Morning Radio

[taurusmoon]

Kim's thread about Jill Sobule on a morning radio program got me thinking (yes, I know, that's rather dangerous).

Radio listeners tend to split into two camps on the topic of morning radio programming -- and, to a lesser extent, radio programming in general. You either love it or hate it or love to hate it. (Okay, so that's three camps.)

What's your opinion on the state of radio in America? Where have you set up your tent?

Me? I'm of the hate it tribe. I find it a rather rude awakening. I can't understand what the appeal of all that banal banter is. I'd much rather start my day with some good tunes, thought provoking conversation, or even the news than the sophomoric drivel that's so prevalent on the airwaves. But then, I don't understand television programming either, so, I'll freely admit, I'm a media misfit.

Enlighten me please. I can't be right while millions of other listeners are dead wrong. What's the allure of "the morning show"?

Unless you're with me and you don't get it either. Then we can commiserate.

[theworm[$]]

I listen to the morning show on the radio mostly because they have the most frequent traffic reports. I have a long drive to work, and a few different options of how to go. When I hear about accidents, I can change my route and try to avoid problems. If not for that, I'd probably listen to the news or Katie and Matt. At home, before leaving for work, I watch Diane and Charlie, (actually, if I see them, I'm already late!), but in the car I can only get ABC. The stupid morning show gives me the best traffic updates.

[Prepoia[$]]

I love it and always have. I've changed stations over the years and in my younger years listened only to broadcasters I liked. I now listen to an all news station and it starts my day knowing what's going on in the world. I often have topics to discuss with my students because they are "hot off the press" so to speak. Also, in Michigan winters, I know how early I need to start off for work and what roads to avoid.

Sandy

[taurusmoon]

Don't you have an all news station, Wormie?

We have two that do weather and traffic every 10 minutes. If I wan't either report I'll dial in to one or the other depending on whether it's closer to "the 1's" or "the 8's".

Then I'll jump right back to wfuv or go back to whatever CD I'm stuck on at the moment.

[taurusmoon]

Prepoia said

I love it and always have. I've changed stations over the years and in my younger years listened only to broadcasters I liked. I now listen to an all news station and it starts my day knowing what's going on in the world. I often have topics to discuss with my students because they are "hot off the press" so to speak. Also, in Michigan winters, I know how early I need to start off for work and what roads to avoid.

Sandy

Clarification: All news stations are not morning radio in my book. Morning radio is in a class (loosely speaking) unto itself.

[lynnzop[$]]

I'll listen to the old fogies all-news, all-talk station when I'm getting ready for work, simply because I've had too many days where I've gone outside, all showered, dressed, and ready to rock and roll, and SURPRISE, there's a) a foot of snow or b) school is closed. But I can take only so many retirement home and cruise of a lifetime advertisements in one day.

Once I'm in my car (on my 30 minute commute) I listen to TnT, who are Omaha's Bad Boys of rock and roll. They actually discuss some great social and CE topics, as well as have a decent discussion on news topics, and I've learned more about s-e-x than sometimes I want to know.

I'll switch over to music on another station when I get tired of the ads on TnT (how many vasectomy ads can one really listen to? ). But I always come back...and I have been for the 10 years they've on Z92 here.

[theworm[$]]

taurusmoon said

Don't you have an all news station, Wormie?

We have two that do weather and traffic every 10 minutes. If I wan't either report I'll dial in to one or the other depending on whether it's closer to "the 1's" or "the 8's".

Then I'll jump right back to wfuv or go back to whatever CD I'm stuck on at the moment.

I miss 1010 WINS. I used to give them 10 minutes and they gave me the world. Florida radio is sorely lacking. I can get news on an AM station, but they have lousy programming in the am too.

[CurtisEdmonds]

NPR.

[Prepoia[$]]

True Sara, all are not created equal. Although it is what I consider all news, there are personalities and newscasters talking and having fun too. The previous shows I listened to were based on individual broadcasters too but they did a lot of interviews and stuff that this station doesn't have. But there's fun to be had by listening to this station and even old fogies like fun.

Sandy

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Scott and Todd in the Morning when I'm first getting up (they're not totally stupid and obnoxious like other shows) and NPR while I'm getting ready to get out the door.

[mtomm[$]]

NPR.

[Magick1]

I will listen to Bob & Tom for a little bit to listen to some stupid jokes/songs to help me wake! (I don't drink coffee or soda, only milk or water and need something to kick things into gear!)

I flip to a "older" rock station for some music and entertainment shortly after that. (I use a headset at work to drown out a very loud individual that sits over my wall. I need to concentrate and having the headphones on, with mindless music playing softly in the background helps me block this individual out.

[taurusmoon]

Okay, you NPR people. You're not getting off so easy.

What is the appeal of NPR vs. everything else out there? And, do the NPR station(s) you listen carry public radio programming solely or is it an independent station that receives funding from public radio endowments?

[lynnzop[$]]

NPR makes me zzzzzzzzzz..................................................

Just what I don't need in the morning. I'd be curious to hear what the appeal is as well.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

I listen to NPR because I don't like the 5-second soundbites of CBS or 1010WINS news stations, and the news provided on morning radio shows is even less helpful. I like getting a little more depth to fewer stories with more importance. For example, 1010WINS might do 45 seconds on "Fire in Brooklyn makes 17 homeless," which doesn't particularly interest me, while NPR does 3 minutes on the gay marriage situation across the country, which does interest me.

[theworm[$]]

I'll listen to NPR on the way home from work, but not in the am. Everyone on NPR has that slow and Stepford way of talking. It's not good for the morning commute when I'm tired.

[taurusmoon]

The station I listen to is a hybrid of sorts. It has it's roots as a college radio station (the school provides the studio and office space and 10% of the operating budget) but is run and staffed by professional broadcasters. Another 20% of its funding is provided by public radio and corporate endowments . The rest of it's funding comes from individual members.

News feed is contracted through NPR and the station subscribes to one or two PRI music programs. The remainder of the programming is original, music driven and focuses on delivering the kind of adult contemporary music you normally wouldn't be exposed to, incorporating a variety of musical styles.

The radio personalities are knowledgeable, intelligent and engaging and many are legends in the market.

Damn, I sound like their PR agent, don't I? :

[Prepoia[$]]

Is NPR the initials for non public radio?

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

National Public Radio

[CurtisEdmonds]

taurusmoon said

Okay, you NPR people. You're not getting off so easy.

What is the appeal of NPR vs. everything else out there? And, do the NPR station(s) you listen carry public radio programming solely or is it an independent station that receives funding from public radio endowments?

NPR is national and carries stories of national significance. The local Atlanta radio stations do mostly fart jokes.

Having said that, NPR tends to live up to its "National Palestinian Radio" reputation. And there are times when I listen to it and start screaming dirty words at the radio until the liberal blather stops. But overall, it's pretty good.

The station that I listen to is the official station of the Atlanta public school system. They run Morning Edition in the morning, and a locally-produced classical broadcast in the afternoons, and then Fresh Air and All Things Considered.

[phoenixx]

Bob and Tom used to be my morning ride, but then the NH/MA station they were on dropped them for some reason and went to this COMPLETELY asinine morning show (hammer in the morning or something equally inane). Therefore, I eschew all radio between 6AM and 12:00 PM, when I start with country, then rock, then metal and flip through stations constantly listening to tunes. I'd probably still listen between 6 and 12 if the shows that aren't funny (Bob and Tom are actually funny) would STFU and play some music....

[brian_igo]

The morning shows you guys talk about are what I listen to on the drive home, so this is going to be a little weird.

(Like that's a surprise...)

Driving into work I'll bounce around the music stations, usually landing on a local high school station that plays a lot of adult alternative or the local classical station. Once or twice a week I'll hit the AM News-Talk channel to see how long I can endure Sean Hannity's childish attempts at reason and thoughtful discourse.

On the way home I'll listen to NPR's Morning Edition. But I get what Wormie is saying about Morning Edition host Bob Edwards. I wish I could hear All Things Considered instead on the drive home. (Or, if I were king, Susan Stamberg every day. I Susan Stamberg.) When I had a day job I'd listen to ESPN radio on the drive to the office. After a cup of coffee or two I'd switch to NPR, but I couldn't listen to Morning Edition before I was really awake.

taurusmoon said

Okay, you NPR people. You're not getting off so easy.

What is the appeal of NPR vs. everything else out there? And, do the NPR station(s) you listen carry public radio programming solely or is it an independent station that receives funding from public radio endowments?

Last first: The high school adult-alternative station I mentioned doesn't have an affiliation with any national public radio organization. The only syndicated programming they carry (that I've heard) is the Acoustic Cafe show. (BTW-they have online streaming too if you'd like to check them out.) The classical station gets news and music programming from NPR and PRI, in addition to locally-hosted music shows.

I'm a news junkie, so I'll talk about the appeal of NPR compared to the AM news-talk stations. In the last fifteen years I've listened to AM news radio turn into a deathrace to see who could be the most banal, the most bombastic, and the most pandering. When you agree with the sentiments of the host it's great at making you feel. (And, as I think about it, when you don't agree it's good at provoking emotion, too.) But to paraphrase Jethro Tull, they can't make me think.

I'll listen to a four-minute oral essay by someone from the Heritage Foundation or Greenpeace on NPR and disagree with every word the person has said, but I had to think and reason to reach that conclusion. There's this great dialog that occurs, I'll think "Yeah, but you didn't mention this or what about the effect of that?" It's that engagement that keeps me coming back. And there are stories-a lot of stories-that I know absolutely nothing about when they begin. How rare and cool is it to find something you never knew before?

(Timeout-So no one gets the wrong idea, I don't mean to imply that being bored by NPR means you're from Alpine, Texas or something. I have a scary smart friend who can't get intellectually engaged by anything on the radio. Put the same story or essay on paper or in a film documentary and it clicks.)




Brian