Intelligent talk
A letter to the editor in today’s Star News about WHQR’s addition of Talk of the Nation:
EDITOR: In contrast to (the writer of the Jan. 4 letter “we want music”), I take it as a sign of progress that WHQR is adding shows like Talk of the Nation to its lineup.
… I believe the “talk” that WHQR brings to its readers is in fact much more costly for them than classical music, and therefore obviously reflects something other than the expediency or laziness that is also hinted at.
I am delighted that we’ll have more thoughtful programming on our public radio station. To preempt generalizations, I must also say that we listen to quite a lot of classical music in our home, and not just for “soothing” ourselves.
Classical music is indeed an art form, and not one whose creators probably ever imagined it would be piped in or “used” in such large, bland drifts.
In my opinion, the classical music that WHQR now programs a little less of wasn’t ever very challenging or excellent, anyway - a bit like a Top 40 of 400 years ago.
I’ve always imagined it was something they did as a placeholder until they could, slowly, cultivate excellent local and public radio programming like Soup to Nuts, Talk of the Nation, Selected Shorts, and myriad others.
Ian Oeschger
Wilmington
This is a vote for more music. There is more than enough talk radio on the air as is. This station, as you know, was established because the listeners wanted to hear fine music. Stay with that foremat for success. We have newspapers and TV for getting our news and politics. Please, don’t push me to satellite radio. I have been listening for fifteen years, and hope to continue.
Ah but there’s talk and there’s “talk,” Richard.
One of the things that moved me to respond to the letter writer of the 4th was her conflation of all non-music into the genre of “talk”. People are talking on Talk of the Nation, of course, and there are callers, but for me it feels pretty distant from _talk radio_, which I take to mean Rush, “The Big Talker”, and the other cheeseballs that shill steel-belted radials and salves and commend non-stop their own superiority, patriotism, passion, controversies, etc.
I love listening to the music on WHQR and wouldn’t want much less of it. Like the original letter writer, I’m no big fan of the wee-hours BBC stuff — feels kind of remote to me too. But I think TOTN is good stuff, and by the time the afternoon comes around, I’ve had a day full of [good] classical music and am ready to find out what’s Going On.
Thanks for writing.
Being on the left coast, I don’t have a horse in this race. However I do listen to a lot of PBS programming (KQED in our market), most of it talk, including Talk of the Nation and a local program called Forum with Michael Krasny. When I want to hear classical music programming I always access, via internet radio, WCPE out of Chapel Hill.
There’s a difference between “talk” radio, Mr. Cline, and intelligent, issue oriented radio. The former is populated with boors like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly, both of whom talk at you, most often bloviating a point of view that is more entertainment than news (I consider both bad comedians). NPR programs such as Talk of the Nation and Morning Edition discuss ideas and topical content with the man in the street as well as with experts in the field.
I’m truly sorry you prefer more music. Have you considered investing in an iPod? That way, you could listen to classical music all day long. I’m not being flippant but rather empathetic. It’s what I would do if I were in your position. Like it or hate it, this is where music is heading. Lead, follow, or get out of the way.
Well, don’t feel too sorry for Richard and other music-lovers just yet, Ranald. Who knows what will happen? — I think I heard that so far the response to WHQR’s query about how that hour should be spent has leaned toward music.
That’s what’s great about this process: Our public radio station really does seem to be asking us listeners what we want.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Ian, on both counts: that the talk offerings from NPR and American Public Media, et al, are more interesting than music for most of the day, and more importantly, that the music they do play on WHQR generally stinks. I am confused by your assertion below that you love it, after calling it the ancient top 40 in your original letter, or your followup that you wouldn’t want “much less” of it.
I really don’t think there are many people who actually want the baroque bloviations (and I’m including in that description both the music and much of the commentary about the music) that occupy so much of their air. For those who do, there is indeed satellite radio (I’m sure there must be a bloviations channel) as well as personally owned media, from cassette players to ipods. Buy your own splinter-group music, and let the rest of us keep up with current events and listen to or participate in interesting conversations.
Public radio talk has in common with the other crap currently available in this area only the airwaves both travel over and human voices on them. I simply don’t listen to any of the others, ever, for any reason. I think WHQR’s local news people do a phenomenal job, and I would love to see their work complemented by more from elsewhere. I would also quibble with those who don’t appreciate the BBC – I think it is especially important to get a dose of how other parts of the world see the news, both to see what is important outside of this country and to understand how events in this country are both perceived and reported there.
My car radio is notably weak, so I can’t pick up WUNC until I’m more than halfway up I-40. But my work car has a much better radio and I go up 17 in it most of the time, and I can pick up Public Radio East almost from the time I hit the road. If I’d ever remember to save it on a button (actually, it I could figure out how!), I could probably get it even sooner.
I don’t expect WHQR to equal WUNC, given its history, larger listenership, and the fact that WCPE does indeed do a great job on the classical side in their market. But I can’t believe PRE, out of New Bern, so thoroughly trumps Wilmington by offering a great talk lineup on FOUR regional transmitters (see the schedule at http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/pre/guide.guidemain?t=1), and also offers a better selection of classical music on their single news/classical station
I really believe WHQR would make a lot of people a lot happier - and start getting my money again - if they’d boost the non-musical component of their schedule.
On a separate but related note, the reason I actually stopped giving them money (when I sent it in I always noted that I supported ONLY news/talk programs and hated their music) was because they refused to honor my request to stop sending me regular paper begging mail. I didn’t particularly want any communications from them between annual renewals, but I absolutely don’t accept paper solicitations. I made the same request of UNC-TV and they have honored it remarkably well, sending me nothing but the program guide. I rewarded them by doubling my contribution and putting in on the monthly autopay instead of needing any renewal reminder.
WHQR, are you listening?
That is not the least of my inconsistencies, Susan. Contain multitudes, &cetera. I don’t like the bland drifts of music and the genre’s positioning as soporific and mellowing agent, which is largely how it’s purveyed by WHQR and countless others. But I do like the music itself—often the particular pieces reach through the high-brow haze, even the Top 40 ones. Pastoral Symphony is a case in point. Was just listening in the car yesterday and being blown away no less for its popularity and ubiquitousness.
But heck I love modern Top 40 music too! Have a huge tolerance not to say fondness for bubblegum and cheese. My sing-along love for Christina Aguilera, N’Sync and their ilk is the chagrin of my wife and other interlocutors.