Station Break
Paul Farhi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 22, 2005; 1:00 p.m. ET
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.
Farhi is a reporter in the Post's Style section, writing 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.
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: Greetings, all. Am back from several days in California NOT covering the Michael Jackson circus/trial. Brief as it was (trial was delayed twice over two weeks for various reasons, including M.J.'s flu), it was weird and interesting, as freak shows go. Interesting to me that you won't be seeing any of the trial on TV (judge's order), which I think will dampen interest in it. Also, the charges are absolutely revolting, which limits TV's interest in discussing it at length. Yes, the brutal stabbing and killing of a man and a woman (O.J.), and the beheading of a pregnant woman (Scott Peterson) are fit subjects for morning, noon and night discussion, but not this. TV is a strange world, isn't it?
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Potomac, Md.:
I had the great fortune to work closely alongside Pat Collins for the better part of 10 1/2 years when I was a daily newspaper reporter right here in D.C. I got to know Pat pretty well, and I spent many days at crime scenes, in neighborhoods, at community meetings, at accident sites, in courtrooms, at government buildings, and at press conferences, with him, and others, as we were all covering various local hard-news stories. That said, the following is not opinion, but fact: Pat Collins is simply one of the best local reporters, in any medium, in the D.C. and Baltimore regions. He has broken more stories than most reporters could ever hope to break, and that's a fact, too. He gets to the heart of the story; he has great news judgement; he has a great sense of humor (which doesn't always come through in his crime and government stories); he has a great ear and eye for detail, observation and insight; his prose is straightforward, detailed and free of flowery padding (despite what some people think, wrongly); and, again, he constantly gets information that no one else gets. And he does all of this after three decades in newspapers and television. We're lucky he's stayed in D.C., we're lucky to have him. Thanks, Pat, for all of the hard work that you've done through the years. We hope that you're around for quite a few more years.
washingtonpost.com:
Just -- the Facts (Post, Feb. 21)
Paul Farhi: I think Pat's a solid reporter, too. He gives you the basic facts. People have criticized his presentation style--overly dramatic--but you can't fault him on his facts.
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Bethesda, Md.:
Thanks. For your story. On Pat Collins.
Now. If you can only. Get him. To put a lid. On it.
Paul Farhi: See what I mean?
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Liverpool, U.K.:
We heard and read about Clear Channel on this side of the Atlantic before last November's election. What's happened since? Is it business as usual for them, or has the coverage given to their radio stations (politically influenced playlist policy, etc.)had any effect? In PR terms, the coverage couldn't have been anything other than negative.
Paul Farhi: Hey, we're transatlantic now! Cheerio, mates...The heat was on Clear Channel during the run-up to the Iraq war, and during the election campaign, but the spotlight has dimmed since. I've heard very little about their political leanings since October. They seem to have just gone back to making lots of money.
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Washington, D.C.:
Paul -- Hope you can help my old, addled brain remember a bit of old HFS history. Back in the mid to late 80s, HFS ran a little skit that, if I remember correctly, was somewhat political in nature and had a bunch of cartoony-like voices. It ran for a few minutes, maybe on Friday afternoons, and was hilarous. I only just remembered it with all the nostalgic remembrances of the old HFS in the last few weeks. Perhaps someone out there remembers this bit of programming and can refresh my memory on it? Thanks! washingtonpost.com:
The Daily Feed
Paul Farhi: There you go (click link above, helpfully provided by the vast Station Break production department).
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Washington, D.C.:
Where will the Nationals be on TV and radio?
Paul Farhi: The Nats will be on, surprisingly, Z104-FM and WFED-AM. Surprisingly, because everyone was expecting Clear Channel or Infinity to take 'em away. Bully for you, Bonneville! TV deal is still pending, I believe...
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Fairfax, Va.:
Simple question: Who the heck are the Gastineau Girls and why do they have their own show?
Thanks!
Paul Farhi: The Gastineau Girls appear to be two dimwitted and fatuous babes who are just dimwitted and fatuous enough to rate a strangely entertaining reality show on E! Other than being dimwitted and fatuous, I believe mom was once married to former NFL player Mark Gastineau (see, I said she was dimwitted), and daughter is, um, their daughter.
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San Antonio, Tex.:
My husband's tastes are quite different than my own. He brought home the DVD "White Castle," which had David Krumholtz in a minor role as a teen-age, drug-crazed youth. Now, it's very difficult for me to watch the new show Numb3rs, in which Krumholtz plays a brainy mathematician. I keep visualizing Krumholtz in his "White Castle" role. Is there any problem when emerging young actors play such ridiculous roles?
Also, I really thought the Numb3rs show about the re-emerging pandemic Spanish flu was a bust. Why have Krumholtz walking around during an investigation scene and in a hospital ward, without being fully gowned and with his face covered by at least a surgical mask? Krumholtz's character was in "hot zones." How senseless. I'm giving Numb3rs a score of "zero." Your take? The plot was the Stephen Hadley scenario in a re-write.
Paul Farhi: "Numberzzz" is contrived in the extreme. The big action seems to be the math genius rushing to a blackboard or a piece of paper with a brainstorm. Given the vast innumeracy of the American people, I'm surprised that any show called "Numb3rs" would ever get rat1ngs.
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Farragut Square, Washington, D.C.:
WETA's change from classical to talk/news is an opportunity, I think, for new voices. After all, there is a slew of new programming coming out of NPR West, Chicago Public Radio, American Public Media, and PRI. But the original news story mentioned only that the new programming would come out of NPR and the BBC. Is WETA trying to be a carbon-copy of WAMU? That would be a shame. washingtonpost.com:
WETA Board Approves Switch To News-Talk Format (Post, Feb. 11)
Paul Farhi: Being an info guy myself, far be it for me to criticize more information and news on the air. But: How about developing a LOCAL talk show, WETA? How about serving the local community? It's great to learn what's happening in Bangladesh, but it would also be good to learn more about what's happening around the corner.
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Arlington, Va.:
Is Billy Bush the next Regis Philbin or Pat O'Brien?
Paul Farhi: Maybe the next Mary Hart?
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Fairfax, Va.:
Nice article on Pat Collins, who you can't help but notice. I was wondering if you know why Nancy Zoulomis left WRC and if Jack Diamond will be leaving 107.3. Thanks.
Paul Farhi: I think you mean Nicole Zaloumis...Unclear to me why WRC would want to let her go. She seemed pretty good as a weekend sports person. But weekends are flakey; stations use that time as try out and fill in territory. Could be she was on a shortterm contract. What I'm trying to say is, I don't know what happened...As for Diamond, if you listened to the rumor mill, he was supposed to be gone by now.
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Silver Spring, Md.:
Is anybody else creeped out by Wayne Newton's appearance on the Entertainer? His face has a weird, shiny look to it, and his hair looks like an old wig that doesn't move. And I'm assuming that his odd countenance is due to an over enthusiastic plastic surgeon. Not that I don't like him as an entertainer, but he seems like a prototyple of Vegas, say 30 years ago.
The show is lame, however. It's a blatant ripoff of the Apprentice. Does this signal the deathknell of these "reality" shows? (I hope)?
Paul Farhi: I was never sure from the promos what the heck Newton was supposed to be doing on that show, other than lending his name and "Vegas-ness" to it. By the way, I've seen Wayne in the flesh, or whatever that is. He looks exactly the same as he does on TV...
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Rockville, Md.:
Paul: How is WJLA doing now that is has the team that WUSA gave up? It seems to me that the WUSA team is struggling. Most of the news that they deem the "top story" doesn't seem to be news at all, an example being the story that Tracy Neal did several months ago about suicide at local universities. Although I can't remember what the real news was that night, the fact that WUSA deemed suicide to be the top story stuck in my mind. It also made me switch to WJLA. What's the deal?
Paul Farhi: This is a frequent topic in this forum. I thin we can all agree: Channel 9 has torched a solid, stable newsroom, and now has a long way to go to rebuild credibility and viewership. It's going to take some time (years?) before they get back the people who've abandoned them.
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Not. A. Pat. Collins. Fan:
Whenever he is on the air, I flip to another channel -- ANY channel.
Paul Farhi: Well, I find him riveting. Ain't nobody like Pat on the air. He's fun to watch.
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Local on WETA?:
Ah, but you've brought to light the dirty little secret of NPR and its people: they only care about the downtrodden from far enough away that the mud doesn't get tracked into their beautiful homes. You'll hear a story about Anacostia on "All Things Beaten to Death" long before you'll hear about it on a local show.
Paul Farhi: Well, hold on. NPR is NATIONAL public radio, so, yeah, they do downtrodden, but downtrodden from all over the U.S. and the world (and what, may I ask, is wrong with that?). WETA, on the other hand, is a LOCAL radio station; they should have some responsibility for covering local events and people.
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Annapolis, Md.:
You did a nice job with the Pat Collins piece, but I
was left with more questions than answers: What
were the crimes that affected him the most? What
were the scoops he wished he got? What does he
think of his competition such as The Washington
Post or the new Examiner? Everyone seemed to
say nice things about him, but what do his critics
say? As someone who watches a lot of localTV,
the news seems to be essentially an overhyped
police blotter and Collins, despite his skills, does
not seem all that distinguished from the rest of his
TV competitors when it comes down to it. What is
your impression?
Paul Farhi: Good questions, all (are you an editor, by the way?). Pat can talk and talk about MANY stories he's reported. His favorites seemed to be the many high-profile murder cases over the years (Hanafi Muslims, Michelle Dorr, Starbucks, snipers, etc.), plus Marion Barry's capers and hijinks. He doesn't talk all that much about the competition. And Pat IS distinctive, in manner, appearance, presentation and longetivity.
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Alexandria, Va.:
With Z104 getting the radio rights to the Nats, do you think Z104 will go to a sports talk format?
Do you see a FM sports talk format coming to DC to compete with WTEM?
I'm listening to ESPN radio now and it has Kevin Kiley and The Coach on for Dan Patrick. The old days of WTEM.
Paul Farhi: No, Z104 is, I think, still commited to its "modern" music format, and trying to pick up some of the disaffected former WHFS listeners. I don't think adding the Nats helps that effort, particularly, but since most of the games will be on in the evening, it won't hurt that much, either. Z104's target audience is female, 25-34 or 25-54, and that is not a big baseball-listening group.
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Wow, the Daily Feed:
Thanks, Paulie--that's a fun reminder of bygone days.
Paul Farhi: You're welcome. We're all about public service here at Station Break...
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College Radio, Va.:
May I suggest to you and your readers/chatters wnrn.org. 91.9 WNRN broadcasting out of Charlottesville. Fantastic selection of music, NO COMMERCIALS. Just found out they were on line after a 3 year hiatus since college. Just a thought. Cheers!
Paul Farhi: See what I mean about public service? Thanks, CRV...
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Laurel, Md. (halfway to Baltimore):
I don't think I'd ever heard of WFDK-1050 until it was announced last week they'd be the voice of a major league sports team.
It's pretty common in baseball for the owner of the team to also own the flagship station of its radio and TV network; so he signs a sweetheart deal with himself to carry his own games at low cost and keep the income of the team looking worse than it is.
I have to think not having a real owner is also the reason the Nats won't have real broadcast coverage.
Paul Farhi: Not sure I understand what you're talking about. WFED-AM (also owned by Bonneville, which owns Z104 and WTOP) will handle the AM rights to the Nationals. WFED seems like a real station to me...
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WHFS on 105.7:
So WHFS is now broadcast on 105.7 in Baltimore on nights and weekends. I listened a few times out of curiosity, expecting the same old playlist. To my delight, I found that they have gone back to how WHFS was more than 10 years ago, playing a mix of songs from several decades (old Social Distortion -- "Story of My Life" jumps to mind, though I wish I could remember more examples). They're playing from CDs not a computer, plus it's some of the older DJs, so that could be why. Or maybe everyone is making requests. Either way, it's a good thing.
Any chance of it staying this way, or do you think moving WHFS to 105.7 is just temporary?
Paul Farhi: I like what you're describing (I haven't heard it myself), but it's unclear to me whether this has legs. The old WHFS was stronger in Baltimore than it was in the D.C. area, so maybe this is here to stay. For a while.
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Wayne, Baby!:
He's the creepiest non-Trump on TV, but he sells out a few thousand seats at $50 300 times a year. So you have to assume there are enough people who would watch to make the show profitable for the network.
Or, could the show just be an infomercial for Wayne's lounge act? Genius!
Paul Farhi: True enough! Donke schoen!
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Southern Maryland:
Apologies if this subject has been beaten to death already...What is behind WJFK's relentless tinkering with its schedule? I don't think it makes good business sense to sacrifice the last hour of Stern to shoehorn O'Reilly back into the afternoon lineup. Wouldn't the best strategy be to leave the schedule alone to see how it does, at least through one complete ratings period?
Paul Farhi: Agreed. The news was one of the best things on Stern, and now it's being cut off. As I've said before (come to think of it, we HAVE beaten this subject to death), I like the Junkies, but they could easily start at 10:45 or whenever Stern wraps up. The less of O'Reilly the better.
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Washington, D.C.:
"Other than being dimwitted and fatuous, I believe..."
Misplaced modifier, no? Or are you dimwitted too? Just joking, sort of. I saw
"myriad of" in the printed Post last week. Where are the Post's editors?
Paul Farhi: Oh, darn. You copy editors are everywhere. Can't you people just write letters to the Saturday Free For All page and leave the rest of us to our illiteracy?
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Waynesboro, Va.:
If the Nationals' broadcasts on WFED and the two Z104 stations are big ratings hits in this one-year deal, could Bonneville decide to purchase the rights for WTOP in future seasons, moving the news/weather/traffic to other of its stations when there are game conflicts? The Yankees are on WCBS-AM (all news) in New York, and in the late '70s and early '80s the Phillies were on all-news KYW.
Paul Farhi: Yes, and the Orioles were on WTOP several years ago, too. I think WTOP is humming along as is. I think Bonneville sees no real need to mess with what's working. Key here is the one-year nature of the deal; it's low risk. The Nationals are likely to be lousy, and the ratings for this year are likely to tail off once the initial fascination with the team passes. Everyone can re-evaluate next season.
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Silver Spring, Md.:
Re: long gone
I'm old enough to remember some of the first public TV on channel 13 in Pittsburgh and got to talk to Mr. Rogers. If "public" radio and TV accept ads, market branded toys in the local big box store and adjust programming to receive the biggest ratings, then what is the point of it? A "softer" version of the History or Discovery channel?
I quit giving money years ago when I saw the people in public TV and radio starting to get rich. Amid much howling -- let the President stick a fork in it and cut it out of the budget.
Paul Farhi: This criticism has been leveled before, yes. I agree that public broadcasting needs to differentiate itself from commercial stations. But cutting it out of the federal budget would simply exacerbate the current trouble--and make public TV even blander, safer and more-ratings and advertiser-sensitive than ever.
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More Pat Q's:
My recollection of Pat Collins on Ch 9 in the 1970's was that he did the light, humor stuff not the crime beat. I didn't see that mentioned in the story.
Paul Farhi: You're right. He did the light stuff. Same thing when he moved to Chicago. He was "Pat the Hat," the "funny" reporter. But before that, and since, he's been the gumshoe.
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Mid 30's Male, Washington, D.C.:
Any chance that WRNR-Annapolis could expand its footprint further into the Washington area? I can get it in Capitol Hill, but any west of that, it fizzles out.
I think DC is missing a great opportunity to have an Album Adult Alternative formatted station, to compete with the all-too-cheesy 92.5, 104.1, and 107.3, and the too hard edged 101.1.
Paul Farhi: WRNR has a great rep. I've only heard it crackling through the static in Montgomery County, so I'm not really sure how good it is. I think given the current set up of stations, they would have a hard time boosting their power without interference. But there are always deals that stations can do with other stations...
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Re: Nicole Zaloumis:
She was ok, but really didn't seem to know that much about sports. Case in point: during the bowl season, she referred to the Tennessee Vols (short for Volunteers, rhymes with "awls") as the Tennessee "Voles" (small furry rodent, rhymes with holes.) Now, someone who's a sports reporter, even on the weekend shift, at a major market station should know better, or at the very least ask someone if she wasn't sure.
Paul Farhi: Amazing. Sports is a tough field. One mispronunciation of someone's favorite team and you're in the doghouse forever. Chill out, y'all...
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Falls Church, Va.:
Is the NPR president Pat Mitchell the same Pat Mitchell that was on a WTTG show called Panoramma during the Maury Povich years?
Paul Farhi: Anyone with enough TV memory want to answer this one?
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Arlington, Va.:
The wild card regarding the future at WETA is the fact that the switch is totally Sharon Rockefeller's pet project. It is now an ill-kept secret that the wheels were set in motion the day Elizabeth Campbell died, although I have heard from trustworthy sources that staff had absolutely no idea and learned about it when the Post reporter called for confirmation. I would not hold one's breath waiting for the right thing to be done.
Paul Farhi: Well, since I was that reporter, I can tell you that SOME staffers at WETA were well aware of the changes that were coming...The Sharon Rockefeller angle is intriquing and somewhat unexplored. She has championed classical before, but I guess she can read the Arbitrons as well as anyone.
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Arlington, Va.:
The profile on Pat Collins was great! For many years I've wondered what was the story behind that guy. He's probably the only guy that you can say to someone else, 'you know the crime guy, with the pauses' and they'll know instantly what you're talking about.
When's the Alison Starling profile coming out? She's a delight to wake up to in the morning. I'm not sure I could take Pat Collins when I'm rolling out of bed.
Paul Farhi: Hahaha. Yeah, Pat's definitely a late-drivetime kind of reporter. It would be tough to hear about all that mayhem from him first thing in the morning.
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Charlottesville, Va.:
Great Pat Collins memory which now seems like a bad drug trip. Selling candy for a living in the mid '80's, staying at some hotel in Tysons, after dinner decide to check out the mall (did they call them malls back then?). There on a crowded stage in the food court is Pat Collins and Pearl Bailey doing some charity Christmas thing. I don't think it was a dream . . .
Paul Farhi: Wow! Maybe it was a hallucination. Perhaps your candy had been spiked...
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Falls Church:
Woops. I meant public television, not NPR.
Paul Farhi: Ah. Thanks.
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Exit the "House":
I really enjoyed the first 2 or 3 eps but now, every week is identical to every other. Nothing changes but the guest stars. House refuses case, House gets on case, House makes 30 wrong diagnoses and finally resolves in nick of time.
Paul Farhi: Great TV guide blurb for that show!
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Annandale, Va.:
As my wife and I were watching “Medium” last night, I picked up on something which, at first, I thought was just inconsistency, but the more I thought about it, I realized it was just sexist. Patricia Arquette character has been consistently correct in every one of her “visions”. Yet the D.A. continually discounts her ideas as hogwash until evidence turns up to support her theory. He seems to dismiss her as some hysterical female who can’t play with The Big Boys. He even goes so far as to “put up with her” and grant her the wonderful gift of a few minutes of his time before he dismisses her. Of course he will later count on her completely to solve the unsolvable case in question. This happens every week. I’m surprised I have not heard complaints about this. Have you noticed this?
Paul Farhi: Yeah. It's gonna get old pretty soon, but for the moment it's known as "dramatic tension." Oh, and sexist? I think that's harsh. I mean, she's a PSYCHIC. How many of 'em would you believe?
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Columbia, Md.:
Anyone else happy that Tony's back on "24?" And why don't they make him a series regular already?
Paul Farhi: They seem to be moving in that direction. Last night, all was forgiven and he was welcomed back into the happy CTU family. Soulpatch, come home!
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Washington, D.C.:
Question regarding WTTG line-up -- I saw a commercial a few weeks ago indicating that Fox 5 was changing up its 6-8 line up to include a Current Affair (WHEEEENGG!). I didn't catch the entire commercial. I just hope I don't lose an hour of the Simpsons. Any insight?
Paul Farhi: Yep, revival of the original Fox newsmag that gave the nation Maury Povich. Not clear what happens to Simpsons, but my bet is they will show up once if not several more times daily. Fox5 is owned by Murdoch/Fox, which owns Simpsons, which reaps huge bucks from re-runs...
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Columbus, Ohio:
Paul --
I was in Columbus last weekend and listened to the new hot format, "TED", which blends hits from the last 40 years. The problem -- it's all hits. No deep tracks or even just semi-obscure things from favorite artists. Yes, it's cool to have "Brandy" play right after Red Hot Chili Peppers, but the over-familiarity eventually killed it for me.
Paul Farhi: Not quite Adult Album Alternative, is it? (Or is it Alternative Adult Album? Album Alternative Adult?)
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Rockville, Md.:
Can anyone explain why Elliott, of DC-101's Elliott in the Morning, continues shouting all the time; continues laughing, in a piercing, irritating, grating way at things no one else is laughing at; and refuses to do any research on anything and thus constantly gets things completely wrong? From any perspective, folks, this does not make a good morning show. And there's always at least two people talking in the studio who don't sound as if they're in front of actual microphones, thus you can't really hear half of what they say, and it all just comes across as helplessly amateurish, juvenile and stupid. Please, someone call in the image consultants! This show's in dire need of an entertainment makeover.
Meanwhile, Stevens and Medley over at 94.7 are actually pretty entertaining: funny, insightful, smart and fun. They're the new good morning show in the area.
Paul Farhi: I like S&M okay(and I mean Stevens and Medley, not the other S&M). Also acceptable: the newish Matthew Blades morning show on Z104.
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Nashville, Tenn.:
Comment/definition
Involvos (noun): They drive Volvos, and they're INVOLVED in your child's school, your neighborhood association, your city government and every committee you can think of.
I've been using this term for about 10 years, and it's a little dated. Now they drive Suburbans or Escalades.
Paul Farhi: Uh...um...okay...
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The Airless Cubicle:
Paul: XM and Sirius state they can provide alternative music formats, and have so far. However, given the record of cable television, where a number of specialist channels have gone more mainstream to build audiences, why should we assume that pay-per-listen radio won't do the same? After all, wouldn't a channel of Howard Stern repeats get more listeners than a channel of bluegrass, or opera, or jazz listeners? We have the promise of corporate officials that XM and Sirius will provide diverse programming, but promises are empty.
I extend kudos to Bonneville/WGMS for adding the "Viva Voce" streaming channel for vocal, choral, and opera fans such as me. I hope that when digital terrestrial broadcast radio comes to the U.S., "Viva Voce" is a subchannel of WGMS' over-the-air signal, much as public TV now broadcasts up to four separate streams. Perhaps WETA could put back classical music there, and WAMU could go back to its once-excellent folk and bluegrass music programming. Sadly, it's not here now, and I have to tune to WBJC-91.5 in Baltimore for commercial-free classical music.
Paul Farhi: Interesting point, but I think there are significant differences between the economics of satellite radio and cable tv. Not to bore you too much, but cable channels compete typically are owned by several different companies and compete against each other for viewers. Not so sat radio, where all (or most) of the programming (certainly the music programming) originates from a single source (the satellite company). Hence, it doesn't especially matter if listeners stray from sat channel X to sat channel Y. It's all the same "tent," one way or another.
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Paul Farhi: Well, gang, it's been fun, but I've been given the "cut" sign (editors, such pains in the necks--they always want you to do WORK and stuff. Sheesh...). Let's try this again in two weeks. It'll be even better then. Promise. My best to all. Regards...Paul.
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