Radio stations used to be where people tuned in to hear their favorite songs, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal on Monday. Nowadays, people listen to their favorite songs on an iPod, so radio stations have had to change, take chances, and work harder to please their customers.

For example, at KYSR-FM in Burbank, Calif the audio broadcasts 24 x 7 on HD and is combined with a Website, erockster.com. Their target is listeners 13-34 with emphasis on new music and startups, hoping to lure listeners with something they haven’t heard before.

The new radio stations "are taking chances with more eclectic programming," said Kelly O’Keefe, a brand manager for a Washington-based association that seeks to expand radio formats. "It’s a time of increased experimentation in the industry because consumers want more surprise and diversity on the air.

"People used to listen to radio to hear their favorites. Now they have their favorites on an iPod. That shifts the balance as they look to radio for new music and discovery."

The emergence of HD radio has come along just in time to allow broadcasters to do the kind of experimentation they need to capture and retain listeners. Even so, HD radio still has only a fraction of the conventional AM and FM stations.

Ms. O’Keefe explained that new kinds of programming include religious programming, on-air storytelling, psychic call-in shows, sex call-in shows and comedy programs.

Traditional radio stations are feeling the pinch as most new cars are fitted with iPod connectors. The average radio listening is down to 19 hours a week compared to its peak in the 1990s when it was 22 hours, according to the Southern California Broadcasters Association.

Commuters in their cars are always looking for something to help with that boring ride to work, and, these days, luring them away from their smartphone and iPod in innovative ways is the latest challenge for radio stations of all kinds, including satellite radio.