Bonneville is already using "Nightside" name

[Garrett Wollman]

<<On Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:33:32 -0400, "Bill O'Neill" <me@billoneill.us> said:

> What Brudnoy did to garner his decent numbers was a truly unique
> blend of intellect, authenticity, and curiosity. He presented as
> interested in what callers thought at all levels of sophistication.
> He did that quite well.

The thing about Bruds, at least for me, was that -- even when he was
wrong, which was frequently -- he was *interesting* to listen to.  He
had that breadth of knowledge to make the odd connections and question
the unquestionable.  And even when he had guests on whose positions
he opposed, he would give them the opportunity to make their cases and
respond to his arguments (although he allowed somewhat less of his
callers).  He didn't call them names to their faces, and (at least in
my listening) he didn't mute their mikes while they were responding.

Sully, on the other hand, seemed more like "the voice of the common
man" (or at least the common Lowellite).  In an odd way, he had some
parallels with the late English comedian Linda Smith: a plain,
working-class person who can nonetheless speak and write well and
entertain without resorting to crudity.  (In Britain, although not so
much here, there is this assumption that one must be middle-class to
be literate or able to speak properly, which Smith fought her whole
career.)  Sully was a bit blustery, however, and never let a lack of
knowledge or insight keep him from offering an opinion on the issues
of the day.  (His producers pulled some of the most infuriating
examples to drop in at the opening.)

I didn't listen to Rea's first official show.  All I know about his
background so far, beyond his television experience, is that he went
to law school.  (He introduced a guest a few weeks ago as having gone
to the same law school as he had.)  I'm not sure if that's good, bad,
or indifferent.  I see from his wbz1030.com bio that he's a lifelong
Bostonian.

-GAWollman