Would People be Willing to Tune in?

I listened to the radio a lot when I was younger but I didn't listen to music. I listened to AM talk radio. I don't remember all of the names of the people I listened to but I do remember some of the shows. There would be some new sprinkled in during the shows but a lot of the material came from people calling in with their own stories or concerns.

Shows back then weren't heavy on political material and if they were, they were people calling in with their opinions on matters. Shows today like Howie Carr have an obvious slant and there is no attempt to hide it.

That's fine. There is an audience and a market for that. I'm wondering if there is a market for shows where people just call in to talk about life and issues that aren't politically slanted. Just talk about local, state, or national politics without bashing liberals or conservatives.

In Boston, there is Dan Rea's NightSide, a nightly program on WBZ-AM. Rea's program allows people to call in and discuss issues and topics introduced at the start of the program. There are plenty of people with opinions to share and the opinions are rarely on the same side but it does allow for people to explain why they feel a certain way about an issue.

There are many podcasts now with people conducting interviews. It's disappointing to turn on the radio and find nationally syndicated programs. If stations looked a little closer at the communities they "serve", I think they would notice something missing. Local voices. People wanting their thoughts heard and a forum to make that happen.

Greetings (Who is this guy?)

I've heard so much about the whole "Blog" thing and I have shrugged it off. I figured it was just a bunch of people who don't bother to venture beyond their houses and sit in front of a computer all day.

Then again, I do have a lot on my mind. Some of it is intellectual, some political, and some just gibberish that may entertain you or may waste your time. Whatever it is, you'll read about it here.

I don't want claim to be an authority on what's on this blog. I don't mean to imply that I'm right, you're wrong, or we're both right and everyone else is wrong. These are my thoughts and opinions on a wide range of topics that happen to be on the docket on a given day.

I've worked in journalism for over 20 years. I tried to present the facts as they happened and let people decide for themselves. I tried hard to leave my opinion out of it as I believe all journalists should do when covering a story no matter how close to home the topic they are covering may be. This blog is different. I give you my opinion and I tell you why I have that opinion. You may agree. You may not agree. Wherever you stand on the matter, wherever you are when you are reading, please let me know how you feel. I want your opinion. I feel there's been too much suppression and shouting-down when it comes to a difference of opinions. As Dan Rea of "Nightside" likes to say, "To people can disagree and still be reasonable."

Thank you for reading and I hope to hear from you.


Greg