How does anyone tolerate NPR? (how much, dollars, elect, money)
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Since cancelling cable I've been listening to NPR lately--deliberately avoiding the hours between 5am and 9am, and then 3pm and 8pm, during which intervals it's *all* talk--and even so I'm absolutely astonished at the network's antipathy toward music. How does anyone tolerate it?
In the few hours ostensibly devoted to music there is still more talk than music. In order to facilitate more talk NPR plays extremely short pieces--snippets really--often less than a minute or two long. Sometimes, instead os short pieces, they actually play just portions of a work. "Here's the opening section of the Rite of Spring" one announcer said last night.
Then more "announcements" before, after, and sometimes during every piece of music, no matter how short. (Incredibly, this is as true at 2am as it is at 2pm. My local affiliate now has a talk show called "Performance Today" running from 2 to 3am.) These "announcements" include commercials for Antiques Roadshow, references to various sponsors, 'community service organizations', 'science matters', Garrison Keillor, other NPR shows, ideastations.org, etc. Often the announcements are longer than the piece of music they follow.
When I was young (Get off my lawn!) even commercial classical stations (there were such things then, honest!) would play entire symphonies and even operas. Now the average length of pieces played on NPR is less than three minutes. Often they are just snippets one or two minutes long. Then? More yakking. (I will leave aside how much of NPR's yakking is composed of political propaganda...what constitutes information and what constitutes propaganda seems chiefly to depend on how much one agrees with it.)
Now, commercial radio justifies this because of its need for advertising dollars. What's NPR's excuse? Oh, but NPR has commercials, too! Not just its intermittent-to-endless begging for dollars "support", but the endless 'sponsored by' and commercial announcements as mentioned above... There are also some surprisingly childish announcer antics--particularly on weekends--more suited to Top-40 AM radio circa 1972.
Ever talk to a radio announcer? They'll tell you about all the lonely people out there in Radioland, for whom the announcer's voice is their only company. What lifesavers they are! Even if they make a difference for only one person, then it's all worthwhile (never mind the millions who might prefer listening to music). That this view dovetails so neatly with their very favorite thing--the sound of their own voice--is purely coincidental of course.
Thanks, I feel better, slightly. I guess one part of this is that I haven't quite accepted that NPR is really just talk radio nowadays. But then, why should it be publicly funded?
Warning: If you are likely to be traumatized by an anti-NPR rant, please click that convenient 'back' button now
Since cancelling cable I've been listening to NPR lately--deliberately avoiding the hours between 5am and 9am, and then 3pm and 8pm, during which intervals it's *all* talk--and even so I'm absolutely astonished at the network's antipathy toward music. How does anyone tolerate it?
In the few hours ostensibly devoted to music there is still more talk than music. In order to facilitate more talk NPR plays extremely short pieces--snippets really--often less than a minute or two long. Sometimes, instead os short pieces, they actually play just portions of a work. "Here's the opening section of the Rite of Spring" one announcer said last night.
Then more "announcements" before, after, and sometimes during every piece of music, no matter how short. (Incredibly, this is as true at 2am as it is at 2pm. My local affiliate now has a talk show called "Performance Today" running from 2 to 3am.) These "announcements" include commercials for Antiques Roadshow, references to various sponsors, 'community service organizations', 'science matters', Garrison Keillor, other NPR shows, ideastations.org, etc. Often the announcements are longer than the piece of music they follow.
When I was young (Get off my lawn!) even commercial classical stations (there were such things then, honest!) would play entire symphonies and even operas. Now the average length of pieces played on NPR is less than three minutes. Often they are just snippets one or two minutes long. Then? More yakking. (I will leave aside how much of NPR's yakking is composed of political propaganda...what constitutes information and what constitutes propaganda seems chiefly to depend on how much one agrees with it.)
Now, commercial radio justifies this because of its need for advertising dollars. What's NPR's excuse? Oh, but NPR has commercials, too! Not just its intermittent-to-endless begging for dollars "support", but the endless 'sponsored by' and commercial announcements as mentioned above... There are also some surprisingly childish announcer antics--particularly on weekends--more suited to Top-40 AM radio circa 1972.
Ever talk to a radio announcer? They'll tell you about all the lonely people out there in Radioland, for whom the announcer's voice is their only company. What lifesavers they are! Even if they make a difference for only one person, then it's all worthwhile (never mind the millions who might prefer listening to music). That this view dovetails so neatly with their very favorite thing--the sound of their own voice--is purely coincidental of course.
Thanks, I feel better, slightly. I guess one part of this is that I haven't quite accepted that NPR is really just talk radio nowadays. But then, why should it be publicly funded?
The vast majority of the programming you describe is from your state's public radio broadcasters, not NPR programming. Many of you consistently fail to understand this. NPR provides the best news in the business. Shows like "All Things Considered" and "Talk of the Nation" are unmatched. I will agree that much of the programming on state public radio stations is just stupid.
Well, dang...
MY radio has a frequency selector and an on/off switch, as well as push-buttons set for various stations.
When any station gets too annoying, it is a very simple task to change the frequency. Actually, there are only two buttons that get used much, one is NPR and the other a country/oldie station.
Or, I can turn it off.
No problem.
Warning: If you are likely to be traumatized by an anti-NPR rant, please click that convenient 'back' button now
Since cancelling cable I've been listening to NPR lately--deliberately avoiding the hours between 5am and 9am, and then 3pm and 8pm, during which intervals it's *all* talk--and even so I'm absolutely astonished at the network's antipathy toward music. How does anyone tolerate it?
In the few hours ostensibly devoted to music there is still more talk than music. In order to facilitate more talk NPR plays extremely short pieces--snippets really--often less than a minute or two long. Sometimes, instead os short pieces, they actually play just portions of a work. "Here's the opening section of the Rite of Spring" one announcer said last night.
Then more "announcements" before, after, and sometimes during every piece of music, no matter how short. (Incredibly, this is as true at 2am as it is at 2pm. My local affiliate now has a talk show called "Performance Today" running from 2 to 3am.) These "announcements" include commercials for Antiques Roadshow, references to various sponsors, 'community service organizations', 'science matters', Garrison Keillor, other NPR shows, ideastations.org, etc. Often the announcements are longer than the piece of music they follow.
When I was young (Get off my lawn!) even commercial classical stations (there were such things then, honest!) would play entire symphonies and even operas. Now the average length of pieces played on NPR is less than three minutes. Often they are just snippets one or two minutes long. Then? More yakking. (I will leave aside how much of NPR's yakking is composed of political propaganda...what constitutes information and what constitutes propaganda seems chiefly to depend on how much one agrees with it.)
Now, commercial radio justifies this because of its need for advertising dollars. What's NPR's excuse? Oh, but NPR has commercials, too! Not just its intermittent-to-endless begging for dollars "support", but the endless 'sponsored by' and commercial announcements as mentioned above... There are also some surprisingly childish announcer antics--particularly on weekends--more suited to Top-40 AM radio circa 1972.
Ever talk to a radio announcer? They'll tell you about all the lonely people out there in Radioland, for whom the announcer's voice is their only company. What lifesavers they are! Even if they make a difference for only one person, then it's all worthwhile (never mind the millions who might prefer listening to music). That this view dovetails so neatly with their very favorite thing--the sound of their own voice--is purely coincidental of course.
Thanks, I feel better, slightly. I guess one part of this is that I haven't quite accepted that NPR is really just talk radio nowadays. But then, why should it be publicly funded?
Easy, by making every Liberal, Progressive Marxist, nuts by using facts, logic, reason, and by making as much money as I can, and own as many firearms as I can.
Easy, by making every Liberal, Progressive Marxist, nuts by using facts, logic, reason, and by making as much money as I can, and own as many firearms as I can.
That's why it should be publicly funded? Or that's how you tolerate NPR?
Either way I'm not sure I'm understanding what you're saying.
The vast majority of the programming you describe is from your state's public radio broadcasters, not NPR programming. Many of you consistently fail to understand this. NPR provides the best news in the business. Shows like "All Things Considered" and "Talk of the Nation" are unmatched. I will agree that much of the programming on state public radio stations is just stupid.
Exactly. Our local NPR here has none of what this guy is talking about, and it is an incredible station.
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