Ric Chetter - From Radioland

Episode 296: Astroturfing

There is a little dirty secret among some surviving drive time radio shows. Those cute little awkward bits you would hear involving listeners being put into uncomfortable situations for the sake of a laugh are actually scripted. There was a time however, when shows would pull those stunts off entirely through organic methods. It was more difficult to do and the outcomes were generally surprising but the payoff was usually big. Not so much any more. In this episode, Ric talks about how radio consultants would push the notion of scripting an other wise naturally occurring incident for the sake of having a guaranteed payoff everytime. It came from the rise of reality TV and it is so bad now, listeners cringe over the notion. This is what astroturfing is all about. Also, Ric and The Immigrant went to the fair and spent some time with circus people. Plus, the unpopular thought of the week.

NEXT WEEK: Just exactly, what is censorship? 

Episode 295: The Vocal Allure

There are several reasons why audio on demand is so popular. Podcasts included. The basic reason would be convenience. But there is more to it than meets the ear, if you will. In this episode Ric takes a look at the implications of the human voice and why we as humans desire to have a connection with that. It doesn't seem to matter how introverted we may be, we still crave the sound of some one talking. The trick is to talk about something that may be of interest to the listener. Broadcasters know this and because of this little fact, podcasts and live broadcasts are rather popular. Also in this episode, the unpopular thought of the week. 

NEXT WEEK: Why some broadcasters like to lie to their audience.

 

Episode 294: The Keyboard Cowboys

We have all seen their comments. Filled with bravado and cowardice, the keyboard cowboys live to simply stir the pot. These are people who think that having the power of the internet at your fingertips means that everyone should not just hear what you have to say about a certain topic, but you should believe what they have to say as the gospel font of truth they think they are. Because of this mindset, the idea of some sort of civil discourse is gone. Maybe we will get that back. Maybe not. In this episode, Ric takes a second look at these people through the eyes of the single most polarized topic there is. Politics. Also in this episode, Ric has his unpopular thought and some news from Radio Memphis.

NEXT WEEK: The implication of the human voice.

 

Episode 293: Video Dizzy

You probably don't give too much thought about how your videos come to you. It's all about format. Much like last week's episode about audio format, in this episode, Ric takes you through a very abbreviated history of how moving pictures came to you. Starting with the basics of film and the transition to digital devices to the latest in video technologies. Have we reached peaked video? Not so fast, all eyes are on the one industry who have been guiding the advancement through the years and you are probably not going to believe your ears when you hear who is behind it all. Plus, Ric's unpopular thought and more.

NEXT WEEK: The Keyboard Cowboys

 

Episode 292: Death To The Disc

The Compact Disc seems to have run it's course. Or, has it? In this episode, Ric takes a look at all the various formats that led to the CD through the eyes of a radio personality. How it got here and just what is it good for now? Before you go thinking this is nothing more than some boring look at technology, there is much to be said about how far our technology have come and how much further it might go. Better yet, have we reached the end of the road for audio technology. Plus, Ric's unpopular thought of the show. 

NEXT WEEK: Who decides the picture?

 

Episode 291: Petty Bastard

You might think we as a society have become more petty about everything. Truth is, we are just as petty now as we have always been. So, what makes it seem like we are more nuanced about life's little ridiculous situations? Social media. The one thing Facebook does extraordinarily well is magnify every little thing and feeling people get from time to time. The rest of us may merely roll our eyes at these posts but for the one making that post, they are deadly serious. It's kind of like when people ask for unspoken prayers. What they are actually asking for is a little bit of attention. In this episode, Ric gets petty himself as he looks into the hypocrisy of the human condition through the eyes of social media.

NEXT WEEK: Death to the disc. 

Episode 290: The State of Fear

The media, especially social media does an exceptional job of trying to keep people in a sort of panic. It sort of starts with the whole Fear Of Missing Out or FOMO. Beyond that, though lies the interesting psychology of posting things with the sole intent of manipulating your thoughts and more importantly, your emotions. The best way to do that seems with the peddling of fear. In this episode, Ric takes a look at how that works and how best for you to handle these things. Also, Ric takes umbrage with the idea that "all middle aged podcasters are only doing this so they can say politically incorrect things." How silly. Plus the unpopular thought of the episode.

NEXT WEEK: We've always been this petty.

 

Episode 289: More Mediocre Than The Others

It would appear society has now come to the conclusion that it is okay to be just okay. In this episode, Ric takes a look at the simple things in life we deal with. Durable and non durable goods are not excellent anymore. Neither are services. Why is that? It could be we have allowed this happen thanks to all the competition out there. Take for example the new chicken sandwich wars. In this situation you have two mediocre companies battling it out to find out which one has the product that is more okay than the other. The bottom line being that no matter which one people tend to gravitate towards is still just okay. Also, Ric's unpopular thought and a little tip for those who like audio books and don't want to pay anything for them.

NEXT WEEK: The Constant State of Fear

Episode 288 - Payin' To Playin'

There is an old quote attributed to John Lee Hooker who said, "If you ain't playin', you payin'." There is a lot of truth to that statement, although he probably wasn't thinking about what is happening now in the entertainment world. In this episode, Ric takes a strong look (and aim) at the notion of pay to play business models out there. Yes, that does include multi-level marketing. As Ric will tell you, it is a predatory practice that takes advantage of the emotional connection people have with money. He says it is sad and wrong but, it looks like we are stuck with this situation. Also, is Facebook viable, at all? Plus, this week's unpopular thought.

NEXT WEEK: The quest to mediocrity.

Episode 287: The Great Television War

If it is one thing the internet has done, it has levelled the playing field. Most recently in the world of television. All of the cord cutters thought it was a pretty cool thing to tell the cable companies where to stuff their tiered access fees and bad programming when the internet became more of a place to get content. So we cut the cable, shut off the dishes and began to stream our shows on our own time and without fear of missing anything.

Now, the content providers are stuck in a major war with themselves. Charge for subscription or sell advertisement. Or worse, combine the two. Now, people are just getting a little pissed off with this fight and wondering when the next shoe is going to drop. Also, Jeffery Epstein is dead, so why all the finger pointing when it was clear nothing more nefarious occurred than him simply taking himself out of the equation.

And finally, a new bit in the show. Ric unveils his unpopular thought of the week.

NEXT WEEK: Is Facebook all that viable anymore?