Friday, March 25, 2011

'Folk Summit' brings genre's heavy hitters

I just need to point out that Bruce's piece implies that Tom Agostino created "The Folk Sessions" on his own. I'm sure that Tom would not slight the contribution of Alexa MacDonald, who co-hosted the show for years and co-organized the weekly live mini-concerts that evolved into the current series.

Also: KJZA's primary frequency for the Prescott area is 90.1FM. Use 89.5 north of Prescott Heights and in PV. KJZA is not affiliated with NPR.

7 comments:

Zig E. said...

So is your little statement regarding KJZA not being affiliated with NPR thrown out there so that the people don't contribute anyway can feel better that the money that they're not contributing is not going to that "evil" NPR that the Republicans called an EMERGENCY meeting for to deny any government funding ? Because we all know it's not "faux" news that is causing problems with it's millions of ignorant viewers but NPR with it's intelligent tho rather limited base that is the problem. I understand. After all this is "Prescuit".

Steven Ayres said...

No, Zig, I'm not meaning to make a political statement, just a correction of fact.

Re "rather limited": most people are unaware that public radio, including NPR, is the only broadcast segment that has been gaining audience over the last ten years. NPR is easily the most-heard news programming on radio in this country, as well as the most trusted.

Zig E. said...

Well that's good news (pun intended). But I have to say that at least around here idiots like Rush L. etc... are listened to far far more than NPR. In over 20 years in this town I have yet to walk into a local business or job site or anywhere else and hear NPR on the radio. I wish I could say the same about Rush. NPR being the most listened to radio news seems to fly counter to the growth (pun intended again) of Rush, Beck, Hannity, and the general downward spiral that "news" has taken in recent years. It's hard to listen to NPR and remain ignorant. The exact opposite is true of the others I have mentioned.
And thanks for your blog Steve !

Steven Ayres said...

It's true that hate radio has a substantial audience, but let me reiterate that it is dwindling, to the point where many of these shows are in danger of cancellation due to lack of interest. They're on the radio, but fewer and fewer people are listening to them. Your mileage may vary in a given situation, but the numbers are persuasive and consistent nationwide.

A niggle: none of the shows you mention are considered news programming, even by their producers.

Zig E. said...

You and I know that they're not considered news but to those who listen it is their news. You have to consider those that I'm talking about. If they hear something on one of those shows it might as well be Gospel. Sad but from what I've seen true.

Steven Ayres said...

I should have written that they are considered outside the news category by the radio or advertising industries. This is only relevant to my first comment describing NPR as the most heard news programming. I don't know the head-to-head numbers on All Things Considered vs Rush Limbaugh in a given market, or even whether those are available. But there's no doubt that public stations are gaining listeners and commercial stations are losing them.

There will always be a hard core of people hibernating on the bottom of the deep end intellectually. But I think it's erroneous and counterproductive to imagine that they are or ever will be in the majority of society at large, even here in Preskit.

Zig E. said...

Well as I prefer to look at the glass as half full I hope your right. But even as I say that I have my doubts.