NPR - Good Programs
 

I know there are FOFC'ers that listen to NPR for the News/Political Talk... But....

Programs like Car Talk, This American Life, and A Prairie Home Companion.. What are your thoughts on these, and are there other good programs out there similar to these in quality and uniqueness?

I love Car Talk and All Things Considered.

"This American Life" is usually entertaining. I don't know of anything else quite like it.

"Prairie Home Companion" makes me want to blow my f-ing brains out.

I second the vote for Car Talk, always makes me laugh. I usually only listen during my commute, so I miss most of their shows. I do like Marketplace, not sure if that is considered a "show."

I listen to "talk" radio religiously- especially since I once worked in it as a political talk show host. I find NPR to be unlistenable.

You are just specializing in WTF political non sequiturs today aren't you?

Today?

I only have a 15 minute commute but I usually catch All Things Considered at 8:00 (except on Mondays when Cokie Roberts come on). I've been trying to leave earlier so I can hear the well-done business segment that comes on before 8:00. I forget what it's called.

In the afternoon, my drive home unfortunately coincides with The World, which is spotty - some good, some not so good.

It amazing. I occassionally flip over to news/sports talk radio (like KOA out of Denver) to catch weather/traffic and the shear unintelligence of it all offers a stark contrast to NPR.

What do you mean? I just find the majority of NPR programming and news to be boring unimaginative and very fake. I love how thaey try to purposely hire many brittish and european sounding personalities for a National show.

That tells me you don't listen to NPR at all. That's a stereotype that simply isn't true. The only British voices I ever hear on my local NPR station are -- imagine this -- on the BBC Newshour. I can't think of a single Brit that host or anchors a national show on NPR.

I almost always listen to NPR as I'm getting ready for work, but I enjoy most of their entertainment shows as well, such as Car Talk, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and Whaddya Know. I normally enjoy This American Life, although occassionally I do consider it to be a tad obnoxious.

However, I can think of few things I enjoy less than Prairie Home Companion. If Mrs. kcchief19 puts Garrison Keillor on, I don't leave the room -- I leave the house.

Well, I don't know who has accents versus who doesn't but they just aren't my speed. I have been in the news business for some time, and I can tell you they have some of the most bland sounding newscasts i have ever heard.

As oppose to loud, obnoxious, fat ex-jocks or wannbe-jocks?

I usually enjoy their weekend "news quiz" show, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!

Not a serious quiz - more of a humor show based on current events. Not for everyone, I'm sure.


For general public radio listening and lots of links, try this site:

http://www.publicradiofan.com/

I enjoy Whaddya Know.

I'll second Wait Wait, Don't tell me and third fourth or fifth Car Talk.

As for the professionalism and quality of the news programming on NPR, it seems at least as competent as what I'm hearing on CBS and other radio news. Add in that I believe they go into much more depth on the average story, and I too am left thinking that PSU Colonel just doesn't listen to public radio.

Quik - What's your opinion of "Marketplace", if you've listened to it?

I could have sworn we already had this thread a while back...

SI

Every time I see PSUColonel post, I'm always thrown for a loop, in light of the threads he posted, and deleted, earlier this year and their content.

No...listen to CBS Radio News, or Fox Radio news and you'll see what I mean. The delivery is just more upbeat, the use of sound is much more creative and it's just usually a tighter package.

No comment.

Fixed.

He didn't ask whether you liked NPR or not. He is quite obviously asking which programs are good to listen to on NPR to expand his NPR listening.

One of the worst/most boring NPR shows is "The People's Pharmacy." It is produced in North Carolina, so we may be one of the few affiliates to get it.

Maybe I just find talking about disease either boring or bad or scary or sad (or some combination thereof), but I just never find anything good in that show.

I will second votes for cartalk and This American Life.

Also, though it is news/current events, I find On Point with Tom Ashbrook to be one of the best shows on the radio. He tends to really go in depth with an issue when he confronts it.

I podcast it so on the frequent days when I miss it on the radio, I listen the following morning. I love the show. Don't really care for ther weekend (personal finance stuff) version, but it's a must for me most every day.

A few years ago I would stay at work til 6:30 so I could listen to Marketplace during my drive home every day. I need to start podcasting it. All Things Considered is usually good. I rarely get to listen to Car Talk but always enjoy it immensely whenever I do catch it. There is a series we get here called "The Infinite Mind" that comes on after Marketplace once a week(I think?) that I usually enjoy whenever I happen to catch it as well.

I can stand Prairie Home Companion for about 5 minutes before wishing I was deaf.

Gee what a suprise. Every one of your political posts sounds like it came out of "Conservative Talk Show Chatter for Dummies" :D

Cool. I'm a big fan as well - I find it very thoughtful, so it's good to know you find it worthwhile as well.

I believe Marketplace was the name of the segment I was thinking of.

Every once in a while I hear something (usually a question) that makes me roll my eyes or turn off the radio. This morning, the leading segment after the news on Morning Edition was about quality of schools and the connection to good/bad teachers - using NC as an example. After the initial blurb, Steve Inskeep asked the question, "Shouldn't the government force (something about good teachers going to underperforming schools)". I hope to God that he was playing devil's advocate because no one should even think, let alone say out loud, "government force...", esp. in regards to employment choices.

A local NPR station has reshuffled its lineup, and added this show in the 10pm weekday slot:

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/

Radio lab appears to be a science-focused talk show, but it's oddly interesting. I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff anyway, but this show is pretty entertaining -- they inject a fair amount of irreverence and skepticism, as nearly as I can tell. Also, the two hosts sound oddly familiar to me -- I haven't yet searched for their other voice credits, but I know one of them is a guy I have herd in other settings before.

In any event... it looks like you can get this show online also, if it sounds like your cup of tea. I think it's worth a listen - probably not for everyone, but interesting.

Seconded on Radio Lab. I thought it was going to be a boring program, but it's facinating. On one commute from my house to work, I heard a piece of a man who recorded his daughters voice from three until eighteen, and then learned about how the railroad invented standard time in the US. Last friday they were playing recordings from the last moon landing.