Radio waves

Was flipping through the dial this moning on the way home from the office and caught a bit of The John Tesh Show.

For some reason, a show I heard when I was a kid, Powerline, featuring a dude named Brother John, popped into my mind. It used to play at midnight, just before a lot of stations went off the air back in those days (the late 70s). Have no idea why I thought of that.

That and America Top 40 are the two non-sports radio programs I remember as a kid. Heard a few minutes of that show the other day -- now AT 10. Casey Kasem doesn't sound well these days.

 

You wouldn't believe how big an audience Tesh has with his show, chock full of nuggets like eating figs before you go to bed improves your sleep, or the best time to ask your mate a question about money matters, all culled from Ladies Home Journal or Parents magazine. Truly a sad reflection on our nation.
Now Seacrest does the Top 40 and more stations have dumped their DJs for voice drops from a syndicator while the music is programmed by computer. As crappy as the newspaper biz is, music radio is in even sadder shape.

 

Gawd, can't be much worse than that freakin' Delilah show. Though I guess if you like hearing how seeing a kitten come down a tree helped a woman across the country remind herself of a long, lost love and -- golly! -- that love called a couple of hours later, all followed by a Christopher Cross song, it hits the spot.
Sadly, most sports talk radio, with rampant ignorance, getting facts wrong and analysis the depth of a stick of gum ain't much better than what music radio offers.

 

I'm fairly certain I have heard Powerline on the radio some Sunday morning in the last few months. I, too, used to listen to it quite intently when I was a kid.

 

Last time I heard Powerline was sometime in the mid-80s (on a Sunday morning of course, probably while driving to my weekend job and probably hung over).

For those who don't know, Powerline is / was an hour of Christian pop and rock music syndicated to secular rock stations — I suppose to help satisfy their weekly public-service requirements. It gave folks like Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith a lot of mainstream exposure.

For other old radio, anyone remember Bruce Williams and Talknet? You used to spin the dial at night and hear him on just about every frequency during the early 90s.

 

John Tesh is awful and he should be ashamed of himself. If it's really "intelligence for your life" then why do I feel 20 IQ points dumber after listening to a segment?

And Spice, totally agree on Delilah. That used to be on the same station here that now carries Tesh (they dropped her for Tesh, which is sort of like saying you've cured ebola by giving someone malaria).
A typical Delilah call:
Idiot late 30s female caller: (sobbing softly) I'm ... so alone. My cat died. I know I have 20 others, but Mr. Mittens was my favorite. It happened the same day my crush said he doesn't love me. We exchanged that glance every day when I got coffee. I thought he loved me. Then, today, he gave me a restraining order. (getting more somber now). I ... I just don't know what to do. I have some pills. I have some wine. Maybe I'll just get my dad's gun and blow my head off.
Delilah: Awwww, sweetie, that's so sad. Let me play a song for you, OK? Will that help?
(opening notes of "Sailing" kick in as Delilah gives the station ID)