WAAV-AM 980 gets a not ready for prime time comment
I sometimes listen to WAAV 980 am (The Wave) during my drive to work. The talk program from 8am-10am is hosted by Rhonda Bellamy, who I find fair and impartial and engaging. Her show focuses chiefly on local issues and she often interviews relevant guests, but she also might discuss national politics, gas prices, the environment or events around the state. Since she opens the lines to callers of all stripes, Rhonda is also infinitely patient. I once heard her indulge a 90+ caller who was charming but made little sense. She let him speak for five minutes.
With the issue of state senator Julia Boseman in the air (did she smoke the evil weed two years ago? what’s with that default on her pricey home mortgage?), Rhonda took the first call of the day this morning at approximately 8:20. What happened next made the host go immediately to commercial. Some yahoo phoned to bark a quick diatribe: “Julia Boseman is a dope smoking cracker muncher!” At least that’s what I heard — I’m not confident it’s verbatim. At any rate, the comment was derogatory and seemed to address the senator’s sexual orientation. Rhonda calmly deemed it inappropriate, saying something about moderating our emotions, then clearly needed time to recover and perhaps find out how the caller made it through screening.
Anyone else listen to this program regularly or happen to hear it today?
Calls are not screened on the local WAAV shows.
I didn’t hear it but it sounds like she was possibly let down by her call screener, if she even has one. Perhaps in her defense radio stations are a lot like newspapers these days; sliced to the bone, which may explain why Rhonda may indeed by her own call screener AND producer, a daunting task just to be on the radio each morning.
I have been on Rhonda’s show in the past, and there has never been a call screener. It wasn’t due to any sort of budgetary issue but rather that the idea is to not put an intermediary between the callers and their airwaves. If you listen to the local shows with any regularity, you realize that all opinions are able to get through. This is unlike national call in shows where those who agree with the host are let in more often while the people selected “disagree” are selected based on how ridiculous they sound. I am glad this doesn’t happen on the local shows. I can hear from everyone from the sane to the insane.
[…] WAAV-AM 980 gets a not ready for prime time commentWith the issue of state senator Julia Boseman in the air (did she smoke the evil weed two years ago? what’s with that default on her pricey home mortgage?), Rhonda took the first call of the day this morning at approximately 8:20. …The Grove Project - http://www.groveproject.org […]