Radio stations in the Triangle

[poppydog]

Yeah, I listen to Marketplace on WUNC because I don't listen to commercial radio. If I want to really listen to music, though, and not just random commercials and the occasional pop song, I'll listen off my iPhone or iPod. If I'm listening to the radio in the car (often we have audio books going) 90% of the time it's WUNC. Occasionally I'll tune in one of the college stations, usually WXYC, but occasionally the jazz station out of NCCU (WKNC, NC State's station tends toward metal if you're looking for that) or WCHL (Chapel Hill's local station), WCPE (classical) or occasionally if I have random kids in my car I might put it on 98.7 Simon.

[Myghost]

Smartphone: I usually run Spotify, with Pandora as a backup. But for short trips, I understand your reluctance to hook it all up. (Wireless bluetooth is nice, but still not worth it for a five minute trip.

96.1 is locally owned. Not great, but something.
WSHA (around 88.9 or something??) is good public radio, with decent blues, funk and whatnot, plus the same news as 91.5
92.3 in greensboro has an occasional good song
I think it's 103.5 in Fayetteville is the same.
...and I have one more preset, but I can't remember what it is. Anyway, two NPR and 4 "rock radio" presets, I can usually find something decent on a short drive.

Best is Spotify though. (Free with my unlimited data, and I can play other people's playlists, so that gives variety.)

[WDJ]

You could go satellite radio for a pretty cheap rate. If you sign up and then threaten to cancel the subscription, the retention offer is usually $20 for 5 months. I played that game for several years, but then I happened to get lucky and bought a used Sirius unit that had a lifetime subscription on it.