I wake up to it and find out what's happening in overseas markets as well as where the US market futures are. It tells me what I want to know, exactly when I want to know it.

It's anchored by Ben Farnsworth and Peter Schacknow, who are well-known announcers in the NY radio market. So are Fred Fishkin (tech reporter), Charlie Pellet, John Wydra, Mitch Lebe and June Grasso (interviews and reportage), along with the dry delivery of Howard Liberman, who hosts the "countdown to the market's opening" in NY and Chicago.

Ken Natori gives levelheaded reads on the action of the NYSE, while Chris Graham reports on the ups and downs on and from the Chicago Board of Trade. The unmistakable voice of Vinny Del Giudice (who's delivery is reminiscent of Fiorello LaGuardia) blasts away from the Fed in DC on what treasuries are doing at the moment. All very exciting stuff that is well-organized, well-timed and well-delivered.

Bloomberg Radio is part of Bloomberg LLC. Yes, that's the same Bloomberg who is our current, no-nonsense mayor (...and I'm writing this just a couple of blocks from City Hall). He's also the same guy who got Bloomberg terminals on the desktops of every broker, analyst and such who's worth his or her salt.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is himself a very high-powered, frank guy who communicates bluntly and is, I believe, the right man for NYC at this critical time. He's originally from Boston, and still unashamedly roots for the BoSox. We forgive him for this. New Yorkers very often come from out of town and adopt this place as their new home. I'm in that camp, having come and gone a couple times over the course of my life. That, too, is quintessentially New York.

Finding the live radio feed online at Bloomberg.com is somewhat circuitous. At http://bloomberg.com you click on the button labeled "Radio" near the top and in the middle of a row of other buttons. You then find a hyperlink that says, "Listen to Live Bloomberg Radio." You click, and choose your preferred player (Windows Media Player or RealPlayer) as well as the type of bandwidth you're using. Then you've got game. :)

If it were my site, I'd put a button right on the top-level homepage, giving visitors the option to listen right then and there. It seems a shame to see such a good service buried "down-under," but what do I know? :)