Alec Baldwin Looking To Do Public Radio Interview Show

[MattParker]

Actor Alec Baldwin (30 Rock, 14 time host of SNL) says he has "sold a pilot" to NPR for an interview show. Baldwin told the tabloid TV show Extra that he wants to do "other things." When the music stops, who won't be able to take a seat? Diane Rhem sounds more on the verge of collapse each day. Talk of the Nation becomes more earnestly boring each, so listeners may collapse. Terry Gross is starting to show off less often than Johnny Carson did in his final years and with even more repeat shows. Tell Me More is not drawing "urban" listeners; just driving away NPR's core audience even faster than an extended pledge drive.

This makes Alec Baldwin the third performer associated with Saturday Night Live to want to move to talk radio.

 

[TheBigA]

I like it. I think it's a good move. I imagine it won't be 3 hours a day, which is what it would have been for commercial radio. I imagine it'll be pre-taped. He filled in for Larry King several times. He has a great voice, speaks with authority. Can't wait for him to lose his temper on the air.

 

[amfmxm]

The guy's a star. Knows everybody, and can "get" most anybody. Bright, articulate. A great "get" for NPR.

Cool. Can't wait.

 

[DonTheTrucker]

Didn't he walk out in the middle of a show he was guest hosting?

 

[aaronread]

FYI, WAMU signed a contract with Diane Rehm to continue producing/distributing the show through September 2013.

http://wamu.org/about/press/09/drcontract.php

Going on memory here, but while Diane is currently 73 years old, I vaguely recall that at the time of the contract renewal, Diane publicly said she'd love to keep doing the show "forever". Given that she's host of a successful show with a huge audience and nationwide carriage, I don't see her leaving anytime soon.

In regards to Alec Baldwin, I think that idea has a lot of potential, certainly. You'd have to get an equally-solid group of producers to back him up...no radio show host is an island...but if you can do that, it could be a really excellent show. I'd certainly love to hear it; he's got a fabulous radio voice, both in sound and in execution.

My only fear is that he'd stop doing "30 Rock", where the interaction between him and Tina Fey is simply priceless. ;D

 

[MattParker]

More about Alec Baldwin's relationship to radio and public broadcasting ....

Played "Dan" in Oliver Stone's "Talk Radio" starring Eric Bogosian and based on his play. The play was based on the murder of Denver talk show host Alan Berg.

Played the title role in "The Shadow," a role previously played on radio by Orson Welles.

Played radio and TV preacher Jimmy Swaggart in the bio-pic "Great Balls of Fire," based on the life Swaggart's cousin, Top 40 recording artist Jerry Lee Lewis.

Played "Mr. Conductor" on the public television program "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends," a role previously played by Top 40 recording artist Ringo Starr and former Top 40 DJ George Carlin.

Hosted Saturday Night Live 14 time performing material written by (among others) former radio talk show host Al Franken.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

I could see NPR putting a show like this in the lineup between "Fresh Air" and "TOTN" at 1pm ET. Currently Fresh Air has its first satellite feed at noon ET, and TOTN starts live at 2 ET, leaving a one hour gap where NPR doesn't offer a talk program. This would place it in a competitive position with PRI's "On Point."

 

[aaronread]

I could see NPR putting a show like this in the lineup between "Fresh Air" and "TOTN" at 1pm ET. Currently Fresh Air has its first satellite feed at noon ET, and TOTN starts live at 2 ET, leaving a one hour gap where NPR doesn't offer a talk program. This would place it in a competitive position with PRI's "On Point."

NPR's Tell Me More (hosted by Michel Martin) goes out on the satellite at 11am ET.

Also, On Point is an NPR show, not a PRI show. PRI doesn't have a talk show, actually...unless you count World Have Your Say from the BBC.

 

[MattParker]

I could see NPR putting a show like this in the lineup between "Fresh Air" and "TOTN" at 1pm ET. Currently Fresh Air has its first satellite feed at noon ET, and TOTN starts live at 2 ET, leaving a one hour gap where NPR doesn't offer a talk program. This would place it in a competitive position with PRI's "On Point."

NPR's Tell Me More (hosted by Michel Martin) goes out on the satellite at 11am ET.

Also, On Point is an NPR show, not a PRI show. PRI doesn't have a talk show, actually...unless you count World Have Your Say from the BBC.

Tell Me More is one of NPR's dumber moves. I know PC types are obsessive about diversity but to put a show targeting a Black audience in the middle of the schedule is doomed from the start. They should have kept Day to Day, of course being politically correct trumps any programming logic.

Talk of the Nation might not be so bad if the callers weren't so cloyingly dull. They make Dittoheads look like independent thinkers. In any case Neal Conan's wife has announced she wants to leave radio and sit on the beach, so maybe Conan's leaving, too, and that's the opening in the schedule.

Diane Rehm sounds like she is really in a bad way. Just because WAMU gave her a contract is no reason for NPR to prolong the agony for the rest of the country.

And, yes, PRI does have a talk show: WBUR's Here and Now. Plus Tavis Smiley and Bob Edwards.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

I was thinking of "Here and Now", not "On Point" in my previous post. My apologies.

 

[aaronread]

And, yes, PRI does have a talk show: WBUR's Here and Now. Plus Tavis Smiley and Bob Edwards.

I suppose it depends a little on what you mean by "talk show". I've worked in public radio off and on for 15 years, "talk show" is usually referring to a show that takes and airs calls from listeners, in real time. (i.e. live) Shows like Diane Rehm, On Point, Talk of the Nation, World Have Your Say, etc.

We'd refer to a show like Here & Now as a "news-magazine" style show. I think The Story falls into that category too - I haven't really heard it so I don't think it's a call-in show, right?

Tavis Smiley, Bob Edwards (his current show, not when he was host of Morning Edition) and Fresh Air with Terry Gross, for example, would all be more "interview" shows.

Technically NPR's All Things Considered and Morning Edition are also "news-magazine" shows but at this point they're practically defining their own genres.

Tell Me More is one of NPR's dumber moves. I know PC types are obsessive about diversity but to put a show targeting a Black audience in the middle of the schedule is doomed from the start. They should have kept Day to Day, of course being politically correct trumps any programming logic.

I had a nice conversation with former News & Notes host Farai Chideya about this once: TMM is not targeting a African-American audience. It has a African-American host, true. But it's not designed to target any particular race or gender. One can debate all day if that's a smart approach to radio or not, but unlike News & Notes which was explicitly about race and explicitly designed to attract more of an African-American audience, TMM is designed for an "all-inclusive" approach.

I agree it would've been nice to keep Day2Day, which IMHO never got the respect it deserved. But both N&N and D2D represented the bulk of the costs coming out of NPR West so when the budget axe had to fall and fall hard, the decision was made to consolidate back to the DC offices and radically downsize the scope of NPR West. Oh well.

Not to diss Here & Now or anything, but personally I miss the old Monitor Radio. They were a real class act and it was great having that different perspective on things. Damn, I remember being on the board at WBUR the last day they aired. That was a somber moment.

Diane Rehm sounds like she is really in a bad way. Just because WAMU gave her a contract is no reason for NPR to prolong the agony for the rest of the country.

Dude, that's a bit harsh. She's got spasmodic dysphonia; makes it very hard for her to talk. I admit her voice can be hard to get past at times, but listen to what she's actually saying and you'll quickly note that she's a very sharp and savvy interviewer. And she gets really amazing guests, too.

 

[listener-in]

Diane Rehm sounds like she is really in a bad way. Just because WAMU gave her a contract is no reason for NPR to prolong the agony for the rest of the country.

In case you are referring to Diane Rehm's voice quality without knowing any background, she has a condition known as spasmodic dysphonia which is relieved (though not cured) by botox treatment every three months or so. That's it.

She runs the best interview show on national radio or TV, bar none. After more than 3 decades on the air, and given that she is sharp as a tack, focuses on the topic at hand and doesn't accept weasel words for answers from politicians, left right or center, she's entitled to have a substitute sit in for a few days while her voice recovers. Obviously her employer agrees.

If you were more concerned about the content than audio quality that apparently makes you uncomfortable, you would recognize her as a quality broadcaster. Do I detect a bit of ageism, sexism or (to use a word that I'm not sure exists) disabilityism?

 

[MattParker]

Talk radio is a performance art in which people must speak well and have good voices. It's a job requirement. There are many fields in which speaking ability is not a requirement but radio is not one of them. Disabilities do eliminate an individual's employment options. That's an unfortunate fact.

And the best interview show, bar none, is CBC Radio One's "As It Happens."

 

[listener-in]

Talk radio is a performance art in which people must speak well and have good voices. It's a job requirement. There are many fields in which speaking ability is not a requirement but radio is not one of them. Disabilities do eliminate an individual's employment options. That's an unfortunate fact.

I guess your values are different from mine. Diane Rehm may not have what you consider a "good" voice, but she most certainly does speak well. Her command of the language - clear but without pomposity - is rare among public figures, whether in broadcasting or not; maybe that's not fashionable any more. She holds her position on her own merits, as proved by the extent and loyalty of her audience. If you are distracted by her manner of speaking, you don't have to listen, which is too bad for you, because you will end up a little more ignorant than you could have been. Several people with perfect (whatever that is) radio voices hold jobs when they have no business being anywhere near a microphone.

And the best interview show, bar none, is CBC Radio One's "As It Happens."

I was referring to the United States. Outside the US there are other candidates, but as far as the CBC is concerned, I would put The Current and, especially, The Sunday Edition far ahead of AIH. Come to think of it, I would put Michael Enright and Diane Rehm in the same league as interviewers of quality.

 

[listener-in]

Talk radio is a performance art in which people must speak well and have good voices.

By way of an addendum to my previous post, a caller to today's show prefaced his comment with this compliment to Diane Rehm (I'm paraphrasing):

"Every time a question comes up in our minds and someone [a D.R. show guest] who's talking is avoiding the issue, you always ask the question we want to ask."

That, my friend, is what's required to practice the art of the interview, not some cosmetic decision by a station executive about what is a "good" voice. I write as a mere listener. Maybe Diane's style doesn't some people, especially those in the industry who think they know better than the listeners, but keep your hands off her show. You don't recognize good radio when you hear it.

 

[MattParker]

Diane Rhem is not the world's only good interviewer and radio is not the only place one can practice the art. This is not an either or question. A national network program host requires both interviewing ability and voice quality. Yes, I can think of people with great pipes and zero ability as an interviewer. They should be doing commercials, voice tracking, movie trailers.... And maybe Rhem should be doing interviews for magazine articles.

Terry Gross has a good voice and is a good interviewer (most of the time, as long as she remains dispassionate). The current interviewer on As It Happens (carried by PRI), Carol Ott, also has both an excellent voice and interviewing ability (as have prior interviewers on the show). Steve Inskeep has an OK voice and is a poor interviewer. Bob Edwards had a great voice and was an OK interviewer. Scott Simon has an outstanding voice and can be an outstanding interviewer (but his quality as an interviewer is somewhat uneven).

The question about Alec Baldwin is whether he has both qualities. We know he has the voice but we haven't heard him do interviews.

 

[listener-in]

Diane Rhem is not the world's only good interviewer and radio is not the only place one can practice the art.

What on earth is that supposed to mean? This is a radio topic and we're talking about a radio show. If you are suggesting that Diane Rehm should be working in print where her words would be seen and not heard, you are a poor judge of talent. Fortunately for us listeners you apparently aren't in the management of NPR's programming.

By the way, that's Carol Off.

 

[MattParker]

Diane Rhem is not the world's only good interviewer and radio is not the only place one can practice the art.

What on earth is that supposed to mean? This is a radio topic and we're talking about a radio show. If you are suggesting that Diane Rehm should be working in print where her words would be seen and not heard, you are a poor judge of talent. Fortunately for us listeners you apparently aren't in the management of NPR's programming.

By the way, that's Carol Off.

You either like her show or you feel a need to defend an old lady with a disability who stays on the air because of affirmative action. It doesn't really matter to me because the station in my area does not carry her show. Mostly her show is on outside major markets or on sub-channels (except in DC, of course). And when I can, I listen to On Point anyway.

 

[listener-in]

You either like her show or you feel a need to defend an old lady with a disability who stays on the air because of affirmative action.

Your evidence, please, for such a patronizing, offensive and sweeping assertion.

 

[aaronread]

Mostly her show is on outside major markets or on sub-channels (except in DC, of course).

That's not really true. The Diane Rehm show airs in:

Boston*
New York*
Miami
Detroit*
Tampa
Orlando
Dallas*
Houston*
San Antonio
Seattle
Baltimore
Washington DC*

...to name a few. That's six* of the top ten markets. On Point, which I personally like better than DR, airs in just three. (Boston, NYC and DC).