WOWO News 4+

I like listening to the station but the app has issues with sound loss, especially when the phone switches WiFi sources. A few updates ago, a video add popup started appearing when the apps opens. The adds are obnoxious, usually for stupid phone games, and you have to let them run and then click on a small x in the corner to get to the app. The small x has to be touched just right or you will go to the App Store. If you use this app while driving, the initial add can be distracting and dangerous, otherwise it is just extremely annoying. I don’t mind the timed audio adds that sometimes play before the station audio starts, but the initial video add ruins the app.

Since an update or 2 ago the audio stream plays automatically when you open the app. It can be embarrassingly annoying to have audio play when you really only just wanted to discreetly check the news headlines.

Update:
The 3.0 upgrade completely removed news and headlines from the app and now it is only about the audio stream. Removing about 1/2 of the usefulness of the app. Before I would use the app to read the headlines and would sometimes listen to the stream.

If you want to read WOWO news you have to use the web site and it is far from mobile friendly. The result is I will get much less of my news from WOWO now and will have to find another source to supplement what I would want to follow for unbiased reporting and local news when I don’t want audio but would rather read the news.

Also the audio stream auto starts. This still bothers me and I would prefer this to be an option… but I guess it’s a bit less of an issue if the app is only useful for listening to the audio stream now.

The purpose of an app is to perform the function it was assigned. All this app has to do is play WOWO and yet it will randomly stop playing. This requires the user to sporadically press the play button again over and over. You’ve got one job. Play the station. Fix this.