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Radio Talk
With Frank Ahrens
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 8, 2001; 1 p.m. EDT
RIGHT NOW!
Frank Ahrens covers radio for The Washington Post. His column -- "The Listener" -- appears every other Tuesday in the Style section. Frank is also a general assignment feature writer, and his reporting subjects have included everything from minivans to murders, from baseball to bandwidth.
Check out the second edition of Radio Lives with Frank Ahrens, a series of conversations with washington radio's biggest stars. On this episode, Ahrens interviews Bob Edwards, host of NPR's "Morning Edition."
If you're wondering about the inner workings of radio in Washington, around the country and on the Web, or want to know what Frank really thinks of minivans, then don't touch that dial . . . um, mouse! Please join us for this discussion!
Submit your questions ahead of time or during the discussion.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Frank Ahrens: Greetings all, and welcome to the off-week discussion.
Let's jump right into the questions and blow through as many as we can this week.
Let's go...
MickLeen, Va.:
Hiya Frank-
Your video interview with Bob Edwards of Morning Edition made no mention of a big development in radio in recent years- the conservative talkers (Rush and G. Gordon).
Was wondering if the topic came up and just
didn't make it on the video, and what his views were.
Frank Ahrens: Thanks for watching. FYI, on these interviews, we tape about 30 minutes of interview and edit down to about 7 minutes. I asked Edwards, whom I would not call a conservative or liberal host but merely a host, about Rush when I asked him about his other peers, like Stern and Imus. If I recall correctly, he said he thought that when Rush was on, he was very good and very funny. Which I agree with.
Fairfax Va:
Frank
Why does WJFK 106.7 have such a poor signal in downtown D.C? I need my daily dose of Don and Mike each day and it is frustrating to constantly hear static.
Frank Ahrens: Because a) you're downtown among buildings, which makes it hard to get any radio signals b) because WJFK's signal is not a fully directional signal, like, say, DC101's, which is stronger in all directions and c) because WJFK's owner, Viacom/Infinity, has a long-held policy of not allowing their stations to stream their broadcasts on the Internet. To use technical language, you're up a tree without a paddle.
Alexandria, Va.:
Frank --
RE: Your Radio Lives interview with NPR's Bob Edwards.
A couple of his answers bothered me. When asked about Howard Stern he said; "...it's a thrill to be 12 years old for a while."
With responses like that is it any wonder people accuse NPR staffers of being elitists?
The two shows are very different but maybe Mr. Edwards could stop loving himself long enough to acknowledge Stern is a talented broadcaster -- even if he isn't discussing "important" stuff like former refugees from Sudan.
Regarding his Friday morning chats with the late Red Barber, Edwards said he considered them a "validation for what we do... the pioneers were laying hands upon NPR and saying 'yes, this is good.’"
Let's be honest here. It's likely the only reason Red appeared on NPR was because no other broadcast outlet was willing to put him on the air.
The segment was supposed to be about sports, but Barber often preferred to talk about the flowers growing in his back yard or the fact that -- through his kitchen window -- he could see a cat chasing a bird up a tree.
Perhaps one of these days public radio listeners will realize NPR is little more than a collection of ne'er-do-wells that can't make it in commercial radio.
I once heard former NPR president Delano Lewis say only 6 percent of radio listeners tune in public radio. Does that mean 94 percent of American radio listeners are morons?
I'm resentful some of my tax dollars are going toward Bob Edwards' paycheck. If public broadcasters are so smart, why can't they find a way to fund their boring programming without the government's help?
Thanks for your weekly chat.
Frank Ahrens: A long and thoughtful, if stinging, observation. Actually, Morning Edition does very well in terms of listership--something like 9 million listeners nationwide a week and usually in the Top 10 morning shows in the D.C. area (sometimes Top 5, combined between both WAMU and WETA). As you saw in the interview, I specifically asked Edwards about charges of NPR elitism. I thought he answered them, giving ammo to both detractors and defenders.
Bethesda, Md.:
Frank,
Imus is now like the aging pitcher who thinks he still has a fastball and can get the job done so to speak.
Recently he was shifted from AM 980 to 570 (as a result, I can no longer listen anymore at my office as the station is hard to get) and in Atlanta he was dropped entirely. Two major markets have basically dropped the I-Man. Could more drops be on the way since this isn't an election year? Is the I-Man becomming like a washed up veteran pitcher?
Thanks
Frank Ahrens: I always answer questions that revolve around baseball metaphors. Thank you.
This will be interesting to monitor with Imus: Now that he's moved from a) a sports station to a talk station and b) from a strong AM signal to a weaker one, watch his ratings and his guests. I think his ratings will go down, becaue 570 is a weaker signal. And I wouldnt' be surprised if, after his ratings go down, he starts to lose some guests. Further, some of his guests liked the fact that he was on a sports station, which gave them an audience that they don't normal have. I will be monitoring.
D.C. Area:
What has WJFK (Baltimore, at least) done with G. Gordon Liddy? I recently heard a typical happy-sounding spot listing their "all-star lineup" with Stern in the Morning, D&M in the afternoon and some sports guy midday. Naturally radio never grives over those that are thrown aside but sails happily along. What's a closet conservative to do??
Also, any developments on the Greaseman?
Frank Ahrens: WJFK in Baltimore dropped Liddy for Jim Rome, sports-smack talker.
Doug "Greaseman" Tracht continues to chug along, picking up small affiliate stations, hoping to defray the cost of paying for studio time at WZHF (1390 AM), his home station, and hoping to land a deal with a big syndicate.
Washington, D.C.:
You wrote about Howard Stern's drop in the New York City Arbitrons. How did he do in the 25-54 "Money" demo in the last D.C. rating book? Has he slipped here also?
Frank Ahrens: In the most recent Arbitrons, which came out last week, here in D.C., among male 25-54 year-olds, in the 6-10 a.m. slot, Howard Stern was still No. 1, with a 9.6 share. No. 2 was WTOP newsreaders Mike Moss and Richard Day (7.7), No. 3 was DC101's Elliot Segal (6.4).
The Airless Cubicle:
Hi, Frank.
Although Frank is The Man, I have, with the Man's blessing, set up an email account for persons with technical questions about radio at originaldubya-hotmail.com.
Bravi! to NPR for "The Execution Tapes." I compare its broadcast to Edward Murrow's description of Buchenwald on CBS in 1945.
This week I was reading Willa Cather's short stories about life on the prairie. A constant theme in every story such as "Paul's Case" and "Eric Hendersson's Soul" was how the grind of daily living, and the pressure to conform, could crush the vitality in someone's soul. Music was the metaphor Cather used for vitality. The most touching story in the collection was "A Wagner Concert", in which a farm woman spends an exciting afternoon listening to the opera, only to beg not to go back to the farm, which to her looms just outside the concert hall.
The management of the Bonneville group is showing the same tendency to crush the music. First, the group changes the format of Chicago's WINB away from classical music to "The Drive". Now, WGMS in Washington drops the Metropolitan Opera. Since bad news comes in threes, I suppose that the next step will to make WGMS into an all boy-band format. Opera does not please the people, we are told, and the people must be pleased.
Classical music's nature provokes thought and provides a chance for traffic-tormented and work-beaten souls to rest in beauty. Unfortunately, with the demise of beautiful music stations such as the late WGAY, classical music stations become the only other acceptable musical wallpaper in many places of business. Vocal music does not please the people, we are told, and the people must be pleased.
Vocal music is distracting. Out it goes! Long, challenging, unfamiliar pieces are distracting. Out they go! No more Janacek's Sinfonietta, lots of Pachiablel's Canon! Make pieces short to fit in another Mercedes or fur or going-out-of-business-rug-store commercial. Fit the "Minute Waltz" into 45 seconds! Classical Top 40 Wallpaper pleases the people, and the people must be pleased!
Bonneville management can argue, "There's still WBJC in Baltimore. They carry the opera." True, but Baltimore and Washington are not the same radio market. WBJC's signal doesn't reach into Northern Virginia well. All the Baltimore relays of Washington stations carry programming of nationally-syndicated interest, such as Salem's WAVA/WITH, or Infinity's WJFK-FM/WJFK-AM pair. Washington needs its own operatic voice - or we will be as soul-crushed by the mindless, comforting, easy-on-the-ears from BonneClearInfinity. But pablum pleases the people, and the people must be pleased.
The Original Dubya
Technical questions can be answered at originaldubya at hotmail dot com.
Frank Ahrens: Wow. This is just like when "All In the Family" spun off "The Jeffersons." I'm spinning off alternate discussions. Of course, I get a cut of all syndication fees.
The e-mail for O Dubya is:
originaldubya@hotmail.com
O Dubya has graciously agreed to handle radio technical questions for this discussion, so you may e-mail him directly. If he sees some that he thinks will appeal broadly, he is free to summarize and post to all of us in our weekly discussion.
Laurel, Md.:
Frank,
A gripe, if I may. In Len Shapiro's column on Saturday, the VP of WJFK was boasting about how good his station sounded. I guess he hasn't tried listening to it in Laurel, where interference from 106.5 in Baltimore makes it unlistenable for Skins broadcasts. I'd take Frank, Sam & Sonny over the usual cast of [fill in IQ insult here] on the network TV broadcasts any day, IF I could tune them in.
Frank Ahrens: Yes, you're right. The statement of Alan Leinwand, WJFK's GM, that the station has a strong, far-reaching signal, should not have gone unchallenged. It is not true. Otherwise, Len's story was good. (Even tho I do not share his, and most Washingtonians' enthusiasm for Sonny Sam and Frank.)
Springfield, Va.:
What happened to Bert Weiss on MIX 107.3? For various reasons, I stopped listening to the morning show for a few months and have since noticed the morning show is no longer called "The Jack and Bert Show."
Frank Ahrens: I wrote about this a month or so ago...you can always check the archives at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/style/columns/radiolistener/
short answer: Bert Weiss left to take over his own morning show at an Atlanta station. Mix 107.3 may/may not be looking for a sidekick replacement for Jack Diamond.
Fairfax, Va.:
Greetings, Frank.
Maybe the original W can help on this. The cellphone companies have repeaters in the Metro tunnels so we can talk on the trains. Can/will radio stations do that?
Thanks!
P.S. Men at Work, or Dexy's Midnight Runners?
Frank Ahrens: Good question. Know anything about this, O Dubya?
Men at Work, if only b/c they had the capacity to build more than one hit.
Dogma-N:
Hiya Frank,
Today's music question: Replacements or Rockpile?
Re: your article slamming country music's slogan campaign (good work)- do you think that "country" music is irrevokably hitched to the good-looking singer/soft pop formula, or can alt-country (Pinetop Seven, Whiskeytown, Olds 97s) break through the repetition? I assume studies are done on this kind of thing, but is programming so sophisticated now that the average listener is so Pavlovian trained that s/he just hears what's played and considers it good? As always, thanks.....
Frank Ahrens: Good question. When I was in Memphis a couple of years ago, I saw an excellent semi-rockabilly band called The Viceroys, who are proteges of Steve Earle. I don't expect to hear them on the radio in the same fashion as I don't expect to hear Steve Earle on a (country) station. Earle gets some airplay on Adult Alternative stations, but not country, b/c he doesn't do that Big Beat, Music Row sound of Shania, etc. Don't get me wrong...I don't necessarily have anything against what you hear on country stations these days, except there's no variety. There's lots of different kinds of country being made, but only one kind, it seems, being played on the radio.
The District:
Why, in your opinion, are there no liberal talkers to challenge Dubya in the same way Rush taunted Clinton? Judging from Kurtz' column and chat yesterday, there's no shortage of liberal anger out there. Is it simply because there's no demagogue to take advantage of it?
Frank Ahrens: This is a perennially good question, which you could have asked today or in 1990. I have talked to a lot of people about this and there seem to be several reasons.
1) Radio is an emulative business---everyone follows what works. What has worked, phenomenally, over the past decade, is Rush. So everyone wants a Rush version (Michael Savage, Michael Reagan on our own WTNT, for instance.). 2) Why program for liberals--they already listen to Rush to get outraged. So they're listening anyway. 3) Most radio stations are owned by big companies, which are by nature conservative and favors the sort of government that Rush does (i.e., deregulation, hands-offness, etc.) 4) For an alt version, check out Lynn Samuels, in NYC.
Re: WGMS:
I just want to say "Bravo O. Dubya" you have hit the nail right on the head. When I hear the same piece morning and afternoon drive times I long to get control of their playlist! But, as you say, the people must be pleased, and the Mercedes ads show that they are.
Frank Ahrens: Thanks for the posting.
D.C. Area:
Thanx on response regarding G Gordon Liddy. Is he still on WJFK FM?
And by the way, WJFK AM and FM both have weak signals. I can't pick up the Baltimore AM south of Odenton, a lousy 20 miles from downtown!
Frank Ahrens: Yes, you can still hear liddy on WFJK (106.7) from about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Annapolis, Md.:
While driving near Salisbury on Saturday, I picked up 100.1, which seemed to be a Christian station. There was some sort of syndicated program on, which was having a discussion aimed at kids of the benefits of reading. It certainly sounded like it was none other than Weasel (as Mr. Turtle, or some other critter) -- could this be?
Frank Ahrens: I know nothing about this but am willing to post b/c sometime Weasel tunes in. Weasel, was that you?
Laurel, Md.:
In Laurel, for Redskins broadcasts, you can hear them just fine on WNAV (1430-AM, I think), which broadcasts out of Annapolis. It's the exact same broadcast.
Frank Ahrens: Thanks for the tip for our eastern listeners.
Arlington, Va.:
Dexy's Midnight Runners! Just because they didn't achieve commercial success doesn't mean they were the lesser band. Men at Work's silly songs were bubblegum compared to "Come on Eileen." I mean, sheesh, that's like saying Bananarama is better than Janis Joplin.
Seriously upset, Eileen.
Frank Ahrens: Bananarama IS infintely better than the unlistenable Janis Joplin, who has the vocal characteristics of a cat running in place on galvanized steel. I stand by my statement.
Washington, D.C.:
Frank, you have admitted in these discussions that you are not an avid country music listener. How then are you qualified to write an article about country music?
Frank Ahrens: I, like my friend and colleague David Segal, our pop music critic, am always amused by the notion that one has to be "qualified" to write about music, as though I have to show a degree from Music Row U. Hey...this ain't brain surgery.
Foggy Bottom:
For the person challenging Alan Linewand's statement, he's absolutely right. WJFK's signal may be strong in certain places, but its coverage is horrible, especially right in Washington.
However, Redskins broadcasts can be heard on stations other than WJFK. Listings for the Redskins Radio Network are at http://www.redskins.com/bcinfo.asp
There are, surprisingly, a large number of stations on this list, stretching from York, Pa. to Winston-Salem, N.C. I suspect, unfortunately, that none of the stations listed in Maryland will reach Laurel.
Frank Ahrens: Another good Redskins radio tip. Many thanks.
Glover Park, D.C.:
In defense of NPR, several of the points that Alexandria made are valid, but I think in a positive way. Where else am I going to hear Red Barber talk about his garden. Who else has an 80-year-old news analyst who's been in the business for longer than most of us have been alive? For the most part, NPR plays things that aren't going to be played on commercial radio because you can't make money from them. Call me a commie-pinko, but I'm glad that there's a place for this type of radio.
As far as the tax dollars argument, I'd hazard a guess that the radio giants get more corporate welfare money and other tax breaks than NPR gets in federal money. Besides, commercial stations are making money off the radio spectrum that in theory belongs to the people. We should all be getting a dividend from them!
Having said all that, I am starting to get worried about corporate influence of NPR. Maybe I'll have to up my contribution.
P.S. In my less generous times, I could be convinced that 94 percent of the U.S. population are morons.
Frank Ahrens: You're right on the tax dollars argument. Public broadcasting as a whole gets not that much money from taxpayers. Ever since Newt Gingrich attempted to "zero out" the public broadcasting budget (a politically tone-deaf attempt, as millions of Americans revolted), funding for public broadcasting, as dispersed through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, has remained essentially flat. NPR itself, the network--not the stations--gets about 5 percent of its annual budget from your taxes. Individual public stations--whether they are NPR affiliates or not; these are non-commercial public stations--typically get about 15 pct. Usually about half comes from listener donations and the rest from corporate underwriting or grants.
And if public radio were forced to surive in the marketplace, you're right--you wouldn't have heard Red Barber talking about what he saw out of his back window. Which may not be to everyone's taste but surely has a right to exist on a radio band that is, in theory, supposed to belong to the people, not the corporations.
Silver Spring, Md.:
If WJFK has such a poor signal, how do you possible account for the monster ratings of Don & Mike? Weren't they number one -again- in the overall ratings for their time slot? How can that be on a station with a bad signal? Inquiring minds want to know, Frank!!
Frank Ahrens: I didn't say they had a BAD signal. What I said was, it wans't a fully directional signal. Think of it as a B-level signal--it has gaps.
From Steve K.:
Hey Frank,
First, I haven't seen you at Iota lately...are you hibernating?
Two questions--first, every once in a while we get the usual gripes about how corporate WHFS is now, especially when viewed in comparison to the fond days when they were at 102.3. Other than WRNR, is there any viable free-form FM station that has a predominantly alternative bent? Anywhere?
Secondly, I'm with you on the Sonny, Sam and Frank thing. Frank sucks. He gets names wrong in EVERY broadcast (even Redskins), fails to spot names (it took him 2 years to learn who James Thrash was, yet I won't be surprised to hear Frank think he still catches passes for the Redskins). And finally, he thought the Redskins' punter in the mid 90s was former Boston Celtic Rick Robey, not all-pro Reggie Roby. Unfortunately, NFL teams tend to get a "voice" associated with them and stick with it long past the point where it made sense in terms of a quality broadcast.
Oh, that wasn't a question, was it. But I'm still right.
Frank Ahrens: Hahaha! Good Redskins Rant.
For free-form stations, you can try dialing in WRNR in Annapolis at 103.1. (Used to be on the Internet, but pulled down thanks to this labor dispute I've been writing about.). Try looking on the Internet for staitons that are still up. Start at:
www.radio-directory.com
or try some Internet-only stations, like
www.hober.com
and
www.radiodelray.com
go to Dave Hughes' Web site, www.dcrtv.com, for more local Internet-only stations.
You're right...haven't been to Iota in some time...need to get back. It's my favorite small local venue.
Good to hear from you.
Washington, D.C.:
Did you happen to catch the Sports Junkies Drinking Show? I was prepared to hate it and find it a waste of three hours, but I was surprised to find it hilarious. I still have no idea how it alerted anyone to the dangers of drinking and driving, but their stupid games had me in fits of giggles.
Frank Ahrens: Yes, I did listen to Stump the Drunkies, or, as it became later in the show, Drunk the Stumpies.
While "drunk" humor is usually about as funny and original as Red Buttons' old "Guzzler's Gin" routine, (or was it Red Skelton?) this episode, you're right, was pretty darn funny.
WTOP:
Mike Moss and Richard Day are not "news readers." They write and report their own material (with help and support from newswriters). "News reader" is a very pejorative term in a working radio newsroom.
Frank Ahrens: Geez, Jim. Sorry...You wouldn't think you've got a surging, top-rated radio station (WTOP) by how sensitive a mother hen you play!
D.C.:
Frank please explain to me how Elliot in the morning (and his guests)on DC 101 gets away with using all the curse words he does -- in fact last week some woman dropped the f-bomb right on the air -- I thought the FCC policed stuff like that. Do they and we just don't hear about it? Thanks.
Frank Ahrens: For your consideration, I'm attaching a column I wrote a couple of months back on indeceny and obscenity. In short, the FCC does not "police" anything: They only respond when they get irrefutable evidence submitted by listeners. Policing is up to you. Read more here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/style/columns/radiolistener/A27476-2001Feb19.html
Opera on the Radio in D.C.:
On last week's chat, you posted that the Post music critic, Philip Kennicott, was going to write an article on WGMS's dropping Metropolitan and other opera broadcasts on Saturday afternoon, and sure enough, he did.
Then, last Saturday, the Washington Post's lead editorial was on this very subject!!!
So perhaps you and your readers would be interested in knowing what some interested local radio listeners are doing to get opera back on radio in the D.C. area.
At the following web site is a link to
"Keep the Met Singing in D.C.," which encourages interested people to organize, write letters, etc. to convince the radio stations that they should keep opera on radio. Even if you're not an opera lover, but care about having this valuable cultural resource available to your friends, family, loved ones, children and grandchilren, please check this out and join in:
http://www.metmaniac.com/
Thanks for posting this!!!!
Frank Ahrens: Great posting. Thanks for submitting this. And good luck.
Rosslyn, Va.:
Re: the Jack Diamond morning show... Jimmy Alexander was promoted from producer to sidekick, with Cindy brought in as producer.
Frank Ahrens: Ah. Very good. Many thanks.
Bowie:
Re: Liberal Talk Radio
Wasn't Jim Hightower on ABC radio network a few years ago but was dropped. Some conspiracy theorists thought his anti-corporate message made it hard to sell advertising, though I'll take mine with salt, thank-you.
Frank Ahrens: The conspiracy theories abound. Here's another one:
Pacifica Radio, the leftist public radio network (not NPR) was heavily pushing Ralph Nader for president in the last election. Several members of Pacifica News, including Pacifica's star reporter--Amy Goodman--felt their Naderizing was quashed by the network because the network was in the pocket of the established liberals/Clinton-Gore camp. The reasoning went like this: They're trying to get us to keep Nader off the air because Nader will take votes away from Gore.
Dogma-N :
I agree with you about Joplin's voice (though I recognize how important she was in the history of giving women a larger space in rock)but Bananarama? (I recognize it wasn't your choice, but....) Tom Tom Club kicks Bananarama's multiple butts.....Has Segal turned you into a Magnetic Fields fan yet?
Frank Ahrens: No, but he did persuade me to buy the Badly Drawn Boy album, which I really liked until that guy started "singing" and ruined everything. So Segal's one-for-two: He did recommend I get the Nelly CD ("Country Grammar"), which is one of the better new albums I've heard in some time.
18th & M:
XM Satellite Radio's second satellite is scheduled to take off today at 6:10pm EDT. I was reading XM's annual report on Yahoo Finance, and it mentioned something about a lawsuit among them, Sirius, and WorldSpace. Know anything about this?
English Beat or Fine Young Cannibals?
Frank Ahrens: Funny you should mention this: I was just thinking of English Beat's "Mirror In the Bathroom" the other day. So I pick English Beat.
XM and Sirius were suing each other a couple of years ago over who had the trademark for some technology they were using. That suit was settled. But I think Worldspace has a gripe too: saying WE actually invented the salient technology. That's my recollection. So I guess Worldspace is suing XM and Sirius.
Md.:
Just for the record, it's the V-Roys, not the Viceroys. They disbanded almost two years ago, despite being a great band, and, in part, because Steve Earle's company did a lame job of promoting them. Two of their songs are featured in You Can Count on Me (in the bar/pool room).
Frank Ahrens: Dag--that's terrible to hear. We must have been at one of their last shows. Thanks, I guess, for the bad news.
Leesburg, Va.:
Frank,
Is there any hope that we may see a true progressive station in the D.C. area? I listen to 103.1 WRNR when I am northeast of the city, but the station's signal does not reach even the eastern-most areas of Northern Virginia. There seems to be a glut of adult contemporary, urban contemporary, and other "pop" stations in the area, with little to offer those of us who might want to hear something a little different once in a while. And at this point in its history, I would definitely consider stations like WHFS and DC101 more "pop" or "contemporary" than "alternative".
Frank Ahrens: I asked a Clear Channel executive a couple of weeks ago, who'd just gotten back a passel of research (which obviously informed the switch from Jamn Oldies to Hot 99.5) if his research showed that an Adult Alternative station, like WRNR, would be viable in D.C. He said, "Not at this time." I took that to mean, "Not at this time of economic contraction," but I think it also means, "Not ever, because it's not a Top 10 format. And that's what advertisers buy."
Chantilly, Va.:
Frank-meister: Re the Len Shapiro piece on Saturday about JFK resigning the Redskins, I was suprised you didn't write about the 30 minute in-studio chat fest between Don & Mike and Dan Snyder. It was insightful, awkard and quite a delight to listen to. Also, just worthy because Snyder doesn't seem like a typical guest. How come you didn't report on it?
PS: Snyder had about $300 in cash in his pocket...Don asked him.
Frank Ahrens: I guess because Len had it and ran with it. The boundaries between what Len and I do on radio are nebulous...we cooperate and help each other out--Len is a great guy and a terrific reporter--and it's just usually whoever gets the story first. He had the Synder interview in a more timely manner than I would have (my next column isn't til Tuesday.)
Manassas, Va.:
Re: your comment that only one type of country gets played on the radio -- reminds me of that line from the Blues Brothers: "We got both kinds of music, country and western!"
And you know, that observation of course applies to pop/rock music as well as country -- lots of good music being made, not a lot of good music being broadcast. Seems to be symptomatic of the wider society trend toward standardization, as noted in O Dubya's post and Marc Fisher's column today about standardized school testing crushing variety, originality, and inspiration. Fisher hinted at a coming backlash against such testing -- do you think people will ever rebel against what's on (or, more to the point, not on) the radio enough to turn some heads? Will satellite/Internet radio give them the opportunity to do so?
Frank Ahrens: Well, if you talk to the deejays and programmers at XM radio, who act like they've just gotten the Come-to-Jesus, then the answer is yes. These are longtime commercial (and public) radio deejays and PDs and they all say that "it's brand new day" at XM, where "the rules are thrown out" etc. etc. That's good start-up hype, from a company whose stock price could use some feel-good postivism, but there probably is an element of truth to it: Both XM and Sirius will survive on subscription fees and corporate backing, and not as much on commerical revenue. So that does mean there is room to experiment. (Sirius has promised no commercials on its music channels; XM says commericials on some, but limited to a max of 6 mins. an hour.)
D.C. Area:
WTOP -
I'm sure the folks behind the mikes at 'TOP are fine, serious journalists, but let's fatten up the content on some of the installment stories. Yesterday the tight editing of an interview on traffic gridlock told me that a solution for congestion is to build more traffic lanes and look to rail transit.
Puleeze try to get a little more content!!!
Frank Ahrens: A valued listener heard from.
Arlington, Va.:
WTEM's decision to go with Fox Sports most evenings and weekends is, in my opinion, the final nail in the coffin. Too much Jim Rhome, Thompson's interesting but he's never there, Rick Walker has nothing left to say, Szabon is an idiot, Andy Pollin is the most overexposed dull guy in radio, and Phil Wood was the last bit of talent they had. And he's gone. We're stuck with with whichever untalented Golic they have, and a whole group of similar sounding cavemen.
Way to run a station into the ground.
Frank Ahrens: Thanks for the posting.
SW, D.C.:
Hi Frank-
I vaguely remember hearing a couple of years ago, some sort of idea (maybe it was the Clinton administration's proposal) to make NPR sort of the USA's new official broadcast service, maybe even replacing the Voice of America.
Am I off-base? Does this sound familiar to you; can you provide any details?
Many Thanks
Frank Ahrens: Wow. This one is fresh to me. Let me see if I can chase down something for next week. Thanks.
Frank Ahrens: Follow up:
Interesting point: NPR's president is Kevin Klose, former head of Radio Free Europe.
Washington, D.C.:
The Sports Junkies did a drinkng show? Jeez, you think maybe they heard Howard Stern's drinking show a few months ago?
Frank Ahrens: Agreed. It is an old radio trope. I head deejays doing it back in West Virginia when I was in high school (late '70s.)
Frank Ahrens: That's going to do it for today's lighting-round, folks. Thanks for the great questions, and I encourage you to patronize O Dubya's In Box For Technical Questions:
originaldubya@hotmail.com
See you next week.
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