For those who'd enjoy hearing a sane discussion of the issues, the Jim Bohannan Show on Westwood One offered such a discussion last night. Jimbo had as his first guest during the first hour, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. It was a good interview. Bohannan asked good questions, Newt gave good answers. Even if you don't agree with Gingrich's views, Bohannan's show offers a great way to hear some of the news makers without all the vitriol and anger that typifies so much of commercial talk radio. You can hear Newt's interview at Jim Bohannan's web site Jimbotalk.net. Jimbo's website offers a pile of his former shows so you can hear any show you missed. He seems to get a wide variety of guests, not just political, a great example of in my opinion, how a great national radio talk show should be done.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Newt Gingrich on Jim Bohannon's Show last night
- Thread starter MikefromDelaware
- Start date
Either Newt was on his best behavior or Jimbo's questions were not too probing. A few years ago Newt walked off the Diane Rehm show before the end because he didn't like the questioning. Newt is very gifted in the way he can use the English language. Diane doesn't allow guests to hide behind their eloquence and Newt couldn't deal with it.
D
del_griffith
Guest
I haven't had time to listen to the whole pod cast, but why doesn't Newt ever take calls from the public?
Is that a condition for him to appear on a program?
If that's the case, it appears he wants no pushback.
Is that a condition for him to appear on a program?
If that's the case, it appears he wants no pushback.
del_griffith said:
As one who has met Newt Gingrich and had face to face conversation with him, it is safe to say that he does not fear whatever anyone has to say or ask, and he does not flinche. He is straightforward with his answers to questions for which he was not prepared, he answers the question asked without changing it to suit what he wanted to answer and frankly, he takes very seriously and pays very close attention when you give him a fistful of chronicles.
D
del_griffith
Guest
Silkie said:
So why have I never heard him do a give and take on the air?
D
del_griffith
Guest
Silkie said:
Twice. I was given the old "we can't discuss that" from the screeners.
Do you honestly think that a talk radio caller is going to outsmart Newt Gingrich?
D
del_griffith
Guest
Don C said:
Why do you assume it would be adversarial? If it were me to call for interaction, the questions would be to seek clarity. Not engage in disagreement.
But I've only called those few times because I've always noticed that I've never heard him engage listeners. Thus why I wondered if that is a condition of him appearing on a show.
However, I'm sure there are articulate critics of Newt's that could go toe to toe with him if necessary.
del_griffith said:
There is someone that can debate anything with anyone. However, I don't think talk radio callers are in a position to debate with someone the likes of Newt Gingrich, though. We're still at the point where 90% of calls contain the phrases "long time listener, first time caller" and "I was just telling your screener" and other such inane nonsense.
Rarely do I hear big guests on any national talk show, take phone calls. Even on local talk shows, where the host says he'll take calls, the host hogs the time leaving about 5 minutes before the guest has to leave for callers (which actually is about 2 minutes, because they take a spot break first). The one exception to not having callers talk with big guests is NPR's Talk of the Nation. They usually do take callers. Now I don't know how difficult it is to get past the NPR call screener, but they usually have a number of callers with comments or questions for the guests.
If any of you who are posting didn't get listen to Newt's interview on Westwood One's Jim Bohannon's Show and are actually interested in hearing first hand without any media spin from either left or right, then I recommend it to you at Jimbotalk.net. The June 15th show.
If any of you who are posting didn't get listen to Newt's interview on Westwood One's Jim Bohannon's Show and are actually interested in hearing first hand without any media spin from either left or right, then I recommend it to you at Jimbotalk.net. The June 15th show.
Although I received the news a little too late to listen live, I heard that Newt Gingrich was suppose to be on Herman Cain's show tonight on WSB-AM Atlanta. If so, I hope to find this interview on the podcast as well at wsbradio.com.
Silkie said:
In my book, the way he walked off Diane Rehm's show, that was flinching. There's no doubt the man has a brilliant mind and command of the English language. It's a formidable combination because most of the time it puts him in command of the conversation - even in the face of an unexpected question. Diane proved to be his equal, which he evidently is not accustomed to, and he couldn't deal with it. In my opinion Diane Rehm is the best interviewer on radio or TV, bar none.
Here is the rest of the story about Newt's interview with Diane Rehm, per the left leaning NY Times. Enjoy.
http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/05/15/cq_2730.html
*URL added as a courtesy by Radio-Info
NY Times Article
May 15, 2007
A Possible First: Newt Gingrich Zinged for Not Talking Enough
By Marie Horrigan, CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker from Georgia and a possible 2008 Republican presidential contender, has long been known as a man of ideas — and one who enjoys expounding upon his ideas at great length.
So it was a rare moment this morning when Gingrich was berated over the airwaves for cutting to about 40 minutes a radio interview that his host, Diane Rehm of National Public Radio, said she had been led to believe would last an hour.
The show initially had proceeded as normal, with Rehm questioning the as-usual talkative Gingrich by phone about his views on a range of issues, what he thinks is lacking in the current crowded field of GOP hopefuls and his stated plans to decide in late September whether to enter the contest.
But after the hour’s second station break, Rehm returned to the air — alone — and wasn’t a bit shy about expressing her displeasure.
“And we’re back, but I’m sorry to tell you that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has hung up on us,” Rehm said. “I am most disappointed. In fact, I am angry because we were told that we would talk about his book, we would talk about issues before the public right now.”
The first caller into the show after Gingrich’s departure — greeted by Rehm as John from Cincinnati — said he was going to tell the former Speaker “I was really glad that he’s begun to participate in the political dialogue.”
“Me too,” Rehm said with a rueful chuckle.
Sandra Pinkard, managing producer of “The Diane Rehm Show,” said the program’s planners were not told Gingrich would have to leave partway through until after the show had started.
“We never agreed to a shorter interview. They told us they had to do a shorter interview because he was tired and we said . . . we can’t agree to that,” Pinkard said. Nevertheless, Gingrich, who was linked up from a studio in New York, left during the second break.
But Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler sees the situation very differently, telling CQPolitics.com that the show’s producers were told Gingrich would have to leave after 40 minutes.
“It was clearly a misunderstanding. She gave a terrific interview, it was very well done, it was the best interview we did all day, but we were very clear with them that the speaker had a prior commitment and that we could only give the show 40 minutes,” Tyler said.
Gingrich was on the show as part of a tour promoting the latest in his series of historical fictionalizations, “Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December the 8th,” which he co-wrote with William R. Forstchen.
The NPR appearance came on the heels of comments Gingrich made Monday in an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America, ” in which he said it “is a great possibility” he would run in the 2008 presidential election.
Tyler was quick to quell rumors Gingrich had changed his plan to wait until at least Sept. 29 to make an announcement about his candidacy. “He is no closer to making a decision today than he was yesterday or will be four months from now,” Tyler said in a statement Monday.
Gingrich has said repeatedly that he would defer a decision until after he stages a Web-based forum on national issues, scheduled for Sept. 27. That date is the 13th anniversary of the issuance of the Contract of America, the conservative campaign platform Gingrich masterminded as the Republicans surged to win control of the House in the 1994 elections.
Bob Benenson contributed to this story.
http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/05/15/cq_2730.html
*URL added as a courtesy by Radio-Info
NY Times Article
May 15, 2007
A Possible First: Newt Gingrich Zinged for Not Talking Enough
By Marie Horrigan, CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker from Georgia and a possible 2008 Republican presidential contender, has long been known as a man of ideas — and one who enjoys expounding upon his ideas at great length.
So it was a rare moment this morning when Gingrich was berated over the airwaves for cutting to about 40 minutes a radio interview that his host, Diane Rehm of National Public Radio, said she had been led to believe would last an hour.
The show initially had proceeded as normal, with Rehm questioning the as-usual talkative Gingrich by phone about his views on a range of issues, what he thinks is lacking in the current crowded field of GOP hopefuls and his stated plans to decide in late September whether to enter the contest.
But after the hour’s second station break, Rehm returned to the air — alone — and wasn’t a bit shy about expressing her displeasure.
“And we’re back, but I’m sorry to tell you that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has hung up on us,” Rehm said. “I am most disappointed. In fact, I am angry because we were told that we would talk about his book, we would talk about issues before the public right now.”
The first caller into the show after Gingrich’s departure — greeted by Rehm as John from Cincinnati — said he was going to tell the former Speaker “I was really glad that he’s begun to participate in the political dialogue.”
“Me too,” Rehm said with a rueful chuckle.
Sandra Pinkard, managing producer of “The Diane Rehm Show,” said the program’s planners were not told Gingrich would have to leave partway through until after the show had started.
“We never agreed to a shorter interview. They told us they had to do a shorter interview because he was tired and we said . . . we can’t agree to that,” Pinkard said. Nevertheless, Gingrich, who was linked up from a studio in New York, left during the second break.
But Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler sees the situation very differently, telling CQPolitics.com that the show’s producers were told Gingrich would have to leave after 40 minutes.
“It was clearly a misunderstanding. She gave a terrific interview, it was very well done, it was the best interview we did all day, but we were very clear with them that the speaker had a prior commitment and that we could only give the show 40 minutes,” Tyler said.
Gingrich was on the show as part of a tour promoting the latest in his series of historical fictionalizations, “Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December the 8th,” which he co-wrote with William R. Forstchen.
The NPR appearance came on the heels of comments Gingrich made Monday in an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America, ” in which he said it “is a great possibility” he would run in the 2008 presidential election.
Tyler was quick to quell rumors Gingrich had changed his plan to wait until at least Sept. 29 to make an announcement about his candidacy. “He is no closer to making a decision today than he was yesterday or will be four months from now,” Tyler said in a statement Monday.
Gingrich has said repeatedly that he would defer a decision until after he stages a Web-based forum on national issues, scheduled for Sept. 27. That date is the 13th anniversary of the issuance of the Contract of America, the conservative campaign platform Gingrich masterminded as the Republicans surged to win control of the House in the 1994 elections.
Bob Benenson contributed to this story.
The way I read that article, was simply that Rehm's producers or planners somehow failed to get the instructions from Gingrich's people correct. They then tried to cover over their mistake. Gingrich's spokesperson took the high road by not wanting to make a bigger deal out of it than it was already being made by simply saying it was a problem of miscommunication. No harm no foul. Ms. Rehm apparently didn't realize there was a time limit. Sometimes things like that happen. He gave her a full 40 minute interview, that's typically longer than most interviews these days, but from her point of view, that left her with a 20 minute segment to fill that she hadn't planned on filling.
One way many talk show hosts sort of double check with their guests is just before going to the next spot break they say something like, Newt Gingrich will be back with us here on the Diane Rehm Show, right after we take this short break, this is NPR, or whatever. Then Newt would have or should have said, no remember I set it that I had to leave after 40 minutes for another appointment,etc. The other thing she should have done, before they went on the air, was to mention to Newt that he's set up to be on the entire hour, just to make sure before going on the air they both know what they are doing. I bet she does that now. I don't see with Newt or Diane as being the villains in this, setting up the interview is the job of their respective assistances. Someone, either with Newt's people or Diane's people messed up.
What I found interesting is if you go to the Diane Rehm Show website via www.NPR.org. you can find the archive of shows including that day's show. I was going to listen to the interview to see if Ms. Rehm had somehow insulted Newt or asked some really stupid question that ticked Mr. Gingrich off. Unfortunately, they've only kept the first hour's show, the second hour is listed with Newt as the guest, but it isn't there to hear. That sounds like sour grapes to me on Diane Rehms part.
Maybe someone else has access to better info than I was able to find, but that's the rest of the story as best as I can determine.
One way many talk show hosts sort of double check with their guests is just before going to the next spot break they say something like, Newt Gingrich will be back with us here on the Diane Rehm Show, right after we take this short break, this is NPR, or whatever. Then Newt would have or should have said, no remember I set it that I had to leave after 40 minutes for another appointment,etc. The other thing she should have done, before they went on the air, was to mention to Newt that he's set up to be on the entire hour, just to make sure before going on the air they both know what they are doing. I bet she does that now. I don't see with Newt or Diane as being the villains in this, setting up the interview is the job of their respective assistances. Someone, either with Newt's people or Diane's people messed up.
What I found interesting is if you go to the Diane Rehm Show website via www.NPR.org. you can find the archive of shows including that day's show. I was going to listen to the interview to see if Ms. Rehm had somehow insulted Newt or asked some really stupid question that ticked Mr. Gingrich off. Unfortunately, they've only kept the first hour's show, the second hour is listed with Newt as the guest, but it isn't there to hear. That sounds like sour grapes to me on Diane Rehms part.
Maybe someone else has access to better info than I was able to find, but that's the rest of the story as best as I can determine.
No, no, no, please don't make that even a main qualification.Silkie said:
I did listen for a few minutes to one of Diane Rehm's shows online. Her voice has a very dry sound, kind of "I'm bored with this" sound, that frankly was hard to listen to. I have no idea how old she is, but she sounds not a day under 95 to my ear. She is even sedate for NPR, which isn't known for hyperbolt radio. Her voice makes John Kerry's voice sound like he's a wild and crazy guy. So in a lib run off for the nomination for President, my guess is, probably everyone's favorite lib female first lady, now Sec of State, would win. At least Hillary doesn't put the audience to sleep.
:-X Hi Mike,
I find it hard to listen to Diane Rehm and have been curious as to her age and just what is wrong with her vocal chords; at any rate she is not yet 75 (born 1936) but has a condition that surfaced around 1988 and the condition is Spasmodic dysphonia. (at least according to Wikipedia).
I can only take listening to her for short periods of time; unless she has a very compelling guest and that guest does most of the talking.
Nothing against her personally, it's just her voice can be very irritating. (at least to me)
I'm in a major radio market (top 20) and there is an over-abundance of talk stations ( I can receive four from my location), yet none carry Jim Bohannon; not in the last 10 years at least and I just (for some reason) don't get into listening on the internet like I do listening to the radio.
drt
st. petersburg,fl[/color]
I find it hard to listen to Diane Rehm and have been curious as to her age and just what is wrong with her vocal chords; at any rate she is not yet 75 (born 1936) but has a condition that surfaced around 1988 and the condition is Spasmodic dysphonia. (at least according to Wikipedia).
I can only take listening to her for short periods of time; unless she has a very compelling guest and that guest does most of the talking.
Nothing against her personally, it's just her voice can be very irritating. (at least to me)
I'm in a major radio market (top 20) and there is an over-abundance of talk stations ( I can receive four from my location), yet none carry Jim Bohannon; not in the last 10 years at least and I just (for some reason) don't get into listening on the internet like I do listening to the radio.
drt
st. petersburg,fl[/color]
- Status