Free Online Comedy Radio Stations
I've met a number of people who seem to think that standup comedy wasn't invented until the things like Home Box Office and Showtime came about. These same people are absolutely shocked to learn that, back in the day, standup comedy was primarily distributed by way of records (LPs). Now, that might make some of you young people think I'm talking about the 50s or summat, but this is how I listened to Bill Cosby when I was growing up -- because videos didn't exist yet! So. Now that I've shown my age, let me get back to the point of this article. While it may seem odd that there would be radio stations dedicated to comedy skits and standup routines, it's actually quite normal. And if you'd like a change from the radio or your CDs, I'd encourage you to have a listen to one of these channels.
1. Broadband Comedy Network (BCN)
(bcnonline.com)
You'll get a nice mix of comedy on this Los Angeles radio station. British standups, American standups, dirty humor, clean humor, all clear and easy to listen to. This channel has everything from traditional standup, to prank calls, to skits, to gags. I really dig the broad mix here, it never gets boring.
2. Radio Prank
(radioprank.com)
If you like prank phone calls this is the station for you. The first time I listened to Radio Prank, I heard a call from a man named "Ned" calling TNN to complain about Striperella (the ridiculous superheroine based on Pam Anderson). The woman kept hanging up on Ned, but he kept on calling, bless his heart, to let her know that glass-cutting nipples just wasn't a real superhero trait. Obviously, not safe for work radio.
3. BBC Radio 4
(bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy)
If you like British humor, this is the radio station you'll want to bookmark. There are numerous programs you can tune into, ranging from sketches to commentary to conversation to standup. They even have things like word games and quizzes if you like that kind of thing. And, being the BBC, you'll also hear bits of real news from time to time.
4. BBC Radio 7
(bbc.co.uk/bbc7/comedy)
This is similar to Radio 4 in the setup but there are more comedy series on this station than on Radio 4. Wild Things, for example, is a classic radio show that plays out over the radio, as opposed to television. And yes, there really are still radio programs like, which will thoroughly surprise the youtube generation!
5. 977 Radio
(977music.com)
The 977 Radio website actually has several stations, but their comedy channel is my favorite. You can hear real classics here, like Carlin, Pryor and other geniuses you will never get tired of hearing. And if you do get tired of them, you can always switch to country, oldies or one of the other stations.
