In the United States, media critics bemoan the homogenization of FM radio, which has become dominated by a handful of corporations dictating what music is played. Meanwhile, AM radio is considered the exclusive domain of the right wing, filled with talk shows that badger so-called Middle America into hating anyone who would deny them the right to eat beef, drive SUVs and own firearms to protect them from swarthy foreigners.
In Japan, it's little different. Music content on FM radio is principally controlled by programming directors who are beholden to record companies, and AM is all-talk, all the time. Thankfully, the talk is less inflammatory than it is in the U.S., but it's also a lot less interesting.
The main reason it's less interesting is that radio is dominated by the same personalities you see on television, whether they're spinning CDs or chatting to callers, and these people are incapable of giving anything but the most bland opinions. However, a ratings war recently broke out on Saturday afternoon AM radio that pits three of the most opinionated men in broadcasting against each other.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.