You are missing the very simple point: there are tons of independent stations the play excellent non top 40 music and have been for years.
Just because you don't choose to tune into them doesn't mean they don't exist. And it also doesn't mean that those who do should lover their standards for what constitutes good radio.
Might is doing a lot of heavy lifting there. There are several dozen radio stations in my area, and the only one on that list is a college station that just barely has the signal strength to reach me.
