A system and method provide an enhanced listening experience for a user of a radio receiver or other device that receives broadcast or streamed content having a plurality of program channels. The method and system buffer designated channels at the receiver and, when switching among channels, play back the buffered designated channels during reception from a selected point therein depending on the channel or other criteria. When switching to a different channel during reception, a user is able to hear content in a buffered program channel with music from the start of a song, for example, whereas content in a channel with news, talk radio, or live sports is played back from live reception, even though the content segments are transmitted at different start times relative to their selected times for playback following a channel change. User controls allow navigation among buffered designated channels during reception.