"Real" cable radio functions much like regular radio; it used to be if you had
cable TV you could also opt to have cable radio and much like TV, a coaxial
cable had to be run through to your stereo. This allowed you to catch stations
in your area (say, Honolulu *ahem*) that you may normally not be able to catch
as well as stations that broadcast SOLELY on cable (some smaller college
stations opt for this because it's cheaper). I know that in Honolulu, they
charge about $2 or so dollars extra per month for the service but this may be a
good service for those in faraway places who can't catch that many radio
stations. I'm thinking of another example of a friend of mine on the North
Shore of Oahu, where radio is virtually inacessible, who went for the plan and
loves it. Whether this system is still around in the mainland is something I
can't explain in detail though....
--Jon