Prof. Yaros has asked us to write about audio media on the personal blog and then about audio apps on the class blog. I just read Amy’s class blog entry about an audio app for radio. And I excited to try that app in the future (depending on the cost) because I am a huge fan of radio and in particular, news radio.

I have worked at 1010 WINS Radio and WTOP. The key to the success of both and I suspect for others in news genre (NPR to name one) is this format involves active listening. You are tuning  in to the radio station because you want to hear what is being said. There are different pieces of information you want, such as, the weather and traffic, while others may want the score from last night’s sporting event. There is also the water cooler story or  neighborhood story that is not about some Hollywood celebrity getting arrested. These stories are centered on local robberies or an upcoming local political debate and  hot button transportation issue. Its that hyper local appeal that Prof. Potts is extolling.

For the D.C. metro area, WTOP has a range of topics from government, to the military to sports scores of the local universities and national teams. I listen not only because I have worked with some of these folks but also because I want to hear the information I need before going to work and I tune back in  later for updates.  As Dave tweeted on the class blog, Jamie McIntyre is now on WTOP and it is fun to listen to him. To be “on the radio” takes more work than TV. You need to create a picture with your words because you can not “write to the video” and  you must have a voice that people want to hear.

One of the  selling points of radio in the days before the explosion of being wired all the time, was radio was everywhere you wanted to be. It was in the car while you were driving. You can not  drive and watch TV  at the same time ( although there are those people …) and it was with you at the beach, you could listen while your showered and it was in your office and … specifically, radio was the first “mobile device.”  Now, there are apps for your favorite radio stations. The glass-enclosed nerve app is available for free and has been since March, 2010.