Jump to content

What are your favorite public radio programs?

editor

By editor
in Off Topic

Recommended Posts

editor

editor

Posted
Posted

For some reason I've been listening to a lot of public radio lately. I'm not sure why. Years ago I used to listen all the time, but something turned me off to it.

Now I'm exploring public radio a little more, especially since it's much easier to listen to the programs I want when I want thanks to the intarweb.

My old favorite shows were

  • A Prairie Home Companion
  • Hearts of Space
  • With Hearts and Voice
  • A cooking show from WVXU
  • A quiz show from WHA
  • Marketplace

Right now I'm listening (via internet) to a public radio station on an indian reservation in Wisconsin, and the inclusion of the occasional indian song is pretty cool.

What are you favorite public radio shows (doesn't have to be NPR -- the world of public radio is much larger than that)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Original Timmy Chan's

Original Timmy Chan's

Posted
Posted

Outside of listening to Astros games on the radio, I don't listen to much besides public radio. Commercial radio is just extremely difficult to listen to, between the horrible music and the long commercial breaks.

I do enjoy listening to Mark Levin's show on KTRH when I can catch it. That's one angry man...he's extremely entertaining.

Music:

"Blues in Hi-Fi" on KTRU (Wednesday nights)

"Listening Back with Myron Anderson" on KTSU (Friday mornings)

"The Mason Jar" with Bobby Mason on KTSU (Friday afternoons)

Gospel Sundays on KTSU (Sunday)

"Spare Change" on KPFT (Saturday afternoons)

"Blues on the Move" on KPFT (Sunday mornings)

"Blues Brunch" on KPFT (Sunday afternoons)

Non-music:

NPR's "Morning Edition" and "Weekend Edition" on KUHF

"Fresh Air Weekend" on KUHF (Sundays)

"This American Life" on KUHF (Sundays)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
editor

editor

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Ugh. Can't stand Fresh Air. Well, more to the point -- can't stand its host.

I'd forgotten about KPFT. I used to listen to The Prison Show sometimes. It was compelling in some sort of way I've never been able to identify.

Some of the shows you mentioned are obvious ("Blues Brunch"), but some aren't. Like, what's The Mason Jar about?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
marmer

marmer

Posted
Posted

Yes to most of the above. I think Pipedreams is still on KUHF late at night sometime. That features classical and sacred pipe organ music, which is not to everyone's taste. But those who like it really like it.

Don't forget Car Talk on Saturday mornings, followed by Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Both are very funny. I really like Bill McLaughlin's Exploring Music which has moved around on KUHF. I think it's weekday evenings now. It is aimed at the enthusiastic classical music amateur and manages to be very informative without being either condescending or overwhelming.

Agreed on the KPFT Saturday afternoon stuff.

Hearts of Space will melt your brain. Don't listen to it while you are driving or you will fall asleep. :)

My new favorite is not on local radio, but I heard it on WRR in the Dallas area a few weeks ago. "A Night on the Town" with George Harter is a survey of Broadway and movie musicals with lots of rare old recordings. You can find it on their website: A Night on the Town It's very elegant and sounds like it was made in about 1960.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
editor

editor

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Yes to most of the above. I think Pipedreams is still on KUHF late at night sometime. That features classical and sacred pipe organ music, which is not to everyone's taste. But those who like it really like it.

Pipedreams! Thank you so much. For the life of me I couldn't remember the name of that program. It's fantastic, and a great companion to With Heart and Voice, which I think KUHF used to also run.

I just looked it up and it turns out both are available in my area, and even on a station that just went HD a couple of weeks ago I've set an iCal alarm, so I won't miss them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
marmer

marmer

Posted
Posted

Pipedreams! Thank you so much. For the life of me I couldn't remember the name of that program. It's fantastic, and a great companion to With Heart and Voice, which I think KUHF used to also run.

I just looked it up and it turns out both are available in my area, and even on a station that just went HD a couple of weeks ago I've set an iCal alarm, so I won't miss them.

Glad I could help. I agree that it is a very good complement to With Heart and Voice. That used to be on KUHF early Sunday mornings, don't know if it still is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
crunchtastic

crunchtastic

Posted
Posted

Me and Timmy Chan have a couple of shows in common! I especially like Listening Back. Also the funk show on KTRU on Thursday nights. At work I listen online to WWOZ in New Orleans. They have unbelievably good jazz programming, and a 'local' sow every day from 11-1 that is the best thing on radio. Everything from brass band to funk to trad jazz to Cowboy Mouth side projects.

I am mixed on a lot of NPR programming. PHC and Fresh Air give me hives, but I like This American Life and Marketplace a lot. A lament, I grew up in Houston on KPFT in the early 80s onward, and it pains me that their music programming is so sucky these days. Other than some late night electronica, it seems like they have no current music that's not 'world' or bluegrass. I must be tuning in at the wrong times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Subdude

Subdude

Posted
Posted

I listened to Morning Edition for years. It's hard to explain, but it was almost more for the sound of it than the actual content, which would get annoying at times. I also loved Car Talk. I also loved "Adventures in Good Music" with Dr Karl Haas, but he died a few years back.

Prairie Home Companion on the other hand absolutely set my teeth on edge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
houstonmacbro

houstonmacbro

Posted
Posted

For some reason I've been listening to a lot of public radio lately. I'm not sure why. Years ago I used to listen all the time, but something turned me off to it.

Now I'm exploring public radio a little more, especially since it's much easier to listen to the programs I want when I want thanks to the intarweb.

My old favorite shows were

  • A Prairie Home Companion
  • Hearts of Space
  • With Hearts and Voice
  • A cooking show from WVXU
  • A quiz show from WHA
  • Marketplace

Right now I'm listening (via internet) to a public radio station on an indian reservation in Wisconsin, and the inclusion of the occasional indian song is pretty cool.
What are you favorite public radio shows (doesn't have to be NPR -- the world of public radio is much larger than that)?
For some strange reason I like Wait Wait Don't Tell Me.
Others that I podcast (because I am never at the radio or able to listen when they are broadcast are) - no particular order:
  • Talk of the Nation
  • Washington Week with Gwen Ifill
  • The Kojo Namdi Show (Tech Tuesday)
  • Left, Right and Center
  • Science Friday
  • Marketplace

Link to comment
Share on other sites
editor

editor

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Me and Timmy Chan have a couple of shows in common! I especially like Listening Back. Also the funk show on KTRU on Thursday nights. At work I listen online to WWOZ in New Orleans. They have unbelievably good jazz programming, and a 'local' sow every day from 11-1 that is the best thing on radio. Everything from brass band to funk to trad jazz to Cowboy Mouth side projects.

If you like listening to jazz stations online, check out WDCB. Really good stuff. I'll try your WWOZ.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BryanS

BryanS

Posted
Posted

This American Life.

On our way to Austin, the SO and I listened to this episode, "Classifieds":

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=223

I still can't believe that - in one day - they found a vocalist, a violinist (who has anger-management issues), theremin player - none of whom knew each other, and got them together to record "Rocket Man." In a day, they made music.

It's now one of my favorite versions of that song. The theremin adds a more "spacey" feel to the arrangement that I think Elton John missed. Although hearing the thermin kinda makes me laugh for some reason...

Here's the song: The One-Day Band—"Rocket Man"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Porchman

Porchman

Posted
Posted

KUHF (NPR) programs:

  • Morning Edition (All Things.., not so much. It always seems so depressing)
  • Cah Talk
  • Wait, Wait....
  • Says You
  • Prarie Home (sometimes)
  • Thistle and Shamrock (sometimes)
  • Pulling Strings. I would really like to see KUHF invest more in this program - perhaps have more live, studio peformances. I think it's a good candidate for syndication.
  • With Heart and Voice, my Sunday morning commute music, which occassionally features Houston church choirs.

KPFT:
  • Lone Star Jukebox, as a Saturday morning alternative.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sheeats

sheeats

Posted
Posted

I absolutely love Wait, Wait and Car Talk. Never miss them. And, although I wish it was a full show and not a segment, I love Engines of Our Ingenuity on KUHF. Another never-miss show for me is Technology Bytes (www.geekradio.com) on KPFT on Wednesday Nights.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
editor

editor

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Engines of Our Ingenuity is brilliant. I used to listen to it every day on my way home.

When I left Texas I added it to my podcast, but eventually dropped it because in the podcast version the sponsor and promo messages total three times the time actually spent on the content.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
editor

editor

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I enjoy a radio show broadcast out of Chicago on Saturday Mornings on WLUW called "Gospel Memories." The host, Bob Marovich, showcases some rare songs and has interesting interviews on the show.

That's cool. I'll have to listen for that. I don't listen to WLUW normally, but maybe I will now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JLWM8609

JLWM8609

Posted
Posted

That's cool. I'll have to listen for that. I don't listen to WLUW normally, but maybe I will now.

I haven't been catching it like I used to. It used to be broadcast only every 1st Sunday from 3-7am and with me being a late night owl, I used to be able to catch it. Now, I'm either sleeping in late on Saturday morning or else I just plumb forget. Luckily it's available in Podcast format. Here's the Podomatic page for the show: http://gospelmemories.podomatic.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
All of the HAIF
None of the ads!
HAIF+
Just
$5!


×
×
  • Create New...