Before you throw out a “Bah, Humbug” pejorative, let me explain. I am a devoted talk radio fan. Since the 1980s, half a life ago, I have been hooked on talk radio. It is so convenient; you can listen while doing other things at the same time, including driving. It is also unpredictable. But the real appeal is far deeper, and true radio fans know this. Podcasting can never totally replace live radio, at least for those of us who are addicted to the live format. The only personal interaction in most podcasts is among and between the podcasters themselves. The public is locked out from participation. Spontaneity is incomplete at best, and the content is controlled.
Far too many radio programs, at least on weekends, are pre-recorded and played back in prime spots. Those shows are podcasts. Period. What are those hosts paying for? A good radio conversation, in which the host and the listeners can have a repartee? Why purchase radio time, only to do what could be done for less money on a podcasting site?
The fundamental premise of talk radio involves exchanging ideas and information on a real-time platform. Why, then, do so many “Weekend Radio Warriors” choose to air pre-recorded programs? Would a live show interfere with a weekend tee time? Are they reticent to answer questions live on air? Or, perhaps, is it just the easy way out?
The Van Wie Financial Hour has been airing live every Saturday morning at 10:00 on WBOB radio since February 7, 2015. Only twice have we failed to present a live show, and both times were due to area-wide evacuations caused by approaching hurricanes. In 2021, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on Saturdays, so on those days, we will be home spending time with family.
With years of experience, we realize that callers make the difference between a podcast and a live radio program. One of the reasons we sport weekly trivia questions is to grab the interest, and hopefully participation, of callers. But there is more to trivia than interaction. We do our best to discuss a relevant financial point in our trivia, while at the same time making the callers think. There is a reason talk radio listeners are known to be the smartest and best-educated audience in media.
Naysayers proclaim the imminent demise of live talk radio. We ignore them and hope that you will, too. Listen to the Van Wie Financial Hour live every Saturday morning at 10:00 on WBOB radio, 101.1 FM, 600 AM, www.wbob.com, or on any of your radio apps over the Internet. If you do have to miss a program, our podcast is available on our website, www.vanwiefinancial.com, on Monday following airing. We aren’t completely old-fashioned, after all.
Van Wie Financial is fee-only. For a reason.
