WMUB Listener Feedback

It seems that your people -- especially those involved in the computer thing (Tuesday morning, I think it is) get carried away on their their promo spots trying to sound like Click and Clack-- which they ain't.

And, since you asked, the song lead-in to one of your local show -- If You Want It, Here It Is etc /-- is particularly annoying.

--W. Herminghausen

I wanted to send this quick note of support for the Russian Graduate Student's comments I heard on WMUB Monday evening. She hit the nail on the head in asking what terrorism is. I warned my friends and family about following blanket commercial based patriotism following the September 11th attacks, and told them to be wary of a simple mentality that could lead to blanket actions that could take away freedom. Shortly thereafter, Congress passed the Patriot Act and since then Fear and Commercial Patriotism have been fed to the American Public in heavy doses.

Often times I remind people that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were considered terrorists to King George during the American Revolution. I do not say this to compare our founding fathers to Osama Bin Laden, but I say this to illustrate that terrorism is in the eye of the beholder. Washington’s escape from Brooklyn Heights is very much a kin to Bin Laden’s escape from Tora Bora and has further led to his myth in the Muslim world.

In America we truly have nothing to fear except ourselves, our actions, and our leadership. There was no justification for 9/11, but there is also no justification for the behavior of Middle Western Americans to steep their lives in fear, or to vote their fears in elections. Thank you.

--Mike

I listened to Doctoral student Irena Aervitz's discussion of terrorism this morning on the way to work. I continue to be amazed at the lengths that people will go justify both sides of the war on terror to have equal footing. "One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter". Equating killing innocents in a terrorist attack to collateral damage by strikes on safe houses or weapons caches. How demeaning to those who are fighting to prevent the greater good from prevailing.

I fail to see how the murder of thousands of civilians in the attacks of 9/11 could in any way be compared to secondary explosions in a terrorist enclave that kills an innocent in a house next door. How does Ms. Aervitz explain the kidnapping, bobytrapping and then slaughter of hundreds of school children by there supposed "freedom fighters"? I fail to see how any clear thinking person, particularly one with substantial formal education, could reach the conclusions that Ms. Irvich did.

WMUB continues to go down this path time and again for whatever reason I cannot fathom. I recall a political science prof. on the station within a day after the 9/11 attacks trying to justify what the terrorists were doing based upon what the US had done historically.

Broad discussion of the issues should be had. Trying to understand the other side should be undertaken as well. But it stops in my mind when the fundamental morality of actions are not considered.

--Fred Sharp

I was disappointed to hear a Christmas commercial on WMUB this morning since public radio has been one of the few refuges from the over commercialization of the holidays. In particular, I am saddened that you have joined the movement to ignore Thanksgiving and begin Christmas ads so early. If you feel you must run such ads, please at least wait until after Thanksgiving.

--Darrel Sims

As one of the first of the so-called Baby Boomers of the mid 1940s, I had the distinct advantage of being exposed to the medium of radio and the medium of television during my formative years. Both of these media provided me with entertainment and information. However, it was radio that proved to be the more stimulating of the two, especially in terms of imagination and news.

Noteworthy among all radio shows was the magnificent weekend presentation on the NBC radio network, Monitor Radio, a program that debuted in the middle of June, 1955. These broadcasts became a staple of my weekends from my early teens (1959) and continued through my high school, college, and graduate school days and then into the beginning of my professional career. These shows were an eclectic mix of news, sports, weather, music, interviews, and discussions. The hosts were well-known broadcasters of the day, and their voices provided reassurance and consistency during the Cold War era and through the Vietnam "conflict."

I remember well the end of Monitor's near-twenty-year run in January of 1975. With nostalgia and sadness, I can still hear the final show's last hosts, Big Wilson and John Bartholomew Tucker, saying good-bye and hearing, for what I thought would be the last time, the Monitor beacon. (I have since been able to download a digital version of those sounds.) The end of an era had arrived, or at least I thought it had.

Several weeks ago, I heard a promotion for Weekend America on my favorite public radio station, WMUB. This program's description sounded quite familiar and evoked an immediate reaction--I must listen; Monitor Radio has returned! I did listen that first weekend it was broadcast (and beamed when I heard WMUB's call letters and my city, Oxford, OH, mentioned), and I have listened each weekend since. Those of today's generation who are use to visual stimulation and two-minute sound bytes will not, I fear, appreciate the information, intelligence, wit and entertainment found in this two-hour broadcast. I do, and I hope others will learn to value it as well. How refreshing! How truly delightful! How wonderfully stimulating!

Given the frenetic lifestyles of most of today's society, I realize that 1-5 p.m. is not considered by most to be "prime time." However, I urge the management of WMUB to continue to carry--and publicize--Weekend America, a gem of broadcasting, one that truly emulates (and surpasses) its predecessor, Monitor Radio.

I may no longer hear the Monitor beacon on the radio, but I certainly know and value quality radio. Barbara Bogaev and Bill Radke, along with the production and technical staff of Weekend America, have created such a program. They deserve the highest accolades. And they will receive them from me.

(I am sending a copy of this note to Weekend America.)

--Jerry in Oxford

We are avid listeners of WMUB and have been so since we moved to the area in 2002. We greatly appreciate the programming your station presents.

We were very surprised to hear the listener comments presented Friday afternoon (11/12/04 -- see below). It would appear that members of the homophobic Ohio subculture that recently passed the state constitutional amendment are now trying to quash any evidence of homosexuality in Ohio. This listener's comments regarding PSA's played on WMUB was an outlandish overreaction to a very benign and routine mention of a meeting of a gay / lesbian support group. If the complaining caller is so insecure in his sexuality and that of his children that he feels threatened by the very mention of a meeting, perhaps he should seek professional help. Failing that, maybe he should just tune away.

We were further surprised by the remarks of another individual regarding the 11/6/04 Prairie Home Companion show. To us it was perhaps the most entertaining episode in many months. After a vehement and contentious election, a little Prairie Home humor was a palliative for the bruised soul. Apparently this disgruntled listener feels that WMUB is not allowed to air any program that isn't pre-approved by the Republican National Party.

Based on these two complaints, it would appear that WMUB may be becoming the focus of a concerted campaign by some organization bent on suppressing speech and altering the philosophy of the station. Please do not alter station policies in any way as a result of the complaints of these individuals or groups that seeks to inhibit free expression or enforce their "moral values" on others.

Our family and our business will continue to support WMUB financially and we strongly encourage you to continue your fine programming without any modification and to ignore the attacks by those who lack tolerance and / or a sense of humor.

--Peter and Tamar Lask, Hanover Township, Butler Co.

n response to your request for comments, I want to thank you again for good jazz programming between midnight and 5 AM, 7 on weekends. I wish that you would add some daytime jazz shows, since it is a great challenge to attempt to waken early each day, to catch a few notes. I am not a fan of the Sunday gospel program, nor the evening jazz program ‘Mama Jazz’ hosts; she talks WAY too much and the music she features is too old time-y for my taste. I dislike Dixieland. If she would play swing and stop talking, it would be tolerable. Again, please pass along my compliments to Scott Hanley, for casting a wide net amongst the thousands of albums recorded from the late 40s up to now. Bebop lives - in his cabinets too! Who is this guy? He deserves a promotion!

Therefore it was quite a thrill to hear, at 2:55 pm Thursday this week, the recording of Tab Smith playing your program’s theme song all the way through, for 5 minutes! I kept pinching - what station was I listening to? We are smart listeners out here, so please continue reach out to touch our minds, hearts and souls.

^^^^^^^^^

However, what motivates this letter, is your BIASED coverage of Arafat’s passing. How dare you solicit Israeli or Jewish ‘experts’ to interpret his life’s accomplishments and the ‘meaning’ of the new vacancy? That is not objective reporting!!!!!!!!!!! Each time you presented word of his transfer to a Paris hospital, you trotted out one more anti-Arafat ‘expert’ with a heavy Jewish accent, who labeled him a terrorist. Yet you boast about bringing us ‘news and information.’

Truly, it is time for you to repair your programming so far, and bring onto interview shows those who are his countrymen and women. I have yet to hear one word from Hanan Ashrawi, for example, despite the fact that she is a strong spokesperson of Palestinian causes. Certainly you can represent BOTH viewpoints in analysis, but up to now your ‘news’ is followed by some Israeli or Jewish Zionist narrow viewpoint interpreting the ‘significance’ of Arafat’s life. STOP THIS! This nation is full of college professors with expertise about the Arab world, who can provide valuable insight if you would open your mind and seek them out!

And remember, the Iraq war, the 9/11 attack and Arafat are inextricably linked. They are insurrections by voiceless, stateless folk who have been unrepresented for so long that violence is their only vote. It is time for you to present objective coverage about the close alliance between the present US govt and Israel, and how that partnership led up to attacks on US territory. Bush is not bringing terrorists to ‘justice’ - his actions are generating new ‘terrorists’ daily. Bush fears the right path, i.e. sitting around a table and talking to reach compromise, wraps his actions in the flag, sending thousands of patriotic needy young folk to death.

Keep up the investigation into Ohio election irregularities - that is both newsworthy and locally relevant! You can be a change-agent, rather than serving up some pap to the uninformed.

--D.B.

I love Week-end America. It is interesting, eclectic, and quite entertaining in an informational way. Also, I heard someone complaining about last week's Prairie Home Companion. I for one cheered and laughed as Garrison shared his thoughts - it is his show, after all. I thought when he quoted Thomas Jefferson he made it all right.

--Pat Heiny

I believe I experienced an epiphany this weekend. I was listening to the Sunday edition of the NPR News program (approx. 9:30 AM) awaiting the Prairie Home Companion program and I noticed the (student ??) announcer give a Public Service Advisory (PSA), This included only these two announcements: A Democratic rally of some sort & a Gay and Lesbian meeting.

This incident along with some comments my children have made regarding WMUB / NPR = there is a lot of Gay & Lesbian issues addressed on your station / NPR and I tend to agree with them now that I think of it, and the PSA on Sunday really brought it home.

Have you received comments from others regarding this sort of thing ? I know as a long time supporter of WMUB, I certainly do not care for it nor do I appreciate my children being subjected to it. I would always turn the radio off during those times my children would comment on it, but I don’t feel I should have needed to. I would hope that WMUB / NPR is attempting to persuade listeners that this is an acceptable way of life or endeavor to bring the issue into mainstream society. I ask that you earnestly consider this comment and look @ past broadcasts and provide an informed response.

I await your response, and would appreciate notification when/if the comment will be aired. My purpose is not to specifically air the comment but to bring the issue to light.

--Norm

This area is lucky to have several excellent public radio stations to listen to. WMUB is one of the best.
--Skip in Hamilton

Still working through disappointment about the election outcome and intend to start refocusing on "what I want" in local, state and national leadership. I accept we have Mr. Bush as President for 4 more years; however, since 49% of the voting public voted against Mr. Bush, there are plenty of us not looking forward to 4 more years. The comment I really want to get to is how Mr. Bush sounded like a "bully" towards the press corp on Thursday at the 11 am press conference. I am refering to his statements about inforcing the "one question rule." It isn't so much what he said as how he said it. Very "in your face" antagonistic. To begin to resolve my anger about this kind of leadership, steam rolling over any challenge to his postions, I have begun to pray for his enlightenment. If he becomes enlightened,he will change of his own accord. I am not against the Republican party. I am for sound, intelligent leadership for the world
--Teresa R.

I'm a listener--and a member--from Liberty, Indiana, and I would like to hear the election results from Union County, the county in which I live. So far this election evening, I have only heard you report on Wayne County in Indiana. Although WMUB is located in Ohio, we also rely on you in Indiana!
--Michel in Indiana

In a commentary aired on Thursday morning, October 28, Carl Zinnsmeister (sp?) opined that the Republicans are now the "party of the little guy" and that their positions on social security, health care, and other issues evidence "faith in common people." His appeals to the American values of rugged individualism and self-reliance lend his argument a surface plausibility. But they are little more than excuses for neglect by Republican administrations of the basic needs of most Americans and for shifting costs and risk away from employers and government to individuals., , The privatization of social security championed by the President will worsen the financial situation of social security (funds that would have gone to pay for the benefits of retirees will be diverted into personal accounts for current employees), expose workers to far more risk as stock prices rise and fall, and erode the compact between generations to take care of one another when we get old. Those with sufficient resources can gamble in the stock market, but as a society, we need to have a secure social security program to ensure that old age does not mean poverty., , Likewise, medical spending accounts and other schemes for "involving" individuals in their health care are thinly disguised mechanisms for shifting an increasing proportion of the cost of health care on to all of us. Republican policy makers believe that paying more out of pocket for health insurance will make individuals use fewer health services, No doubt it will, but primarily by forcing those with limited means to choose between health care and other necessities. Health care is not a luxury and the ability to pay for it should not depend on what company one happens to work for. Like virtually every other industrialized nation, we need to ensure that all citizens have access to affordable health care., , We need good government, along with responsible corporations, unions, and individuals, to solve our many economic and social problems. America is at its best when we take care of one another. To its credit, the Democratic Party continues to be our best hope for using the instrument of government in a constructive way to address the real needs of the majority of Americans - not just the most privileged few.
--David Walsh, Oxford