National Public Radio (NPR)

Spawning from discussions in the past, I wonder how many of you listen to NPR?

What is your local NPR station like? (Usually a locally-funded station with national programming sparsed with local programming and the BBC.)

Do you think its completely biased in the way it reports? (Some people call it "liberal media.") What are your favorite programs?

Have you ever given money at their fund drives?

Personally, I hold This American Life on a pedastol. I absolutely LOVE Ira Glass. The show can make pretty much ANY story interesting, and I wish there was just more of it on the radio.

I also get a kick out of Car Talk and A Prairie Home Companion.

I've given a large chunk of my change to my local station, WAMC. I can never get enough.

What do you listen to? Whats your opinion on NPR?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I listen to NPR from time to time. Here's it's WDUQ, based out of the University of Duquesne. I really enjoy it, and I sometimes even end up listening to it on the net. My favorite programs have to be Car Talk, as well as Fresh Air and All Things Considered. Overall, a really great station, with some insightful talk, smart people, and nice jazz from time to time.

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Originally Posted by Capo

I listen to NPR from time to time. Here's it's WDUQ, based out of the University of Duquesne. I really enjoy it, and I sometimes even end up listening to it on the net. My favorite programs have to be Car Talk, as well as Fresh Air and All Things Considered. Overall, a really great station, with some insightful talk, smart people, and nice jazz from time to time.

AH YES. I forgot to mention Fresh Air and All Things Considered.

Fresh Air LITERALLY hypnotizes me. I hardly pay attention to the road when I am listening, and I ALWAYS find myself sitting in the driveway, trying to catch the last bits of any stories or pieces.

I wonder if I am again one of the few who actually DOES this on GFF.

*Pulls into driveway. Parks. Sits and listens to Terry Gross for 20 more minutes in the freezing cold.*

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I enjoy A Prarie Home Companion quite a bit, but I don't listen to much else. I usually turn to the local WGBH and listen to whatever's on, not really paying attention or enjoying what I'm listening to, but listening to it because it's....hypnotising, I guess. It's hard to stop.

There's also a show (or rather, used to be, not sure if it's still around because I stopped listening to it after it switched times) called "Says You." It was like an intellectual game show of sorts, and I found it absolutely hilarious.

Also, to anyone who listen's to Boston's WGBH, have you ever heard of a show called "The Spider's Web" or something like that. I remember a few years ago I woke up in the wee hours of the morning (I used to fall asleep listening to 'Eric in the Evening') and heard this show. It was a storytelling show, and I heard two fairly interesting stories, one was about a king who tricked an opposing kingdom into surrending a war, and the other was about a guy trapped in a labyrinth with a thunder drum or something. Both were very well constructed and interesting, although I've forgotten most of the details since.

Anyway, to the point, I searched a couple days later and found no evidence of this show on WGBH, or anywhere for that matter. Over the years I've considered the possibility that I dreamed up both stories, but I seriously doubt that I'm THAT creative even in my subconcious. Has anyone else heard of this show?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I listen to This American Life. that's about it. I mostly just listen to my mp3 player in the car. I really don't like the radio too much.

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Four you've mentioned, and one you didn't, Sass, are the only ones I listen to. Fresh Air and All Things Considered, Car Talk and A Prairie Home Companion. I hear them every week though, without fail, thanks to my father. Click and Clack are hilarious, and I've learned a good deal of what I know about cars (not much, I admit) from that show. And Prairie Home is remarkably well done. It's a taste of old time radio entertainment, and their music is always excellent. Whattaya Know puts my dad in stitches and a smile on my face every time I hear it.

The other two I also listen to, and my father is fond of saying how Terry Gross, "Asks the questions they aren't expecting to hear, and niether are we." Oh, favorite episode of "Whattaya Know" was the one where the girl won. I should know her name, but I don't. So sue me.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

NPR is probably the only radio you'll ever catch me listening to, ever. I forget to catch certain things sometimes, but whenever I do I'm reminded of how great it is. In fact, I stumbled into the middle of a Prairie Home Companion a few days ago and found myself laughing my ass off at Guy Noir: Private Eye.

Garrison Keillor sure has a face for radio though.

How ya doing, buddy?

Quote:

I also get a kick out of Car Talk and A Prairie Home Companion.

Both shows are fantastic - theres also a "game show" on the weekends called "Wait wait, Dont Tell Me!" thats fantastic too.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I've made a habit of listening to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. It's consistantly witty, and I usually learn a few tidbits of news that I hadn't heard before. The Balt/Wash area has several different NPR stations to choose from, so chances are, if NPR has a program, one of the stations around here carries it.

I actually did a summer internship at WAMU (American University in DC). I wrote and voiced on-air some of the local news pieces that aired during All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Before that, I'd never heard of NPR, but honestly, that's my dream job.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I don't listen for news, but they often have good music. I listened one afternoon to Star Wars soundtracks.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I occasionally listen to it, mostly for the news. For a time, I was listening to nothing but my MP3 player because 1 station plays virtually nothing but local bands I hate, another plays nothing but either uber-hard rock I hate or classic rock I hate, and the last plays songs I actually LIKE but I can't receive it because my antenna sucks ass. Oh, and the first two also play nothing but talk radio in the morning, which I absolutely LOATHE.

So it was either NPR, classic rock, oldies, or my MP3 player. Guess which one I picked. =\

But now I think my MP3 player's borked because it turns off immediately after powering up even if I have a new battery, so it's actually mostly NPR now.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

NPR is the only radio station around here that plays classical music, and therefore, the only one I listen to. I also like listening to Car Talk and whatever guy does the "Guy Noir" skit. Lol.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Lukage

I don't listen for news, but they often have good music. I listened one afternoon to Star Wars soundtracks.

It all depends on which station you listen to as to what music you'll get. If you hear any music on WAMU, it's probably bluegrass, which I can't stand. WETA got some flack recently for dropping the classical music they played during the day and switching to an all news format.

That does remind me that I used to like to listen to the Thistle and Shamrock. Celtic music is cool, but I never think to turn it on anymore.

I was speaking idiomatically.

KJZZ here. Do NPR station goes for full days? Usually where I am is that it start the day with morning edition and end at 7PM with BBC world Service (well, I guess that count as full days...), and after that it is classic jazz. The weekend programing is pretty much the same compare to elsewhere. I also catchs Prarie Home Companion, although after seeing some pictures, the guy isn't at all what I had imagined. O.o;;

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Just about the only thing I listen to on the radio is NPR. I absolutely love my station. They have had streaming radio for when I'm at my desk at work and they work really hard to boost their signal so it's available all over the valley.

My favorite weekday show is Marketplace, which (like A Prairie Home Companion) isn't technically an NPR show but they play it on a lot of NPR stations. It is a funny and intersting take on all the day's business news. It's presented in a way that you can't find anywhere.

I love the two comedy/quiz shows they have, Whad'ya Know (also not exactly NPR) and Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Wait, Wait, depending on what guests they have is the funniest thing on radio or TV all week (love when they have Mo Rocca on!).

I've never donated, I plan on doing it the next pledge drive.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

Personally, I hold This American Life on a pedastol. I absolutely LOVE Ira Glass. The show can make pretty much ANY story interesting, and I wish there was just more of it on the radio.

I also get a kick out of Car Talk and A Prairie Home Companion.

Yes, This American Life is one of the best. I also like To the Best of Our Knowledge. It presents stories in a style like This American Life, one common theme through the whole show, but throws in more traditional news reporting.

Did you know they made a movie on APHC? It's coming out a little later this year and the early reports are that it is freaking hilarious. It has a great, great cast, too.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420087/

Originally Posted by magi

KJZZ here. Do NPR station goes for full days? Usually where I am is that it start the day with morning edition and end at 7PM with BBC world Service (well, I guess that count as full days...), and after that it is classic jazz. The weekend programing is pretty much the same compare to elsewhere. I also catchs Prarie Home Companion, although after seeing some pictures, the guy isn't at all what I had imagined. O.o;;

http://kuaz.org/kuazprograms.cfm

That's my station's listings. The jazz just runs in the evening here. I think most stations air taped recordings of probably all shows but Talk of the Nation. I've driven from Tucson to Phoenix, and I heard Fresh Aire on my station in the morning and, when I got to Phoenix in the afternoon, they were playing the same episode of Fresh Aire.

FELIPE NO

When I am on work term, I listen to Morning Edition when going to work, and All Things Considered while going home. The NPR that is provided in my area is through the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp radio station (also plays jazz and classical... the perfect combination ^_^ ). Like PiccoloNamek, that station is the only one that plays classical, so my radio is perpetually set at that station.
Also, Prarie Home Companion is a hoot and a holler, but since I only listen to the radio in the car, I only get small portions of it when I run off to church.

I notice that there is a slight bias in how NPR reports, but I am usually good enough to pick out what it is, and I try to balance out those reports with other news sources. The bias is really subtle though; it is usually in the manner in which the reporters portray situations, as well as occasionally omitting important details. I cannot think of any examples right now though, since I haven't listened to NPR in over 12 weeks.

Double Post:

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

I wonder if I am again one of the few who actually DOES this on GFF.

*Pulls into driveway. Parks. Sits and listens to Terry Gross for 20 more minutes in the freezing cold.*

I sometimes do that as well. Sometimes when I get home, I just wait for the most recent story to finish, and when it is done I hurry up and get out before a new one starts up and sucks me in. ;_;

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I am a big NPR fan too - I love Whadaya Know and Wait Wait - my favorite is This American Life, and since I hated missing it so much, I subscribed to Audibles.com and download it each week. Good for road trips. Nice to have as well as some episodes deserve more than one listen.

As for bias - I have heard that too, but generally dismiss it. Typically critics on the right complain of insufferable bias in all media that doesn't expressly cater to their world view. Good reporting is good reporting regardless of outlook.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I listen to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Prairie Home Companion and This American Life as often as I can. I converted my girlfriend to NPR after an episode of PHC. =)

I also love Says You, because I'm fond of puns and wordplay.

This American Life has some pretty compelling stories -- I wonder, those of you who listen to TAL, what are your favorite stories? One that I really liked was the story of the boys who found an abandoned house, and another was about the teenaged American kid whose father suddenly becomes a mayor in Afghanistan, and his experiences in Afghanistan after the defeat of the Taliban.

By the way, Sass, you're not the only one who parks somewhere just to listen to NPR. Sometimes, when I drive home, I sit in the car after driving in because I didn't want to miss any part of the story or news report I had been listening to. ^_^

There's nowhere I can't reach.