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Radio stations play a pivotal role in shaping us Malaysians. If I may ask, when was the last time you listened to the radio? To suit the changing times and tastes, radio stations have evolved to include airplay of songs that are in another language other than their language of broadcast and strive for airplay of songs that usually appeal to audiences of a different age group.

Lite FM: I was probably five when I wrote down ‘My favourite radio station is Lite FM’ in a colourful, cartoon character-filled notebook. Mummy, this is all your fault ? Anyway, I was listening to it the other day and was quite surprised by how even Justin Bieber’s ‘Love Yourself’ got airplay. It isn’t what it used to be – the station for all your favourite oldies. But anyway, it still has some good radio shows and presenters. Oh, in case you’re wondering, I can’t exactly tell if it’s my favourite radio station.

ERA FM: I used to listen to this Malay radio station partly due to my exposure in a Kebangsaan school and partly because of one very cheeky ex-maid. ? It helped me get acquainted with Juliana Banos, KRU and Siti Sarah (Yes, I remember them). Over the years, it has evolved to include airplay of some English songs. Isn’t that neat?

988: Yes, I used to listen to this Chinese radio station, but without really understanding what the presenters were going on about, or what the song lyrics meant. My schoolmate’s mother, who used to transport me home from school, would listen to it everyday. Now you know the story.

BFM: I like that BFM, which discusses business-related matters, comes up with meaningful yet catchy slogans everyday that represent their abbreviation. It’s also good if you need a break or a change from popular hits. Additionally, some of their shows and interviews are insightful. (No, it’s not because my ex-lecturers were interviewed before).

FlyFM: I was sitting in my ex-coursemate’s car on the way to our post-exams celebration, trying to figure out what station this was. When the name came up, I said to myself ‘Oh, this is FlyFM!’ I never knew that it was one of the leading Malaysian English radio stations. This is one of those stations that I listen to if I ever get bored of the other English stations, haha.

CapitalFM: The station that many of us were hyped up about. I don’t remember when was the last time I tuned into it because I only like some of the songs that get airtime. No, not a big fan, sorry.

To sum up, Malaysian radio stations have been putting in and still continue to put in effort to reflect the diversity that this country has. Recent statistics have indicated that radio stations are grappling with revenue and profit. Notably, with rival music and video streaming apps and sites, radio stations have to adapt to changing times and soldier on to stay relevant, informative and entertaining. Tags: Malaysia, Malaysian radio stations, music listening habits, music streaming, video streaming sites, apps, living, entertainment