I had a decent small radio from a very early age and it was a lifeline for me.
In the late 1950s in London, I laid in bed late at night listening to crackling baseball games coming from American Forces Radio, Voice of America broadcasts in “simple English” (or “slow talkers of America” as my Dad and I called them), Radio Moscow propaganda, the glorious voice of Garner Ted Armstrong and his Worldwide Church of God, lots of boxing matches where I had to imagine the impact of the blows, and early rock and roll, Radio Luxemburg. It was wonderful.
When I first came to Canada in the late 1970s, I worked up in Stewart near the Alaska border, and there wasn’t much TV that I recall. But that was when I discovered the wonder of late-evening and early-morning CBC Radio. Allan McFee’s Eclectic Circus (going out to “all those in vacuumland”) was my end-of-day sleeping pill, while a time-shifted Morningside with Don Harron woke me up (I stopped listening once Gzowski took over).
Great days they were.
Jak's View of Vancouver v.3 
Yes, and rock and roll blaring from our transistor radios. I had a bright red circular one that I could wear like an oversized bracelet and listen to Van Morrison on warm summer afternoons. Thank you CKLG and CFUN!
There is still much that is good on CBC Radio. In spite of endless budget cuts and the move in the mid90s to “popularize” the CBC, you’ll find superb news coverage and a few top interview and commentary programs. I especially like “The Current” with Matt Galloway, weekday mornings 8:37 to 10:00. And there’s still “As it Happens” weekday evenings 6:30 (following the 6:00 p.m. news) to 8:00. “Ideas” that follows is varied, sometimes excellent. And don’t forget “The House” every Saturday a.m.
PS I do not own a television set.
Living in Ireland, growing up in the 80s and 90s, radio was a huge part of my life. When Sky bought up the TV rights to football, the only way I could catch live games was via dodgy AM/MW coverage on BBC Radio 5 (later renamed 5 Live). I was lucky enough to live on the east coast so could catch the waves broadcast from England.
In Canada, podcasts have largely replaced radio for me, although I know many people who laud the CBC’s material. In Vancouver and BC, too, there are many fine journalists whose work still crackles over the audio waves.
AM stations in the area
Then you can get KSL, KGO, KBOI etc booming in at night from the U.S.
FM stations in the area don’t have as much a range
Might need a longer wire.
Shortwave is mostly shut down.
The recent WRTH (world radio TV handbook) is in most libraries, see catalogue.
Are you familiar with the Friends of the CBC? They do a lot of good lobbying to keep the CBC around. I highly recommend them. https://friends.ca