• 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

Tech Radio/computer Radio

D

doc9464

Guest
KFI had (i think) a decent computer radio/tech advice show on Saturdays...KNX has the absolutely reprehensible Jeff Levy on 3 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday...Kim Komando has a national following but I do not know if she is widely syndicated. Levy and Komando turn me off because it seems like most of their segments are dedicated to selling me something. Leo Laporte of Tech Tv fame used to do a broadcast on some station (memory fails me) that was informative, entertaing, and worth the time to listen to.

My opinion, none of these current shows are doing a good job in this segment. Are there any shows that provide quality entertainment/good dialogue with the callers?

Is there a real market for this kind of show? I hope so.

If you know of anyone doing a show....post it please ..maybe its worth listening to on the stream......I cant tolerate one more Komando show.....or Levy show...
 
> KFI had (i think) a decent computer radio/tech advice show
> on Saturdays...KNX has the absolutely reprehensible Jeff
> Levy on 3 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday...Kim Komando
> has a national following but I do not know if she is widely
> syndicated. Levy and Komando turn me off because it seems
> like most of their segments are dedicated to selling me
> something. Leo Laporte of Tech Tv fame used to do a
> broadcast on some station (memory fails me) that was
> informative, entertaing, and worth the time to listen to.
>
> My opinion, none of these current shows are doing a good job
> in this segment. Are there any shows that provide quality
> entertainment/good dialogue with the callers?
>
> Is there a real market for this kind of show? I hope so.
>
> If you know of anyone doing a show....post it please ..maybe
> its worth listening to on the stream......I cant tolerate
> one more Komando show.....or Levy show...

Leo Laporte is a great guy and is on KFI Saturdays and Sundays. Komando is widely syndicated, on 400-some stations including biggies like WCBS, WSB, etc.

Another show, although its only an hour and is expanding, is the PC Chat Show in Phoenix. www.pcchatshow.com. They try to be a bit more entertaining and it doesn't sound like a sales pitch.
 
"Komando is widely syndicated, on 400-some stations including biggies like WCBS, WSB, etc."

Yeah, she is number ten on Talker's list of most listened to.

"They try to be a bit more entertaining and it doesn't sound like a sales list pitch."

I've never felt like she was pitching us a lot, unless you refer to her well-identified endorsement spots. I do find her hard to listen to at times because the tired "I am your digital goddess" schtick gets old.

Plus, the whole concept might be a little tired. Who else but a neophyte calls a radio show to ask a computer question anymore? We have access to the same online knowledge bases she does.<P ID="signature">______________
Jerry

"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts" - late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan</P>
 
these shows always turn into on-air tech support, which is unbearable to listen to. especially when the caller is old, which is the age group more likely to call in with tech support questions.

what inveitably happens is old people call who in saying 'my printer doesnt work. can you tell me why?' and u can just guess how exciting the show gets from there.

and more often that not, the host always blames spyware for the caller's issues, which gets repetitive, or is just an easy out.

or a caller asks the most played out question 'what kind of computer should i get? and where should i get it from?'

its better when they have guests on talking about new and cool technology or theyre talking about tech news.
 
You are talking about the uncharted wilderness...

> My opinion, none of these current shows are doing a good job
> in this segment. Are there any shows that provide quality
> entertainment/good dialogue with the callers?
>
> Is there a real market for this kind of show? I hope so.

Unfortunately these shows focus on Windows XP popup blocking, malware and virus prevention. They apparently never heard of Mac, networking, Linux, WiFi, Bluetooth and a myriad of technologies that consumers need to be aware of.

I definitely think there is a market for a breakthrough show like that, but someone is going to have to chart out new territory.<P ID="signature">______________
• K5ZN</P>
 
Re: You are talking about the uncharted wilderness...

> I definitely think there is a market for a breakthrough show
> like that, but someone is going to have to chart out new
> territory.

There is actually an old show that fits the bill you describe, at least as regards content -- that is, for the first half-hour. Joe King and Hank Kee discuss all aspects of personal computing technology, including open source and Macintosh environments, and have been doing so for more than 20 years. In the second half-hour, the callers call in, and then it's pretty much standard-issue "My computer's broken" stuff.

WBAI-FM's Personal Computer Show is (TTBOMK) the longest-running program dedicated to personal computing technology on the air. Of course, being a local Pacifica program, its format is anything but slick and commercial.

You can read about it, and download MP3 samples (conveniently broken out by segments so you can skip the call-ins) at pcradioshow.org.<P ID="signature">______________
also known as tombetz.</P>
 
> "Komando is widely syndicated, on 400-some stations
> including biggies like WCBS, WSB, etc."
>
> Yeah, she is number ten on Talker's list of most listened
> to.

...and worldwide on American Forces Radio (AFRTS).

I've heard Leo LaPorte mention MACs many times and will never sidestep a question about anything MAC. He's still on KFI, Los Angeles every Saturday
right after "Handel on the Law"(available on-line too).<P ID="signature">______________
"Be seeing you..."</P>
 
Re: You are talking about the uncharted wilderness...

"Unfortunately these shows focus on Windows XP popup blocking, malware and virus prevention. They apparently never heard of Mac, networking, Linux, WiFi, Bluetooth and a myriad of technologies that consumers need to be aware of."

She covers all these topics but it's caller driven. The percentage of time she spends on each one is about equal to their share-of-mind among the general public.

The whole format is dependent on neophytes. Once you get past a certain level of proficiency, you get your answers online and not from a goofy self-proclaimed "digital goddess" of the airwaves.

"I definitely think there is a market for a breakthrough show like that, but someone is going to have to chart out new territory."

They exist but they are as obscure as their subject matter. I like listening to them but I also like to listen to foreign language radio stations.
<P ID="signature">______________
Jerry

"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts" - late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan</P>
 
computeroutlookrts.com show is good las vegas

laporte was on ksfo in SF I believe for a while or kgo a few years ago.


KLAV1230am.com in las vegas has a good show weekdays in the evening... it is available online on the website above ..it is pretty basic at times but they are pro linex, linspire? etc. if you bought everything kommando pitches you wouldn't have any money left..too commercial I like my tech shows a little geeky and penny pinching...and they have to stand up to microsoft when appropriate
 
Re: computeroutlookrts.com show is good las vegas

> laporte was on ksfo in SF I believe for a while or kgo a few
> years ago.
>
>
> KLAV1230am.com in las vegas has a good show weekdays in the
> evening... it is available online on the website above ..it
> is pretty basic at times but they are pro linex, linspire?
> etc. if you bought everything kommando pitches you wouldn't
> have any money left..too commercial I like my tech shows a
> little geeky and penny pinching...and they have to stand up
> to microsoft when appropriate
>

I was glad to see alternative posts to Kim Komando....this area of talk radio could be a lot of fun with better focus..maybe some of the shows mentioned above will catch on ....for syndication. Im going to try all the shows mentioned and reply back with some comments....

I think a good tech show could cover all the technological areas, and I totally agree that MS should not be the greatest focus....but the callers have to be given real answers and the hosts must filter the "too complicated for radio" calls....
theres so much to cover, games, security, privacy, wi-fi, dvd/home theater, buyers recommendations (based on testing not the advertising du jour), etc...it could be a lot of fun if the right effort is put into it....since Laporte is on KFI, Ill have to return to him as my standard until someone pops up who i feel is better...just my opinion
 
> My opinion, none of these current shows are doing a good job
> in this segment. Are there any shows that provide quality
> entertainment/good dialogue with the callers?

There's Craig Crossman's syndicated Computer America
(computeramerica.com), but I don't know if it's heard up there.

See Craig Crossman's Computer America Not Just For Techies, a newspaper article I wrote about him a while back.

And Dave Graveline's Into Tomorrow is also syndicated.

Craig Crossman's Computer America originates in W Palm Beach.
Dave Graveline's Into Tomorrow originates in Miami.
I guess it's that great Florida sunshine and OJ.

73s from 954<P ID="signature">______________
HURRICANE INFO ON SOUTH FLORIDA RADIO
Updated For 2005 Season
(including NOAA stations)</P>
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom