I am a big fan of iTunes and this was even way before I switched over to the Mac. It was perhaps three years ago that I made the iTunes my standard player for home and then later for work. Its blend of user interface aesthetic, the interface to the iTunes store and the ease of integration with the iPod devices make it hard to beat. I have had other players like WinAmp and MediaPlayer but those are now in the distant past and I have never look back.

I am not alone in thinking this way as the millions of people who own some variety of iPod device , a Mac computer or just have the player for their ripped CDs and non - Itunes downloads.

However, there is one feature many people overlook of iTunes and that is the streaming radio stations it provides. Pick a genre and there is likely a station for that somewhere in the world. Many of the stations originate overseas and one I like listening to on a regular basis is Virgin radio out of the UK. It is predominantly Top 40 but when I tune into it at around 10-11pm, the time is 4 am in London so what I get is “golden oldies” from the 60’s through the early 90’s. When they switch into the “morning ride”, that is when it gets interesting. It is kind of strange hearing about traffic conditions on M25 and the latest football (i.e. soccer) scores and highlights but I like it. It reminds me of the time when I lived in Europe. The format of the show is much like North American radio with the hosts bantering back and forward. The topics they discuss in blue collar British accents give it away as not your local radiocast. The voice over on intros and station break is actually an American voice, one that you hear at nearly every radio station in North America.

What is good about this station is that music that may take up to a year to cross the ocean, you can now hear as it is released in the UK.

There are other stations I like. Radio Fusion for electronica is a good choice especially for mixes you would not normally find anywhere else. A slew of NPR stations on the Talk category; plenty of stations that broadcast 80’s hits, the songs I grew up on are also available and the list goes on.

So I find it a chance of pace to listen to the radio via iTunes especially as I pretty much avoid listening to local radio stations with the exception of WFDD (local NPR) and Davision College for their classical music fare. I like having choice for my listening pleasure because I get so little of it here.