Since when? (chap 7)

Apparently someone, somewhere said radio is the most personal of the media. I have never really considered that before but now that I have to, I find that I agree.

1. Listeners are actually listening to a live-time show
2. Listeners can phone in and make suggestions
3. Talk shows feature individuals from everywhere phoning in at that very moment you are tuned in
4. Other forms of media have lots of time to prepare at lot of the time the talking portions are improv or just prompted

Those are the main reasons I believe that radio is the most personal. Television is recorded, edited then televised. Magazines are developed, written, edited, printed then mailed. Books undergo so many revisions that you may never know what number they are on. Newspapers also are prepared, edited, printed then distributed. Movies are extremely edited (maybe not in the way we LDS people would like them to be, but all the same). Then here is radio, live and "on-air". Listeners can call the station, tune in and listen to themselves speak on the radio. There is a certain kind of connection in it being live.

For example: Dr. Laura. She is a huge radio personality. I don't know where she got her doctorate or even if she is one, but she apparently solves tons of peoples problems. People listen to her all over the nation and wait for long periods of time just to talk to her. This is interesting because the problems are never the same. Dr. Laura may present solutions to one person that may apply to another. I think this fall true in lots of talk shows. Individuals can phone in and voice their opinions to the rest of the listeners without being physically identified. I think that provides a lot of people with the kind of protection that gets them out of their comfort zone. Rush Limbaugh falls under the same category. People are listening to hear what he says, and to hear how he retaliates to the opposition. But at the same time if that individual believes they have a strong argument, they can phone in and voice it. They can see how it stands up to Rush.

Now, I love music. I love it more than almost everything. If I could either listen to music forever or have ice cream forever I would Definitely choose music. Music is so important on radio stations just because of the listener basis that they draw in. I think that most of the world feels the same way I do about music and there lies the importance in music. The type of music makes a big difference on the listeners. We had a station back home in Michigan called 89x, and I was a huge fan. Then one day they decided to a little more emo. That was not cool. They lost me as a listener. I do not like all that screamo and emo music. I do not need to feel depressed after I listen to a song. There are certain emotions that I just do not want to feel when I turn on the radio when I'm driving.

There is a station here in the valley that I am fond of. I'm not 100% sure what it is, I couldn't find it on my tuner because I don't listen to the radio, I always use my iPod(it's like 106.9, 103.9 something like that). But! This station has made a habit of having a woman's voice tell the listener the artist and the name of the song. That is amazing! I wish every station did that. Sometimes you have to guess on the name of the song or call someone and have them tell you. But the fact that they tell you right after the fact makes that station so much more enticing! I definitely think that was a good promotion on their part. If every station did that it might get annoying, but it definitely benefits for that station.