For a dose of cold water, check out Paul Riismandel’s take on the “retirement” of “Car Talk” hosts Tom and Ray Magliozzi over at the Radio Survivor blog.
Riismandel feels the duo’s program was the leading edge of “the vanguard of consolidation and homogenization in public radio” that has taken place over the last 15 or so years.
He acknowledges that “in many ways consolidation is desired by listeners, who want to be able to find ‘Morning Edition’ or ‘All Things Considered’ on their radio dial, whether they’re in New York, North Dakota or Texas.”
But he counters that “as syndicated programming has taken over the programming schedule of public stations, local news, information and culture is pushed off.”
Riismandel takes local public stations to task for using syndicated program, has especially harsh words for Wisconsin Public Radio and works in a shot at commercial radio’s Premiere Networks and Rush Limbaugh.
