tuners, the red headed stepchild?

Elizabeth -- NYC has awful radio. location, location, location.

Elizabeth,
Tell us how you really feel :)

The nature of radio is changing, making analog tuners redundant IMHO. Digital, web-based streams have opened up the world of live broadcasting. I sold my tuner a few years ago soon after buying a Squeezebox. Many, if not most stations these days have web-based broadcasts that come in without interference and sound as good as most mid-fi tuners once processed through a good DAC. All the local stations I would ever listen to on a tuner, I can now get via web, plus thousands of other stations from all over the world. Why would I ever go back?

The only good station here is NPR (National Public Radio). It has a nice variety of music including classical, jazz, blues and blue grass. There is an old fashioned radio show with interesting stories and characters, world news and interviews with musical groups performing their new recordings.
And the sound quality is good too.

One great station makes a tuner worth it.