advice. Much like drugs forum... just, probably couldn't be about drugs due to legal shit, but I'd make it useful somehow.

[GoddamnElectric]

Swim finds that the music which really effects him on drugs is not very orthodox in the ways of drug-music taste, and swim's taste and experience are what I'm drawing on here, so I doubt it would be a very popular station.

But I'd have different programs aimed at different drugs and different styles. We'd have a lot of marijuana-themed rap program blocks, marijuana-themed rock blocks; classic, modern, jam, blues, we'd have a lot of DXM-themed metal blocks; groove, black, thrash, epic doom, and we'd have a Salvia-themed block every night at 3am that was 30 minutes of lo-fi brutal slam death metal. We'd also play a lot of noise, post-rock and spoken word, of course. And we'd try to incorporate trippy things into the broadcasts, like randomly switching from one song in the middle sometimes. We'd also have the occasional block of solo-acoustic music.

We'd also sometimes play "I Could Swear There Was Somebody Here" by David Crosby for an hour straight. Because that rules for trips, Swim says. And I'd also do a lot of artist-specific blocks since that's what I like.

[KomodoMK]

Little fishy would listen to shows, interviews and other things on a drug related radio station. However, music taste varies a lot between people and that's before drugs have been taken. Once they have the choice of music tends to become narrower, at least from his experience.

My little fishy pretty much listens to music from most genres but when his on MDMA or pretty much any other stimulant it has to be select happyhardcore tracks. Maybe a little bit of gabber or trance. This is because this music intensifies the euphoria whilst high.

Overall a drug radio station wouldn't really be that successful when it comes to music in little fishys eyes.