I was a captive listener the other morning

[landtuna]

Wifey has NPR on her alarm clock so I was a captive listener the other morning. 15-minute segment on the difference between art auctions and art fairs. The reader admitted this is only of interest to the .0000001% of the nation's ultra-rich. So I ask....

Why the hell would anyone listen to NPR (at least Morning Edition)? I used to get more useful information from the 60-second TOH news spew from Top-40 radio.

 

[Ravens]

Wifey has NPR on her alarm clock so I was a captive listener the other morning. 15-minute segment on the difference between art auctions and art fairs. The reader admitted this is only of interest to the .0000001% of the nation's ultra-rich. So I ask....

Why the hell would anyone listen to NPR (at least Morning Edition)? I used to get more useful information from the 60-second TOH news spew from Top-40 radio.

The demo they're trying to target does care about that stuff. It's obnoxiously elitist to most of us, but they don't care. They don't have to care.

 

[TheBigA]

Why the hell would anyone listen to NPR (at least Morning Edition)? I used to get more useful information from the 60-second TOH news spew from Top-40 radio.

You'd be surprised who is interested in this kind of stuff. The people I see at art auctions and art fairs aren't the least bit elitist. They're bargain hunters. They go to auctions, estate sales, and the occasional flea markets. Obviously you don't. Real elitists would pay full price.

But I wouldn't judge all of NPR by one 15 minute piece. That's like judging all of a genre of music by a single artist.

 

[Avid Listener]

Why the hell would anyone listen to NPR (at least Morning Edition)? I used to get more useful information from the 60-second TOH news spew from Top-40 radio.

When I'm driving in my car to get to work, it's nice to have something marginally interesting on to help pass the time. If I'm not in the mood to hear music, I'll pass the time listening to Morning Edition. I don't feel the need to have every damn thing I listen to contain "useful information".

 

[FredLeonard]

ORIGINAL REPLY FROM INTERNET RADIO FORUM:
If tuna wants to complain about an NPR story, he could have started his own thread in the Public Radio forum, instead of derailing a thread about a completely unrelated topic in this one.

In addition, HE LIES. "The reader" never "admitted" any such thing. And the segment was four minutes long - not 15. Well, maybe he's not lying. Maybe the story was over his head. Judge for yourselves.
http://www.npr.org/2014/11/28/367154357/whos-buying-art

Maybe Tuna should ask "Wifey" why anyone listens to Morning Edition, that is if she's speaking to him. Maybe she'll exile him to the guest room so he won't be a "captive" any more.

--

Tuna, the story referenced the small percentage of the population that invests in art. That's different than saying a miniscule percentage will be interested. Almost all news deals with the activities of outliers, a miniscule part of the population.

----

Radio news - any radio news - almost never contains "useful information."

What radio seems to consider useful is don't be stupid information. Like a thunder storm is coming: Don't stand outside. A tornado is coming: Seek shelter. There was a big rain storm: Don't drive into big puddles. It's cold: Bundle up.

No, traffic reports are not useful since by the time you hear about it, it's already too late.

 

[TheBigA]

No, traffic reports are not useful since by the time you hear about it, it's already too late.

Sometimes it's useful to know WHY you're sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, even if you can't do anything about it.

 

[FredLeonard]

Sometimes it's useful to know WHY you're sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, even if you can't do anything about it.

Sorry, no.

"Useful" = "being of use or service; serving some purpose; advantageous, helpful, or of good effect." If "you can't do anything about it," there is no practical use for the information.

"Understanding why is the booby prize of life."

 

[TheBigA]

If "you can't do anything about it," there is no practical use for the information.

OK, fine. Then it's HELPFUL to know why you're stuck in traffic. Why is it helpful? Because not knowing is frustrating. Ask anyone who was late to something because they were stuck in traffic. Being able to blame something other than one's self for being late is helpful. It can also be useful. And even practical. It doesn't actually solve anything, but it provides an excuse and a distraction that allows you to explain yourself to others. That is a practical use for otherwise useless information.

 

[landtuna]

You'd be surprised who is interested in this kind of stuff. The people I see at art auctions and art fairs aren't the least bit elitist. They're bargain hunters. They go to auctions, estate sales, and the occasional flea markets. Obviously you don't. Real elitists would pay full price.

But I wouldn't judge all of NPR by one 15 minute piece. That's like judging all of a genre of music by a single artist.

Except that in the piece it was explained that only the top fraction of a percent of people had the means to participate. It's like having a used yacht sale in the little town of Dirt Poor, TX. I know several people who are devotees of NPR and they are definitely not elitists (although they do tend to be very left of center politically).

I remember something similar the first time I visited the U.K. back in the 80's. I arrived at my hotel after flying all night and was too tired to go to sleep so I flipped on the telly and there it was on one of the BBC channels - five people sitting on a picnic table in the middle of a park discussing bird watching. Now I know bird watching is serious business to some people and I am not trying to make fun of it but I can't imagine such a show on USA TV (and yet on NPR......).

 

[landtuna]

OK, fine. Then it's HELPFUL to know why you're stuck in traffic.

It seems Fred isn't satisfied with his withering assault on my previous post but has to follow it down here to blast again. Get lost Fred. Really!

Now back on topic, I agree with Big A. It is helpful to know whether you'll be sitting there for a long time and whether the authorities are just cleaning up a fuel spill or investigating a fatal accident. As an employee I would like this information so I could call my boss and let him/her know why I am not in the big meeting. As a boss I appreciate my people keeping me up to date if something goes awry so nobody gets embarrassed at show time. And for those of us who are advancing in age it might be very nice to know if we need to make alternate arrangements for nature's calling should we be stuck here long enough.

 

[TheBigA]

Except that in the piece it was explained that only the top fraction of a percent of people had the means to participate.

So now you know about something that you'd never normally learn about. Some people enjoy hearing about unusual things, even if they're not so interested to actually do it themselves. It often falls into cocktail party conversation. Once again, it's just a short piece about an unusual activity, and then they move on to something else.

My question is: What did your wife think? She's the one who sets her radio on that station, not you. I understand why you weren't interested. How about her?

 

[landtuna]

So now you know about something that you'd never normally learn about. Some people enjoy hearing about unusual things, even if they're not so interested to actually do it themselves. It often falls into cocktail party conversation. Once again, it's just a short piece about an unusual activity, and then they move on to something else.

I already knew the difference between an art auction and an art fair but that wasn't my point. My point was simply that this type of piece was on during a workday drive time and I thought that was unusual. My experience with drive time news programs is they are pretty much headline-only types of stories combined with weather and traffic. This was the type of story you'd seem to encounter on a Sunday morning newsmagazine.

My question is: What did your wife think? She's the one who sets her radio on that station, not you. I understand why you weren't interested. How about her?

To be honest I have never asked. She used to have her dial set on a music station but changed it for some reason. She never stays in bed listening and doesn't ever listen to public radio otherwise. The only reason I heard it was that she had already gotten up to let the dogs out and didn't come back into the bedroom after the alarm went off (and I was too lazy to turn it off). I would have hurled it out the window but it isn't summer any longer so the window wasn't open.

 

[TheBigA]

My point was simply that this type of piece was on during a workday drive time and I thought that was unusual. My experience with drive time news programs is they are pretty much headline-only types of stories combined with weather and traffic. This was the type of story you'd seem to encounter on a Sunday morning newsmagazine.

Yep...it's not a traditional commercial radio headlines-only news show. They do that kind of thing at some point in the hour. But then they do features. That's what they do.

To be honest I have never asked.

Might be an interesting conversation. Then again....

 

[Avid Listener]

Sometimes it's useful to know WHY you're sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, even if you can't do anything about it.

Chances are, if you know why the route you're on is jammed, you can use that information to re-direct your journey to another route. Better yet, sometimes you find out that the route you planned to take is jammed in enough time to take an alternate route. Many is the time I've bailed out of one route to take a less jammed up alternate route and reached my destination more quickly.

Of course, in that scenario you need to know the alternate routes and be clear-headed enough to act on the information that you receive.

 

[landtuna]

Might be an interesting conversation. Then again....

You're right. I will ask and report.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Some of what is on that show is pretty bad. I hate what has happened to radio in the mountains. There used to be one good radio station. Actually, two, but the second had such a bad signal. And then went off the air entirely after a storm. I don't think it ever came back that week.

 

[Wimmmex]

Wifey has NPR on her alarm clock so I was a captive listener the other morning. 15-minute segment on the difference between art auctions and art fairs. The reader admitted this is only of interest to the .0000001% of the nation's ultra-rich. So I ask....

Why the hell would anyone listen to NPR (at least Morning Edition)? I used to get more useful information from the 60-second TOH news spew from Top-40 radio.

Well, you have to make room for people who like to learn about abstract things. I enjoy hearing about traisn, driving trains, old trains (just as an example), although I never ride them or will drive one. ;-)

I also enjoy hearing about different cultures around the world (will I ever have use for it?) Antiquing...etc. Sometimes it's nice to learn something new...even if you have no use for it. ;-)

Was this the segment?

http://www.wbur.org/npr/367154357/whos-buying-art

While I will never buy art...I find it interesting as to which paces of art are expensive, and which are worth collecting. But that's just me.

 

[landtuna]

Well, you have to make room for people who like to learn about abstract things.

I was not criticizing the story content but was criticizing the timing. No one I know would have considered this story "news" yet it took significant time in what was otherwise a morning drive-time news program.

While I will never buy art...I find it interesting as to which paces of art are expensive, and which are worth collecting.

This segment would not have answered your interest. It explained the difference between an art auction and an art fair (yes, there is actually a difference) but it would be of interest only to the fraction of the 1% of people who could afford to buy art in the first place. I submit none of the listeners that morning were members of that 1% or they would not be getting up that early.

 

[FredLeonard]

It's a newsmagazine. And like the original newsmagazine and every other one since it has back of the book sections. The final segment of one hour has always been devoted to arts and culture feature stories (in the other hour, to business).

Of course, this is an inherent weakness of the broadcast model and major factor in its impending demise: One size fits all. Newspaper readers can pick which stories they want to read and how much they want to read. Same for magazine readers. Terrestrial radio (and TV) are all or nothing, take it or leave it. That's why I never listen to OTA public radio.

Public radio targets the money and brains demo. Right-wing talk targets the angry blue collar dummy demo. Of course, people not in public radio's target demo won't be interested in much of their stuff - or even get it.

 

[Ravens]

Right-wing talk targets the angry blue collar dummy demo.

How does it feel being in that demo?