Re: WBUR (was:RE: ratings)

["Aaron 'Bishop' Read" <aread@speakeasy.net>]

At 12:19 AM 1/21/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>I strongly second that. Special Coverage seems designed to make sure that
>everyone who listens comes away depressed.
I think it's more that Chris Lydon was so boisterous that even depressing 
topics sounded lively.  Dick Gordon just isn't like that.  I kinda like 
Dick, he's a good host...although one thing he is NOT is Chris Lydon.  I'm 
mildly annoyed that they insisted on keeping the same name and theme (both 
musically and design) because, frankly, the show is just not the same at 
all anymore.  Better or worse I won't make a judgement on, but it's sure as 
hell not the same.

Special Coverage is a totally different beast though, it was created to 
address an extremely depressing topic (Sept.11th) and it hasn't found it's 
way out from under that shadow yet.  Realistically, it CAN'T get out from 
that shadow yet...and it will take a long time before SC does start slowly 
branching out into other topics...and even then those topics will be 
terrorism-related.  It was created specifically to inform people about 
terrorism and it's related topics.   By definition, that's not going to be 
light and sunny programming.

Plus, and this is the editor in me really coming out, I feel strongly that 
SC *should* be harping on these topics.  For way too long the US has 
allowed itself to think that we're above the rest of the world and not only 
don't we have to worry about these things, but that it'd be beneath us to 
worry about it.   That kind of elitist, narrow-minded thinking has got to 
stop if we want to avoid global chaos within the next 50 years and that 
means we've got to wake up to reality around us.

That said, I would *also* argue that WBUR has gone way-overboard with the 
talk shows.  We now have eight solid hours of call-in talk shows every 
weekday.  **YAWN**  Can we PLEASE dump something and get a little 
heterogeneity back into the schedule?  Take out TOTN, or the Connection 
re-broadcast at night. SOMEthing, please!!

>And for those who say that 'GBH-FM carries the financial show (sorry, I'm
>blanking on the program name)

"Marketplace" with David Brancaccio

______________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read       aread@speakeasy.net
Fried Bagels Consulting   www.friedbagels.com
12 Walnut St. / Waltham, MA / 02453