Project 2

Project two was a bit of a disappointment. I went for the big hit with WEEI's "Big Show." The topic was a pre-season discussion about the Red Sox lineup. Some people wanted to move Big Papi further down the lineup than he ended up hitting, others wanted him out of the lineup altogether to be replaced by Mike Lowell. I was going to talk about how they just need to give Papi a chance to see what he can do, and if he doesn't produce they should then replace him with Lowell. Ultimately I was going to end my point with the fact that the Red Sox need to move away from Papi and Lowell because they are getting too old and can't produce like they used to; and that we should go after Adrian Gonzales of the Padres with everything that we have, I'm talking Teixeira money.

BUT. I was on hold and ended up getting cut off because the caller period ended. So, I don't really know how I feel about calling into the Radio. The Letter to the editor was a truthfully awesome experience. Even though my letters did not get published I liked writing them because I could take time to write about my point; and if they did get published it would have been satisfying in the sense that so many more people would have seen my opinion and been able to construct their opinion off of mine. With calling into the radio you don't get anything out of it. It is like a dog going around the dinner table trying to get some attention and clean up the scraps.

The thing about Talk Radio is that there is only so much to talk about. With sports an avid sports fan might know a ton of stuff about the topics, but there is only so much you can know. The hosts know everything, and you might be able to put in a good point when you call in but the host will always dominate your point. It is just not satisfying.

Radio Callers Bring Listeners and a Voice

Radio callers bring listeners and a voice to the table. Because anyone can call, it makes the radio hosts seem more personable. With more personable hosts comes more listeners because it makes us feel like the host is a "normal" guy like you and me. Having an outside voice on the show makes even a listener who isn't calling in feel like they are part of the show.

A unique example of this is WEEI's "Whiner Line." It gives the listeners a chance to publicly vent or make fun of the hosts of the show, the athletes of Boston, or sports news around the world. It gives all the power to the audience, and the hosts of the show have to sit there and take everything that is said. Not only is it a way for the listeners to vent, but it is one of the more entertaining segments on Sports Radio. Some of the stuff is literally laugh out loud rude, crude, and over the line comedy.

Talk Radio

Although I was unable to write a review on Amazon.com because I have never purchased anything there, I still have one:

I listen to talk radio all the time. Mostly sports radio where the hosts, like 'the Big O' on WEEI's Big Show, have huge personalities who aren't afraid to say something to a caller. When listening to these shows you are not thinking about anything except for what each person is saying. When reading Eric Bogosian's "Talk Radio" it really puts you in a different mindset. You are actually in a radio station with the point of view of looking out. The callers are still important to you, but in a different way. They are important to you because of your relationship with Barry. Not that you have a relationship with him, but a sort of reader's relationship. It captures the essence of talk radio and makes you listen to talk radio differently in the future.