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I'm the only one on here who actually *listens* to public radio, aren't I?

B

Banacek

Flipping through the archives of this folder, I rarely see any posts about the actual "content" on public radio: discussions about interviews on To The Best of Our Knowledge, reviews of the latest music guest to perform on Q with Jion Ghomeshi, a look back at the latest offering from The Kitchen Sisters, 'wow, wasn't that a funny segment on Wait...Wait...Don't Tell Me, 'I tried that recipe from last week's The Splendid Table and it was awful! Way too much mayo.'

The only discussion of content I can find is about This American Life "discovering" the secret recipe of Coke and everyone anticipating that it would get huge national coverage (which it didn't). Otherwise it's all a discussion about Pacifica's funding problems or how much they hate the "socialist" politics of Tavis Smiley and Democracy Now.

Why?
 
I don't actually hear many people on this forum, the whole internet or in interpersonal dealings who are discussing the content of any shows like that these days, whether it's public radio or commercial radio. Maybe sometimes they will discuss a tv show.
I think the listening world is fragmented enough that you can't expect that to happen often, and if something does catch the attention of some listener to run it by here and post it, by the time they get here they will have found something else to post about, unless they are just a real fan of whatever guest might have been on.

Somewhere on this thread there's an irregularly updated thread about the content of "Car Talk." Check that one out and see if it satisfies. Beware though two people posted on there this morning, and then those posts were gone. :)
 
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I listen to Public Radio such as KXJZ Sacramento, KQED San Francisco, KALW San Francisco, NPR, APM, PRI and PRX. As far as I know its about funding investigative stories by teaming up with Propublica, Centers for Investigative reporting, Fronteras and Kaiser Health News. I know that KXJZ's Insight is more of Sacramento's version of WBUR's Here and Now, KQED Forum is the Bay Area Version of Fresh Air. KQED-FM audience are from the Bay Area Suburbs while KALW aims more for the Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco Audience. KXJZ ranges from Solano County in California to Reno, Nevada.

PRI's the World is more human interest stories with a Global Perspective and BBC Newshour is more hard-hitting with international stories. PBS Newshour (KQED-FM simulcasts this for Radio) does Domestic stories. Are you satisfied?

Some of the Public Radio threads content may be seen on Local Boards such as the San Francisco board and the News/Talk Board
 
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I'd disagree that the weekend shows OP listed are the "actual content" of public radio - let alone what people are listening to. If you count "ears" (and they do), public radio is All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Fresh Air and PHC. That's what gets listeners and bucks.

If we are talking about shows with a cult following we like, my choices...

On The Media from WNYC (NPR)
Freakonomics from WNYC (APM)
Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin from WNYC (PRX)
Under the Influence from CBC Radio (PRI)
99% Invisible from KALW (PRX)
 
Would have to agree. Two of the five shows I've never even heard of (none of the public radio stations the serve markets where I have lived aired them) and one I found interminably boring. Unfortunately, both "Splendid Table" and "Wait...Wait" - while two of my favorite shows - air in time periods when I am sleeping (I work overnights at a commercial TV station on the weekends and sleep during the day).

I have complained about the content of a specific Public Radio show "Here and Now" which I find subpar to the other news offerings offered by NPR.
 
This site exists to discuss the business end of radio, and is written almost exclusively by people who have worked in radio.

We aren't here to discuss cooking, or cars, funny jokes, or the latest immigration policies in Washington. So you don't find many of those topics.
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
This site exists to discuss the business end of radio, and is written almost exclusively by people who have worked in radio.

We aren't here to discuss cooking, or cars, funny jokes, or the latest immigration policies in Washington. So you don't find many of those topics.
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Not quite. Yes, it includes people in the biz but their participation is not limited to the "business end." Business is outweighed by programming, personnel and old fashioned gossip. The other community on this site is "enthusiasts" (fans, radio geeks, listeners). The operators even promote this site as a place to see what listeners are saying.

What's very telling to me is the response of so many biz "insiders" here to comments and complaints from listeners, which boil down to the equivalent of "you eat what's set before you and you like it."
 
One lesser-known feature on public radio I really enjoy is "Says You!" It's independently produced and distributed, outside NPR, PRI, etc. It's been around for over 15 years, so obviously somebody's listening, yet I rarely hear it mentioned by public radio buffs (or critics either, for that matter...) Richard Sher is the host, with a panel of regulars and semi-regulars guessing at questions about words.

If you're an old-old-school game show fan who digs reruns of shows like "What's My Line?" you will feel right at home. It's literate but not stuffy, and often LOL funny. If you crack up at a "hoove" being defined as "an unsuccessful Heimlich Maneuver," this show is for you.
 
FredLeonard said:
Not quite. Yes, it includes people in the biz but their participation is not limited to the "business end." Business is outweighed by programming, personnel and old fashioned gossip. The other community on this site is "enthusiasts" (fans, radio geeks, listeners). The operators even promote this site as a place to see what listeners are saying.
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My definition of "business end" includes programming, engineering, promotions and everything else that radio does as a part of its business operation. I will repeat my claim that there are very few members on this site who have never worked in broadcasting, although relatively few seem to be *currently* in broadcasting, making them merely "enthusiasts" I suppose.
 
billrecto said:
I listen to Public Radio such as KXJZ Sacramento, KQED San Francisco, KALW San Francisco, NPR, APM, PRI and PRX. As far as I know its about funding investigative stories by teaming up with Propublica, Centers for Investigative reporting, Fronteras and Kaiser Health News. I know that KXJZ's Insight is more of Sacramento's version of WBUR's Here and Now, KQED Forum is the Bay Area Version of Fresh Air. KQED-FM audience are from the Bay Area Suburbs while KALW aims more for the Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco Audience. KXJZ ranges from Solano County in California to Reno, Nevada.

PRI's the World is more human interest stories with a Global Perspective and BBC Newshour is more hard-hitting with international stories. PBS Newshour (KQED-FM simulcasts this for Radio) does Domestic stories. Are you satisfied?
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No. What recent segments or interviews from those shows you listed did you feel positively or negatively about? Why? What needs to be improved on those shows?
 
Banacek said:
No. What recent segments or interviews from those shows you listed did you feel positively or negatively about? Why? What needs to be improved on those shows?
Click to expand...

Gee, I didn't know there was going to be a quiz. I thought this site was supposed to be fun.
 
Banacek said:
No. What recent segments or interviews from those shows you listed did you feel positively or negatively about? Why? What needs to be improved on those shows?
Click to expand...
OK I know that when KQED does Forum it can vary sometimes it can be from all fluff on one day (Thanksgiving episode) and on some days its done well such as News about the NSA or should Richmond,CA get involved in Eminent Domain and they hit it well.
 
Because of "Car Talk" I actually hear a lot more of certain shows than I would otherwise. I'm not in there every minute hearing what is being said, but I forget to turn it off on Saturday and, if I didn't hear the whole show earlier, on Sunday. I turn it on early on Sunday if I need to so I won't forget (and sometimes on Saturday in the car, mainly so I won't hear the yelling preachers when I start the car on Sunday), and I'm not pleased with some of what passes for music on "Weekend Edition". Sometimes I'm happy with a segment on that show and I'm glad I heard it. There's something for everyone, I guess.

"Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" is a lot of fun but I don't hear much of it in the other room. Sometimes it's still on when I get out of church. More likely "A Prairie Home Companion" is on and I hear part of that while getting lucnh ready. I especially like "Guy Noir" and "Lives of the Cowboys". If I happen to be around.

My station dropped "Whaddya Know", which is a shame. Now it's "Says You". I don't hear that much, but what I did hear I liked. If the college library is open that's my usual time to process trash and recyclables. I used to take them to the dump (politically correct term: convenience center) myself but we're incoroprated now and they pick that sutff up. But I continue my old habits.
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
This site exists to discuss the business end of radio, and is written almost exclusively by people who have worked in radio.

We aren't here to discuss cooking, or cars, funny jokes, or the latest immigration policies in Washington. So you don't find many of those topics.
Click to expand...

It says "Senior Member" under your username, not "forum moderator."
 
The programming wheels turn slowly in public radio. For most public radio stations, ME & ATC have covered the drives for 30+ years.

I live in the Baltimore-Washington area and listen daily to an assortment of stations that include DC's WAMU & WETA, Baltimore's WYPR & WEAA, and Harrisburg's WITF , depending on what part of the Megalopolis I'm driving through...
 
I too listen to Public Radio in Dallas/Fort Worth such as KERA 90.1 for their NPR News updates, "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me" and "Car Talk". Another one is 91.7 KXT (AAA), which is a 24/7 music station.
 
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