That's what a new survey in the U.S. concludes, with many of those surveyed indicating they're more dissatisfied with the state of radio in modern times as compared to decades past. More than 2,000 people of various ages, genders and ethnicities were questioned about how they felt about radio past and present. 

The majority opinion appears to say we're living in the worst time for the medium going all the way back to the 1930s. So what era came out on top?

"According to the survey, the 1990s emerged as the most favored decade for radio programming, with 12% of respondents considering it the best. This preference was notably higher among younger age groups and Hispanics, with 19% of the 18-29 age group and 16% of Hispanics favoring the 1990s.

The 1980s finished a close second, with 11% considering it the best decade."

I do have a few problems with the poll. For one thing, we live in a time when fewer people are actually listening to the medium, so what, exactly, are they basing their opinions on? For another, they divided the results by political parties, which I suppose can be a factor when it comes to something like talk radio, but shouldn't be a factor in determining if the medium is better or worse. And there's a natural built-in bias for the era you grew up in, a factor not really taken into account.

Which is probably why I say the best decade was unquestionably in the middle 1960s, especially after the British invasion, when Top 40 exploded and personalities had more freedom, leading to some of the most creative radio I can remember. But then again, nobody asked me!

You can see all the results and numbers broken down in sometimes excruciating detail here.

Americans Say We’re Living In The Worst Decade Of Radio Ever