How about talkradio for MORMAL people?

[cm454]

This, by the way, DOES NOT mean T&A radio. I am talking about talkradio for the majority of Americans who DO have opinions on issues, but opinions not geared so consistently toward one ideology or another. MOST people have conservative opinions on some issues and liberal opinions on others. THAT is mainstream America---not what is being served up in the niche-audience realm of talkradio these days (momentarily spare me the niche format business model lecture---I know---I get it).

As a listener, I find both libtalk and conservative talk painfully predictable and unenlightening. Boring is perhaps an even more accurate word. And I am not alone. Most people I know who have sampled talkradio, but didn’t find it appealing, lamented that it was rather dull considering the pre-ordained outcome of most, if not all, assertions. The conservative is going to say this; the liberal is going to say that. Granted there ARE people out in the public who do tow a party line, but I often find them to be far more flexible given certain variables on an issue than hosts who feel it is their *duty* to stick to the “plan” no matter what details emerge that would make a reasonable person amend their position. It’s called “reacting like a human being”.

FM talk continues to be a letdown every time it’s tried. Why? Because there is always this attempt to be mindless—as if THAT is the only alternative to political ideology-driven talk.

Isn’t there any place these days for hosts who actually reflect the thoughtful sensibilities of the mainstream population, in that they don’t fit neatly into a “conservative” or “liberal” camp?

I don’t mean for this post to seem as if I am singling out conservatives, but they are the darlings of the niche. And while some are entertaining, most are just delivering the same material, but a lot less effectively than is done by those toward the top of the pyramid. I’m tired of hearing constant drumbeats. Most people are, or would be, if the current reputation of talk didn’t discourage so many from even bothering to check it out.

Aw, screw the big picture, not to mention the future of this increasingly challenged medium. Let’s just work on finding the next Rush, I mean the next Hannity, I mean the next Beck, I mean the next Gallagher, I mean the next Ingram, I mean the next Savage, I mean the next Levin, I mean the next.…

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I share your pain!

I think of Terri Gross on NPR doing her program somewhere in the target you are wishing for. I know, some will pile on at this point with an observation that she has a liberal point of view. That's fine. THE CONTENT of her interviews is informative and mature.

And beyond that there is.... and then.... oh, yes, there is..... Hmmmmm. Who else is there!

Is it possible to fill more than two or three hours a day with balanced, meaningful talk?

Some people have the opinion that there are virtually no liberal oriented talk shows because there are no ENTERTAINING liberal hosts.

Is it possible that it would be even harder to find a non-partisan talk show host who could be entertaining, and harder still to find enough no-partisan hosts to fill a full broadcast schedule?

 

[brian65]

Re: How about talkradio for NORMAL people?

Terri Gross does mostly 'human interest' interviews.

Diane Rehme(?) does real talk about real issues. Its the closest thing I've found to actual informative talk radio.

I agree with the original posters comments completely.

Talk radio has evolved into hosts just talking about what other people are talking about and not talking about the actual issues.

 

[RBA]

Mormal? At first I thought you were talking about radio for Mormons. I guess, just a typo.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Terri Gross does mostly 'human interest' interviews.

Diane Rehme(?) does real talk about real issues.

Is there a distinct definable line between "human interest interviews" and "real talk about real issues", or is it a fuzzy "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" distinction.

I hear what you are saying. Sometimes Terri interviews some musician about his new record, but sometimes I hear her interview Thomas Friedman about his newest book and that sounded like "real talk about real issues" that day.

 

[brian65]

Re: How about talkradio for NORMAL people?

Terri Gross does mostly 'human interest' interviews.

Diane Rehme(?) does real talk about real issues. Its the closest thing I've found to actual informative talk radio.

I agree with the original posters comments completely.

Talk radio has evolved into hosts just talking about people and not talking about the actual issues.

(Just revised the bold part of my previous post.)

 

[brian65]

Terri Gross does mostly 'human interest' interviews.

Diane Rehme(?) does real talk about real issues.

Is there a distinct definable line between "human interest interviews" and "real talk about real issues", or is it a fuzzy "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" distinction.

I hear what you are saying. Sometimes Terri interviews some musician about his new record, but sometimes I hear her interview Thomas Friedman about his newest book and that sounded like "real talk about real issues" that day.

Generally, Rehm is much more news/politics oriented than Gross is.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Terri Gross does mostly 'human interest' interviews.

Diane Rehme(?) does real talk about real issues.

That is true for the most part. No argument. But that really avoids the question I think is on the table.

Talk radio for NORMAL people. Do normal people want Talk, a Personality, or News. Or would they like some customized blend of all three? While it is true that Terri Gross has a softer approach and lets us see the human side of the person being interviewed, something like a furniture salesman having us focus on the fine, intricate grain of the wood in the furniture we are about to buy, do you have any convincing conversation that NORMAL people prefer the more "blood and guts of politics and issues" that others including Rheem provide. Or does Rheem appeal to wing-nuts on the left the way Limbaugh appeals to wing-nuts on the right?

It's an honest question on my part. I don't have my own pre-packaged answer to this question.

 

[FTL_Ian]

Isn’t there any place these days for hosts who actually reflect the thoughtful sensibilities of the mainstream population, in that they don’t fit neatly into a “conservative” or “liberal” camp?

There is. It is on 31 stations and is also an award-winning podcast: Free Talk Live 8)

 

[ajhenderson]

Ian never misses an opportunity to pimp his show.

Onward... so basically you want talk radio where people have different opinions, go back and forth, have no set ideology, and generally bounce all over the map. Sounds riveting.

 

[brian65]

Ian never misses an opportunity to pimp his show.

Onward... so basically you want talk radio where people have different opinions, go back and forth, have no set ideology, and generally bounce all over the map. Sounds riveting.

A discussion offering opposing opinions would work for me.

I don't consider that bouncing all over the map.

 

[FTL_Ian]

Ian never misses an opportunity to pimp his show.

Onward... so basically you want talk radio where people have different opinions, go back and forth, have no set ideology, and generally bounce all over the map. Sounds riveting.

The "right" and "left" don't have ideology, only marching orders and talking points.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

The "right" and "left" don't have ideology, only marching orders and talking points.

Is that maybe a generalization that way, way too general? [Redundant on purpose for emphasis!]

The big boys, the proven entertainers have too much reputation and money on the line to mess with the ratings by being honest to ideology. Sticking to marching orders and talking points keeps the lemmings in line.

The right and left DO have ideology. The question is: If you are smart enough to know the ideology, and have the ability to communicate it, hopefully with some charm, is there an audience smart enough to recognize the genuine article?

 

[raccoonradio]

This guy (heard part of his show once) says he's a "militant moderate". He wants "the Republicans out of our bedrooms, the Democrats out of our wallets, and both of them away from our first and second amendment
rights"

http://www.alannathan.com/

 

[cm454]

Ian never misses an opportunity to pimp his show.

Onward... so basically you want talk radio where people have different opinions, go back and forth, have no set ideology, and generally bounce all over the map. Sounds riveting.

Definitely more riveting than the same BS day in, day out. It amazes me how mindless some people are, in that they just enjoy having there own opinions repackaged by someone else and fed back to them.

Now THAT'S exciting!

 

[jcolletta275]

This guy (heard part of his show once) says he's a "militant moderate". He wants "the Republicans out of our bedrooms, the Democrats out of our wallets, and both of them away from our first and second amendment
rights"

http://www.alannathan.com/

Sounds like my kinda guy!

 

[MikefromDelaware]

Re: How about talkradio for NORMAL people?

I find the talk on NPR to not be political generally speaking. Yes Terri Gross is a great interviewer. I've heard her interview both liberal and conservative folks (when she's not interviewing musicians, authors, etc) and does her homework and asks good solid questions that do not have a political slant to them. So, I'd have to agree with that earlier poster on page 1 that Terri Gross's "Fresh Air" on NPR is a good talk show for normal people. Another good talk show on NPR is "Talk of the Nation". Even when they are dealing with a topic that would be very political if discussed by Rush, Hannity, etc, the Talk of the Nation approach is to have guests quite often with more than one perspective and without the vitrolic approach the more "famous radio talkers" use. Another great talk show on NPR that is for normal people is "Car Talk". Even if you are not interested in discussing automoble repair issues, these two guys ( Ray and Tom ) are a riot. It's truly an entertaing show, week after week. The NPR affilitate in Philly also airs a local talk show called "Radio Times" with host Marty Moss-Cohane (sp). She quite often will have a topic of national interest, sometimes a purely Philly topic. I've noticed that her show is popular with listeners from outside the Philly-Wilmington-Trenton metro area's as she'll take calls from people from all over the nation (they must be listening on line at whyy.org). Maybe eventually her show will go national on NPR like Terri Gross's show. Marty's show airs M-F 10am-12noon on WHYY-FM 90.9.

 

[Julius Leonard Marx]

Public radio shows are not for "normal" people. They are for smarter, better educated and more affluent people. Normal people listen to music.

 

[jimwalsh2001]

FM talk continues to be a letdown every time it’s tried. Why? Because there is always this attempt to be mindless—as if THAT is the only alternative to political ideology-driven talk.

Therein lies the problem - the narrow perspective of the Wall Streeters who bankroll the biz, as well as that of the ad buyers. For that, we have only ourselves to blame.

 

[HHH]

I believe that commercial talk radio exists, generally, NOT for the politically savvy or curious, or for those who want to get 360 degrees of information in order to form an opinion.

It is to real political discussion what TV wrestling is to real sports. An overblown, theatrical world of simplistic American heroes and villains. In this corner.....from somewhere in the East.....The Liberal! (cue the boos). And in this corner.....from real America.....The Patriot! (cue the cheers). Simply reverse the description for the few commercial liberal talk shows that I have heard.

No, what is happening on the air is very similar to what is happening to the country at large. I don't want to get too philosophical but it seems to me that, a few years ago, people would search for some common ground and build from there. Today, too many people look for that disagreement point and then harp on it and play it up as a way to keep things apart. Of course, without a divisive atmosphere, most of these talk people would be out of business, so it is in their best interests to keep things as divisive as possible.

But you know, there has to be a reason why NPR's drive time numbers have been on the increase the last few years. I believe that more and more people are getting fed up with the "shtick-based" talk shows. Although not perfect, NPR is about the only place where one can hear a pretty good balance of opinions presented without a shrill, shtick-based, one-sided host.