Heard or seen something on the radio and TV lately that appalled/delighted/enlightened you? Of course you have. That's what Station Break with Paul Farhi is here for. Local stations, cable, radio shows, commercials -- they're all fair game.

Submit your questions and comments before or during today's discussion.

Farhi, a reporter in the Post's Style section, writes about media and popular culture. He's been watching TV and listening to the radio since "The Monkees" were in first run and Adam West was a star. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Los Angeles, Farhi had brief stints in the movie business (as an usher at the Picwood Theater), and in the auto industry (rental-car lot guy) before devoting himself fulltime to word processing. His car has 15 radio pre-sets and his cable system has 75 channels. He vows to use all of them for good instead of evil.

The transcript follows.

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.

Paul Farhi: Hi, folks. Sorry for the late start. Let's blame it on the computers (of course). Just back from a week out on the Left Coast, and I gotta tell ya: they got some fine radio stations thereabouts. Is it me, or is this area impoverished, radio station creativity-wise, compared to other regions? If so, why? If not, sorry for asking. Let's go to The People now...

Beltsville, Md.: I read that Susan Sarandon's TV movie had particularly bad ratings on Sunday night. Do you think it was a backlash because of her anti-war statements, was it poorly advertised, or was it just a lousy movie?

Paul Farhi: I'm gonna go with the latter two answers. I pay attention to these things, and I was barely aware of it. It's rare that a big name movie actress, who isn't completely washed up, to appear in a tv movie. I caught bits of the movie itself. Let's just say that I wanted to be airlifted outta there, too.

Bethesda, Md.: The other day I saw an ad for a "new reality show" on Comedy Central called "Handicapped House." My initial reaction was that this was a joke, albeit in poor taste. Then I remembered that this was the same outfit that brought us "South Park" and "The Man Show" and am no longer sure. What's the scoop? Is this thing for real, or have I been had by a clever ad campaign?

Paul Farhi: I had the same question. But I think it's a joke, a weird promo for the Upright Citizens Brigade or something. I think...

Dunkirk, Md.: Paul, great piece in today's paper about antiwar celebrities and the work they're getting. Maybe soon they'll quit whining about modern-day McCarthyism.(Why is it their knee-jerk criticism all fine and proper, but any counter-criticism is tantamount to persecution?)

washingtonpost.com: The Spoils of War, (Post, April 22)

Paul Farhi: Thanks, Dunkirk. I gotta agree here. Some celebs like to claim persecution, which I guess makes their opinion mongering seem all the more noble. The fact is, that isn't persecution; that's just someone else exercising THEIR free speech. And by the way, ain't nothing wrong in my book with celebs mouthing off. If you got a problem, you got a problem with the media for handing them the soapbox and megaphone.

Ellicott City, Md.: Ok, it seems that Rupert Murdoch is buying DirectTV. What impacts do you see for High Definition TV programming on DirectTV? He owns Fox and refuses to go HiDef, instead we're treated to that Foxvision crap. Will DirectTV carry ESPNHD?

Paul Farhi: Hard to generalize with Rupe. His highest principle, bar none, is making a buck. And since the DirecTV crowd has the dough to pay for HD, you'll undoubtedly see lots of HD on DirecTV--quite likely for a price. See, DirecTV is a whole lot different than Fox. There's no percentage for Murdoch right now to go full HD there. DirecTV is a different story.

Drumaville: Paul -- Did you interview Janeane in person? Is she a little cutie? Did she ask about me?

Paul Farhi: Sorry, Drumaville, it was a phoner. And, funny, now that you mention it, I did blurt out at one point, "How's that hunk in Drumaville doing?" Now I understand....

Laurel, Md.: Washington radio is lousy because we're a metro area with few natives and don't have much of a local cultural (like a musical sound). Our city has does two useful cultures, which HAVE positively influenced our radio:

1. We have an excellent all-news station
2. Our African-American radio is pretty good

Paul Farhi: Okay. Fair enough. But what does the lack of natives have to do with anything? And why just one all-news station if we're such a news-hungry town?

So close and yet, so far: I live in Arlington, but drive to the Eastern Shore fairly often. I look forward to WRNR 103.1 -- even have the button programed on my car radio!

WHY can't we approximate this station in the DC area? Given all the complaints, there MUST be a market for this kind of radio. Boo.

Paul Farhi: Ah, the legendary, unhearable WRNR! I live in Montgomery County and would love to get it in my car. Can't.

Comedy Central: Those are joke promos. Shame... some of those might actually get me to watch a "reality" show.

Paul Farhi: Reality-wise, did you catch the debut of "Mr. Personality" on Fox last night? Okay, that probably won't get you to watch a reality show (good Lord, someone make Monica Lewinsky go away!).

Silver Spring, Md.: Mike is working against President Palmer. Caught me off guard. Lynn maybe but not Mike and now she is locked in a room.

Paul Farhi: I hate to say it (okay, actually I take supreme satisfaction in saying it), but I called the Mike angle many, many weeks ago). He's clearly working for the shadowy financiers who bankrolled then-Sen. Palmer's presidential campaign last season.

Arlington, Va.: Hi Paul,

Why didn't you ask Janeane Garofalo if she would keep her promise to apologize to President Bush if the Iraqi people welcomed the Americans as liberators for overthrowing Saddam?

Paul Farhi: Wasn't aware she had made such a promise. But I'm sure Bill O'Reilly will have more fun than I will demanding that she own up to it. He made her, and I assume he can break her.

New Rochelle, N.Y.: Are the cable providers the ones you complain to if you want the BBC to appear on your lineup? Since all three cable news channels are cheerleaders for the Bush White House, I need real news and not two carbon copies of Faux News. Thanks.

Paul Farhi: Yes, your friendly local cable operator is the complainee. But as I've said before, bring a few hundred of your friends with you when you complain; cable operators are loath to add channels without clear viewer demand and/or being paid for access by the channel's owner.

Re: Comedy Central ad: There are three or four such promos for reality shows but they're all fake. In the last two seconds of each spot, the words "Get Real" appear beneath the ComCent logo. I believe they started running on April Fools Day.

Paul Farhi: Excellent info, if true. Thanks.

Vulcan's Forge, VN: Now that even TV Guide acknowledges that "Enterpise" is dead in the water, is there any way to revive the franchise that isn't going to offend the fanbase upon which the whole thing was built? Seems that the further they go to "broaden its appeal" the less the old-timers like it.

Paul Farhi: Good point. I feel like a dinosaur, or maybe just a cliche: I loved the original Star Trek, but find each succeeding "generation" paler and paler. And don't even start on the movies...

12th Floor Metro Center, Washington, D.C.: Paul, me-thinks you are being too harsh on Monica. She only had like a total of 6 lines on the entire show last night. And why doesn't my hair look that good after wearing a mask for how many hours and finally taking it off? Also, did you notice that they all had the same teeth?

Paul Farhi: Six lines too many! I'd say that Fox's hiring her was a shameless act of desperation but that would be an insult to shameless acts (insert Monica wisecrack here).

Washington, D.C.: Agreed on local radio. It's so bad, Paul. WHFS used to be a station that people on the West Coast wished they had, now it's a repetitive joke of a station (other than the Junkies). DC101 isn't much better. 94.7 is certainly nothing special. It's sad when the best rock station in DC originates in Baltimore (98 Rock).

Paul Farhi: Your comment could form a chapter in the book called How Bad Is Radio? (i.e., Chapter Three: How Bad is ROCK Radio?). Answer: Bad and uncreative. One station I was listening to in the Bay Area played a full Joe Cocker album straight through. When was the last time you heard Joe Cocker on the air here, let alone an entire album?

re: Comedy Central: You mean "While You Were Drunk" is not a real show? I am so disappointed!

Paul Farhi: That one really had me fooled. The tip-off, though, is that it sounds more like an actual MTV show, not a ComCentral one.

Silver Spring, Md.: Why can't the D.C. area have a station like WRNR?

The answer is simple. Large market advertisers don't want to pay to reach a varying demographic, like WRNR undoubtly reaches. Advertisers want a very focused group of listeners, so a station has to cater it's play list and DJs to attract a very specific type of person.

I'm in Montgomery county also, and wish I could pick up 103.1. But I have XM radio, so it's not that bad......

Paul Farhi: Good point. Here's another possible factor: the Washington area does not have a strong college station (and by strong I mean a powerful signal). WAMU is technically a college station but of course it isn't. Other markets benefit from the creativity/adventureousness of the college crowd. Just a thought...

Washington, D.C. : "Our African-American radio is pretty good "

Sure maybe the AM stations and possibly WHUR, which plays a unique mix of smooth jazz, golden-oldies, gospel, and Adult contemporary R&B, but the rest is just interchangeable pure commercial hip-hop and R&B pap.

Paul Farhi: Kinda what I was thinking, too...

RE: Cable cabal: I, too, would love to get BBC. That, and WGN (lived two years in Chicago). Starpower carries WGN, but is not available in Arlington.

Maybe I am too naive, but is aggitation to have Starpower expand their coverage even remotely possible?

Paul Farhi: I remember writing about the introduction of Starpower back in the mid-90s. At the time, they talked a great game about taking on the cable cabal all over the area. They didn't and they haven't. So, yes, you are naive.

Re: Star Trek: As a fan of most things camp, I like the Shatner-Trek for laughs, but really enjoyed watching the Generation-Trek on a weekly basis. Since then though... straight downhill. With the exception of any appearance by Seven-of-Nine.

Paul Farhi: True, all true, I say.

Bad Reality TV: Have you seen the one that's on SciFi with Shannon Doherty called "Scare Tactics?" Someone's going to end up dead on this one, I can see it coming.

Paul Farhi: The only reason I would watch anything with Shannon Doherty in it is to stand in awe of her asymetrical face. Have you noticed how the right side of her face doesn't quite line up with the left? She's a living Picasso.

Downtown Washington, D.C.: I apologize for offending anyone's musical sensibilities, but if some station played a Joe Cocker album all the way through, I would never listen to that station again. Yuck.

Paul Farhi: Granted, you might not like Joe. But you missed the point: It was something you'd never hear around these parts, and thus eye-opening (or possibly ear-opening).

Decent Radio in Washington, D.C.: 89.3 'Nuff said. Great Jazz & blues.

Paul Farhi: Love the Gator on Saturdays, yes. Occasionally like the wacko Left chatter. The rest is up and down.

Washington, D.C.: MST3K: genius or stupidity?

Paul Farhi: Genius.

Takoma Park, Md.: Ahh, WHFS. I remember it well. When I first moved to DC in 1982 and happened upon the channel. Hearing Matt Johnson as the The, Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Even hearing local groups from my native Twin Cities -- the Suburbs and Lamont Cranston Band. And the only commercial I ever heard was for United Water Beds "You can believe what United states!"

Paul Farhi: Sing with me: "Mem-or-ies, may be beautiful and yet/What's too painful to remember, we simply to choose to forget..."

Survivor Prediction: Eventually, Heidi will have to be sent home when her emaciated body can no longer support her own chest, and she falls over unable to rise.

Seriously, what's going to be the big news that has the girls crying in the promo's?

Paul Farhi: I dunno, but hasn't "Survivor" had a mini-comeback? It's kinda watchable again. Kinda.

Arlington, Va.: So is "Friends" done after this season or have they signed on for another year?

Paul Farhi: One more a-comin'. Next season, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, et al, begin a new life together in a managed care facility, albeit a hip, swingin' managed care facility. Hijinks do not ensue.

Seven of Nine: Ah, yes. My husband's not-so-secret fantasy.

Paul Farhi: Ain't a man been born don't feel like that, I'm sure.

Re: BBC News: You can actually get it locally without cable. The Howard University station on channel 32 has been carrying BBC news for a while and WETA 26 started to with the Iraq war. Definitely more varied perspectives plus news from far flung parts of the world.

Paul Farhi: Useful info. Thanks. Also, WAMU-FM, 88.5., was carrying BBC World Service (radio) reports at 8 pm during the war, but I think they've moved it back to 11 pm.

Re: African-American radio: When you compare cities in the midwest like Omaha, NE where there are NO black stations, this area is a haven.

Paul Farhi: No doubt. This IS a very good market for black-oriented radio. Blows away my cherished West Coast markets...

Dunkirk, Md.: Your point on radio is well taken. As an XM listener, this morning I listened to a live recording of an Elvis Costello concert on my way to work. If more commercial radio had outside-the-focus-group-box programming, satellite radio might never get off the ground.

Paul Farhi: Right. This is one of the key markets Sirius and XM are banking on--people who are tired of commercial terrestial radio and want an alternative (and are willing to pay for it).

Washington, D.C.: Speaking of Shannon Doherty, have you ever seen a worse cast of bad actors than the whole 90210 crew? Has a single one of them forged a marginally respectable career post-Beverly Hills?

Paul Farhi: POST-B.H. 90210? Why would they start getting respectable after that show? They were terrible before, during and after. All of them are the spawn of Aaron Spelling Hell.

Washington, D.C.: MST3K follow up. Do you have a favorite skewered-movie?

Paul Farhi: I can't remember a single movie that MST3K lampooned, which was kinda the point, no? The movies were terrible on purpose, which made the smart-assing that much sharper.

Washington, D.C.: A WHOLE story on the stupidity of Kim Bauer yesterday... impressive. I guess 24 is gaining some kind of foothold in the greater public consciousness. I wonder how actors and actresses feel when their character is labeled dumber than a bag of bricks.

Paul Farhi: I don't know about the greater public consciousness; the author of that super-fine story, Mr. Hank Stuever, is a huge fan of the show. Every Wednesday morning we have our "24" debriefing. He'll back me on calling Mike "dirty" early and often (and he will politely ignore my other, wackier and inaccurate predictions). As to your question: what, you think Elisha Cuthbert thinks she's doing Shakespeare?

Washington, D.C. radio: Washington radio stinks because of a number of factors. Our community is typical in that the traditional local owners (ie. the epsteins and whfs) have sold out to the huge conglomorates like clear channel and infinity because they can't compete against the bulk of the huge corporations. the second issue is the lack of access for local college radio -- but five student run stations have formed a new coalition and might have some good strategies for getting on the air. The final issue is Congress' defacto veto of the 2000 FCC plan to let community groups/colleges/etc. start low power stations targeting specific neighborhoods. There are about 1000 stations going on the air across the country, but none in large markets because the National Association of Broadcasters was able to block them out.

Bottom line, the public airwaves are so uninteresting in this town that people are actually excited about the idea of paying $10/month for an alternative.

Paul Farhi: Nothing to quibble with here.

Northern Virginia: "Why didn't you ask Janeane Garofalo if she would keep her promise to apologize to President Bush if the Iraqi people welcomed the Americans as liberators for overthrowing Saddam"

Not all of them did, and now they are quite vocal in wanting the US out asap.

Paul Farhi: Janeane is off the hook!

Post-90210 success: Hillary Swank: She won an Oscar. She played a girlfriend of Steve's who had a baby. Not his.

Paul Farhi: She was a regular on 90210? Must have been long after I stopped tuning in (about halfway through Episode One).

State of Confusion: So what's the deal with Saddam's spokesman? He was the best thing on TV during the war. Why don't they gave him his own show?

Paul Farhi: I think they sorta did. Isn't he Ali G?

Waldorf, Md.: What is your vote for the all-time best TV show set in the world of TV or radio? "WKRP?" "Murphy Brown?" "The Larry Sanders Show?"

Paul Farhi: No question: "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Anyone else?

Centreville, Va.: News Channel 8. What's happened there?

Paul Farhi: Good question. They got swept up into the mother ship, WJLA, on orders from both stations' owner, Allbritton Communications. Theoretically, it was a merger that could have been good for NC8--more resources, more local news stars on air, etc. So much for theory.

Winchester, Va.:
I have to interject and say that not all college towns have great radio stations. Take a look at Charlottesville. UVA has the most pathetic excuse for radio stations, its so shameful!

Also, please don't talk smack about 90210. That show was, and thankfully due to reruns, still is absolute GENIUS. Aaaaaah.

Paul Farhi: I guess in some twisty, campy, goofy, possibly French way it is genius. I'll give it some props for being a show of a certain generation, as "Dawson's Creek" was. All that said, it was crap.

Arlington, Va.: I know I'll regret asking but, MST3K?

Paul Farhi: Mystery Science Theater 3000--a show in which a "robot" puppet and some pals watch a very bad 1950s scifi movie and make wisecracks about it from a corner of the screen. Started as a cable show in Minneapolis (I believe), then went bigtime (well, bigtime cult) national on one of the cable networks. Amusing conceit that eventually outlived its premise.

TV shows about TV shows: Buffalo Bill

Paul Farhi: Good 'un.

Favorite Show: The Dick Van Dyke Show and Sports Night

Paul Farhi: Even better ones!

Best media-themed show: News Radio -- but only because of Phil Hartman!

Paul Farhi: Not so good, but, yes, anything with Phil Hartman was worthwhile.

Tick Tock: Someone said Fox "gave away the store" with last week's promo for tonight's Twenty-Four. What does that mean? What did I miss?

Paul Farhi: I dunno nothing. All I saw was the CTU chick tumbling down the stair well. That's bad and shocking, but frankly fairly incidental...

Washington, D.C.: Have you had a chance to check out Punk'd on MTV, the practical joke show? Maybe it's just me, but there's still nothing better than watching the simple premise of pulling a prank on somebody.

Paul Farhi: Have not seen, but that's the oldest premise in the book. Candid Camera did this 50 years ago (and, I believe, was preceded by a radio version). But, yes, it's a pie in the face--it will always be a comic staple.

Charlottesville Radio is Great!: WNRN. Fabulous station. Winchester, Va. is wrong.

Paul Farhi: I take no sides. You report, you decide.

Washington, D.C.: Mary Tyler Moore is a little past my time, but you gotta admit Larry Sanders was STRONG. That show was hilarious.

Paul Farhi: Yes, true, agreed. But MTM got there first (okay, maybe second, after "The Dick Van Dyke Show"). MTM was, of course, an altogether different show than Larry. Both are plenty worthy.

The Airless Cubicle: Hi, Paul. I saw your appearance on White House Chronicles with Llewellyn King on WHUT-32, and I agreed it was a pleasant break from rather depressing war news.

During the major fighting, the BBC World Service focused deeply on real-time coverage of the war. I was able to follow it in the mornings on 15,190 kHz and in the evenings on 5,975 kHz in its programs sent to the Caribbean. However, BBC World Television was a greater draw for our house.

The Arab stations of the non-belligerents were playing a lot of Arab pop music, especially UAE Radio in Dubai. As I noted, Iraq's government stations were knocked off the air March 30th. The Allies filled in the gap with programs transmitted from a Royal Navy ship off Umm Qasr and COMMANDO SOLO EC-130 flights of the Pennsylvania National Guard over Iraq. As in Afghanistan, the programs were ID'd as "Information Radio."

The Canadian media's perspective on the war as mentioned on the Sunday Morning show (relayed by Radio Canada International, 13,650 kHz), was informative and rather depressing. Canada really should reconsider its decision to abandon the medium-wave band; the CBC used to have a lot of friends in the U.S. who would hear them from Montreal and Toronto.

Why can't one of the cash-strapped AM stations here just start relaying some of these excellent overseas news broadcasts?

A different sort of shortwave relay is intriguing me. WPLC-1050-Silver Spring, which had been doing Spanish-language music, is currently relaying the Genesis Network, which is a "super-patriot," Christian-conservative, apocalyptic program. I used to hear the Genesis Network on shortwave station WWRB, (12,172 kHz day, 5085 kHz night).

Genesis is not as strident as the militia movement used to be, such as on WWCR in Nashville, Tenn., but the fact that there is a signal audible in Washington indicates the times, they are a-changing.

Paul Farhi: Hi, Airless, and thanks for watching WHC(I was amazed at the number of people who said they saw me on that show). Anyway, you're way above my knowledge level here. But given the offerings on most AM stations during the war, I would have loved to have heard some alternatives!

Bethesda, Md.: But why do formerly good stations go bad? That I don't really understand.

Paul Farhi: Oh, that's fairly easy. Pick one (or all): New management, budget cuts, talent exodus, inability to change with the times, stupidity, and--very under-rated--they weren't all that great to begin with!

Paul Farhi: And with that blinding insight, folks, I'm walking on ya. Happy spring to all. Peace, happiness and prosperity (in whichever order you prefer). See you in two weeks.

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