Top 5 Radio Stations in Idaho

One of the greatest joys of a long car ride is the luxury of tuning into your favorite radio station. The ability to turn up the volume and belt out your favorite song to your heart’s content is an ecstatic feeling.

Not only is listening to the radio while driving fun, it can also help drivers focus on the road.

If you are also looking for auto insurance in Idaho, start comparison shopping by entering your ZIP code above!

Benefits of Listening to the Radio While Driving

Ünal found in his research that drivers who listened to music were more responsible. Ünal studied various driving and traffic conditions and came to the conclusion that radio noise, both music and talk radio, successfully broke up the monotony of driving.

People tend to lose the ability to pay attention when their mind is not occupied. Boring and effortless tasks aren’t challenging enough for the human mind. Multitasking by listening and driving arouses the mind of individuals and puts us on high alert.

Ünal’s research even studied the difference between urban and deserted roads. He found that people prefer to turn the music down when they are confronted with high traffic situations; however, participants in the study were not allowed to turn down the volume.

Individuals paid far more attention to their driving and didn’t even remember what was being played on the radio. Our brains have an amazing ability to prioritize which situations need our attention.

Radio also allows us to stay up to date with the latest world and local news.

Who has time to watch the news these days? With commute times growing as fast as urban development, downtime is becoming more and more important. Listening to the news during your commute is a way to kill two birds with one stone.

Types of Radio Listeners

Some people prefer to listen to music while driving. Your musical taste says a lot about your personality. David Greenberg, a University of Cambridge psychologist, separated people into two groups. These groups included empathizers and systemizers.

Empathizers tend to feel the emotions expressed in music. They are compassionate and great listeners. They connect with songs that express deep human emotion. They also prefer music played in a minor key, which is often associated with a sad tone.

Systemizers are the analytical individuals. They like numbers, statistics, and cold-hard facts. These people tend to prefer high energy music.

They focus on the elements of the music and how those elements come together to form a song. They pick the song apart to put it back together in their minds.

Then there are those that are a mix of the two. These are the people who enjoy most forms of music. Most people are a mix of these two personalities.

How many people listen to the radio?

It’s amazing that so many people still listen to the radio.

This technology has been utilized for many years to deliver both music and news to the masses, but 90 percent of Americans still tune in at least weekly.

The average American tuned into radio two hours per day! This is similar to the average amount of time that American’s spend commuting to and from work. Americans typically consume 60 hours of media coverage weekly. Almost twenty-five percent of that is radio coverage!

Online radio has become extremely popular, with millennials being the primary group to utilize web and app based radio content.

Apps like Spotify and Pandora are extremely popular right now. Apple recently introduced Apple Radio, its own answer to the two previously mentioned music radio apps.

For lovers of talk radio, apps like Stitcher radio are a must. Stitcher consolidates all of your favorite talk radio stations into one. Whether you prefer comedy or NPR, Sticher has something for almost everyone!

Top 5 Radio Stations in Idaho

#1 – 670 KBOI in Boise

If getting your news fix is a top priority, then KBOI is the station for you! This AM station is broadcast out of Boise City and features local, state, and national news.

The station features popular nationally syndicated shows like Rush Limbaugh, but the star of KBOI is Nate Shelman. Shelman’s show is a daily review of the latest news.

His podcast is an open forum where the public can discuss topics from politics to pop culture. Shelman encourages open and honest discussion among his listeners.

#2 – 89.9 KAWZ

A family friendly radio experience can be had at KAWZ. This station features both Christian music and talk radio. The station features shows that teach listeners about biblical philosophy and its application to today’s world.

Prominent leaders from various Christian denominations are often featured on the station. Shows that tell stories of real people and their faith are prevalent. KAWZ encourages its listeners to explore their faith and grow in their spiritual relationship.

#3 – 630 KFXD (aka The Fan)

Sports fans get ready! KFXD or The Fan is the station that will satisfy all your sports junkie needs. The Fan offers coverage of every sport.

From high school to college to professional sports, The Fan is guaranteed to have something for every sports aficionado.

The station is extremely fan friendly. The station encourages its fans to post pictures and actively participate in commentary regarding sports plays and calls. The commentators are knowledgeable and fun to listen to.

#4 – 103.5 KISSFM

KISSFM plays the latest hits in the music industry. It’s a great place to hear the latest and greatest in radio hits. The station has multiple DJs, each with their own style and playlists.

The station utilizes radioPup, a smartphone app, to offer their listeners a mobile radio experience. The app is great! If you are out of the station’s broadcasting range, you can still listen via the app.

#5 – KJOT ROCK 105.I

KJOT ROCK has a plethora of useful information. Yes, I did just use the word plethora to describe an alternative rock radio station. But, this station is extremely cool!

KJOT Rock offers listeners access to not only the most popular alternative rock bands in the music industry, but they also offer up local bands who are just breaking into the music scene.

The station also offers a calendar of local events that listeners and fans might enjoy. The Idaho Horror Film Festival and Crosstoberfest are just two of the events that the station features on its calendar!

Safety First

While most drivers are more focused on the road when their minds are preoccupied with music or talk shows, that doesn’t mean that some aspects of radio listening can’t distract drivers from their responsibilities.

In order to drive safely, radio listeners need to follow some simple steps:

• Wait until you are stopped to change stations
• Obey the posted speed limit
• Pay attention to all traffic lights and signs
• Turn the radio volume down during heavy traffic

So the next time you’re driving in Idaho, remember as you tune into your favorite station that safe driving is your top priority.

Remember as well that you can get the best auto insurance rates by comparison shopping. Enter your ZIP code below to get started!