| | I rarely disagree with Tibor but today's the day.
First of all, I don't think your irritation with the amount of talk on Public Radio is universal - in fact, most NPR stations are almost all talk. And when I hit on one that interrupts the storytelling with music, I typically flip the channel.
But more importantly, I don't think the point of being commercial-free and publically supported is that most NPRers are anti-corporate. While they are commercial-free, all day long you will hear such and such show is supported by Merck, or the MacArthur Foundation, Sallie May, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For me, I think the point of public supported radio is where the control of the station lies.
About 6 months ago in Philadelphia, my favorite radio station went off the air. Not because they weren't doing well, they were the most popular alt-rock station in the city. Because they are owned by Radio One and Radio One wants to dominate the urban black market in Philadelphia. Not because the listeners wanted it, or there was any demand for yet another hip-hop station in Philly. There is actually an extensive and interesting article about the event here:
http://citypaper.net/articles/2005-03-31/cover.shtml
From the article:
"How can there be this hole in the market where 60,000 people are signing a petition, which means there's probably a half a million people who are pissed off?" wonders McGuinn, very much aloud over too much coffee. "It's not just [about] me. Yeah, I'd love to program an alternative station. But I live here. If it was you … if you programmed the alternative station, I'd be happy. At least I'd have something to listen to in my car. It's not about me having an alternative station. It's about Philadelphia being the biggest city in America without an alternative rock station."
The first half of the article is about the surprise demise of Y-100. The second part, beginning with the above quote, is about the politics of the closing of the station.
Since The Telecommunications Act of 1996 has allowed for giant radio companies to own many stations in the same market and nationwide, the quality of radio has greatly decreased. Gone are the local DJs that you have known and loved, in are nationally syndicated shows that have nothing to do with your own city - or better yet, DJ-less stations that are nothing but music and national ads (Tibor, maybe this is what you would enjoy!). Hating this isn't anti-commercialism for me, it's about quality programming. I don't enjoy having the local flavor sucked out of the stations I listen to. I don't enjoy hearing the same 25 songs played on an endless loop anywhere in the country I happen to be listening.
This morning I am in Philadelphia, tonight I will be in Dallas. Last weekend I was in Florida, next weekend, Cleveland. Wherever I am, I know I can listen to Stern or Imus in the morning, Delilah or Jeff Foxworthy's Country Countdown in the evening. At least by tuning in to NPR I can listen to interesting nationally syndicated shows, along with local programming. As far as commercials, I couldn't care less whether they are played or not. Although I'd rather hear an ad for Pacifico-Marple Ford down the street, with the owners twin daughters saying "my dad sells cars" than a national ad for "FORD FORD FORD - see your local dealer for details."
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