LaPierre on the loose...on the beach?

[Shawn Mamros]

>Ultimately communications is between two people and the listener has a
>certain set of expectations from the sender. [...]

I'd argue that the "expectation" in question here - more like an
assumption that the announcer is sitting in a radio station studio
- is coming from the listener, not the sender.  And, frankly, that
assumption is as out of date as the image of huge radio consoles
with huge rotary knobs.  Gary's far from the only guy who does
this, and most of those who do aren't disclosing their location,
either.

I agree with Scott - it would be a distraction to mention it OTA
every time it's done.  Imagine if the FCC still required every
recording to be preceded by the announcement, "The following is an
electrical transcription."  People would get tired of that phrase
in a hurry, that's for sure...

>So if LaPierre is doing something and not letting the audience in on it,
>the involved listeners (P1's) will be antagonized. Especially for a
>station where things are supposed to be stable and comforting.

Is he supposed to let them in on what color tie he's wearing, too?
Or whether he's wearing a tie at all?  It's radio.  All audio, no
video.  Disclosing too many details just adds clutter.  If it's
irrelevant to the job at hand, leave it out.

To Dan's remark that those who are defending Gary are doing it only
because it's Gary: not in my case.  I don't know the man, though I
do have respect for him.  I used to listen to him every morning (and
I switched only because my fiancee prefers waking up to music).  But
I would have no qualms about having any other 'BZ studio staffer, or
any announcer (music, news, or talk) at any station I listen to, do
their show from home with no mention of same.  The sole exception is
for reporters in the field; if they say they're live from such-and-such,
that's where they'd better be.  For anyone else, though, if the technology
lets them do as good a job from home as they'd do in the studio, why not
use it?  And I second Scott's questions for those who insist it has to
be disclosed: when and how?

-Shawn Mamros
E-mail to: mamros <still-virtually-at> mit.edu