The Way We Listen To Radio and Watch TV

 By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco

Leave it to me.

The same week I post a review of one of my favorite Radio Programs, Le Show with Harry Shearer, a show that has been on the air for 30 years mind you, the good folks at KCRW - FM decided to cut it from the airwaves.

I hope I am not going to become like the "Curse of the Sports Illustrated Cover" for Radio Personalities.  If so, Terry Gross, Bob Edwards, Joe Frank, The Moth Radio Hour, and UnFictional, (the radio shows and radio personalities I have highlighted here recently) I apologize in advance.

So this cutting of Le Show from the traditional FM airwaves got me to thinking,  Does that really matter anymore?  Because the fact of the matter is that Le Show continues on as a podcast on the internet and on one of KCRW's Online Exclusive Channels.

Then I started thinking how I actually listen to the show.  Due to the fact that the reception to KCRW radio is not the best in my area...I usually link through the KCRW website on Sunday mornings (via Bosco Radio Channel) and listen that way.

I know of one person who plans his run so he can listen to Harry Shearer at 10 AM on Sunday morning.  But he listens through an ap on his I-phone.

We take for granted how we listen to Radio and how we watch Television for that matter these days.

I personally still prefer to listen to radio, when I can, on my old trusty Sony AM-FM-TV-Weather Channel Receiver.  That's because I am listening live (as opposed to archived programming on podcast) and that means I'm doing something like traveling, working around the home or hiking while I am listening.

Because that way, the news junkie that I am, if something major is happening in the world, theoretically they will break in to the programming and tell me about it.

Somebody once told me recently that my Sony radio was fat and pudgy.

What should I do, I said,  put it on a diet?  I guess it is a little pudgy compared to the sleekness of an I-Phone or I-Touch, but it still fits in my pocket and I get to listen to the programming I want.

Not that I never listen to radio through the latest devices.  I love listening to regional radio, radio from other parts of the country and world and I always wanted to listen in on those broadcasts and I can do that now thanks to my Tablet or Cel Phone and the right ap.  Or if there is a program that is currently not on the traditional airwaves, I can listen to that too.

The fact is everybody is different when it comes to their audio listening and television viewing habits.  Who cares what device you watch and listen to your shows?  It doesn't have to necessarily be the latest or greatest.

I know somebody that writes and types novels on an old Selectric Manual typewriter.

There is now a big demand in the industry that I work, the printing industry, for things printed on the old letter presses with lead type and we had to pull those beast of machines out of moth balls.

The point is it doesn't matter what or how you do things sometimes.  It what fits in your comfort zone and who am I to judge how you do things, even though it may not work for me?

On the subject of television, Netflix has been getting a lot of attention for their original programming like Lillehammer with Steven Van Zandt.  The thing that is getting attention is the way they release the programming.  All of the season at once.

That kind of flies in the face of conventional wisdom in the old world of television where we would have to wait each week for a new program at a specific time.  Let's face it we haven't watched television like that for a long time.  But it's ok if you do.  Whatever works for each individual person.

Steven Van Zandt brought out something that was interesting on the subject of his show.  How is the way that Netflix releases their original programming any different than the way his band, The EStreet Band, releases albums with all the songs on one album at one time.  That has been going on for years yet we never question it.

Today, I will listen to Le Show via the internet on my I-Phone, listen to the Knicks and Celtics live on my Sony radio and later on I will watch Mr. Selfridge, The Good Wife and The Mentalist on delay.

Because I Can.