I listen to NPR all day long via the internet. It makes my day go by faster. I know that is it 4:00 when it is time for All Things Considered.
I have done this for the past 5 years. I have listened to entire archives of shows like Public Interest and The Diane Rehm Show. After all of these hours of talk radio, I have come to the conclusion that the biggest problem with talk radio is that everyone wants to talk and no one wants to listen.
This may not be true of the hosts, as much as it is of the guests and most importantly, the listeners who call in. These callers almost always think that the show's guests and hosts and other listeners will care about their lives as much as they do. They ramble on and on about their sleep disorders or their cats or what they think about war with Iraq. Meanwhile, you can hear the guests just waiting to jump in as soon as the callers are done with their rambling. No one is listening, just waiting to talk.
You don't know how many times I have screamed, "shut up!" at my computer speakers when one of these windbags comes on. My favorite thing is when listeners call in and say either: 1. "Thanks for having me on your show" or 2. "I love your show so much, you can't imagine how excited I am to be on." Message to people who call talk radio shows: 1. They are not "having" you on the show. YOU called in. This is not some sort of prize for them to have you, you are a necessary evil that fills time. And 2. We, the other listeners, don't care how much you love the show, just get on with your question!
This rant has been sponsored by too much caffeine.
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