No Rock And Roll Fun

OH, GOOD, ANOTHER NME SCURVEY: This time they're worrying about the fate of Radio battling with the "continued growth" of MTV2, apparently - 'sfunny, we could have sworn that MTV2 was pretty stagnant and not growing very much at all. We wonder if they picked them out because, say, they're hooked up together in that meaningless chart show?

The survey itself is shite beyond belief. "Do you listen to commercial radio - what is your favourite commercial station - Kiss/XFM/Capital/Talk/Smash Hits/Other" - so, no mention, then of Virgin? Or - ahem - Kerrang? But that's not so bad. What comes next is more interesting:

Do you own a digital radio - Yes/No?

Now, I don't own a DAB set, but I have lots of equipment which is capable of receiving a digital radio service. I think they're looking for me to say No, but in my heart, I think the answer is 'yes'

Next question: How much does a digital radio cost on average? £10 / £50 / £100 / £300 / £500

Eh? How the bloody fuck should I know? I know that the cheapest you can pick up a digital radio for is £100; but the average price? How would anyone be expected to know this anymore than they would the average price of a washing machine or a sofa? They're available at all levels of prices; do they want the average price paid per sale, or the medium point of the range of prices, or the modal price?

Next: How do you listen to radio? Standard old radio set / Via the Internet / Through digital TV /Digital radio

You can only choose one, mind. Now, I listen to all four (although I think they meant to put 'DAB radio', which is a type of receiver, rather than Digital radio, which is sort of radio which broadcasts across a range of platforms) so what am I meant to choose here? (And, frankly, the time I spend on FM, through Sky and through the computer is roughly equal, so i can't even pick out a 'favourite' easily)

A couple of questions on, you get 'Would you rather listen to the radio or watch music TV?'

When? On the train in the morning? Right now? How are you meant to answer such a stupid question - it's like saying would you rather read the nme or a good book; it depends on the mood at the time.

What one change would make you listen to radio more? It's not like this is a skewed survey, but the assumption has been made we're choosing to not listen to radio when we could be.

Moving on to radio 1, the low-aiming nme reader is now not even given a box to nominate John Peel as their favourite Radio 1 dj, although a box is given for Sara Cox. Write in Peel, for god's sake. You're then asked to choose your least favourite, and *then* to rate them out of ten. So, in effect, you're asked the same question twice.

Then it's "Radio 1's musical policy", a subject which has never been discussed in the nme or on nme.com since about the time they sacked Janice Long cause she was an unmarried mother. Why you're asked this if you don't listen to the station isn't clear.

In effect, then, a good opportunity to try and take the temperature of what people are listening to has been turned into a poorly-thought out, almost meaningless series of questions. Go, nme.com.