Heard or seen something on the pop culture landscape that appalled/delighted/enlightened you? Of course you have. That's what Station Break with Paul Farhi is here for. Local stations, cable, radio shows, commercials, pop culture -- they're all fair game.

Farhi was online Tuesday, July 17, at 1 p.m. ET.

Farhi is a reporter in the Post's Style section, writing about media and popular culture. He's been watching TV and listening to the radio since "The Monkees" were in first run and Adam West was a star. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Los Angeles, Farhi had brief stints in the movie business (as an usher at the Picwood Theater), and in the auto industry (rental-car lot guy) before devoting himself full time to word processing. His car has 15 radio pre-sets and his cable system has 500 channels. He vows to use all of them for good instead of evil.

A transcript follows.

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Paul Farhi: Greetings, all, and welcome back to whatever it is we do here (but do so very well). ...We are, officially, in the dog days of summer (or to put it in proper up-to-date slang, "dawg daze," which I believe is also the name of a Snoop album, but I could be wrong about that). Anyway, summer: When crummy reality replacement shows, tabloid-y news stories and "Shark Week" dominate the landscape. Okay, maybe not "Shark Week." However, (sigh) I find myself missing the re-runs of summers past. Who knew that "all original" series could be such a bummer, relatively speaking?... Let's go to the phones. ...

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Vienna, Va.: Since you cover radio I thought you might be able to answer a technical question. On vacation this past week we rented a car (GM if that makes any difference) that had a radio with a monitor that read out the station name, artist and song name currently playing. Some stations even posted their Web site address. What is this technology and how does it work? Not all stations had the readout, but most commercial stations did. Thanks!

Paul Farhi: I love that feature. It's a technology called Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS). Basically, it permits radio stations to broadcast digital data to specially equipped radios (pretty common now in new and new-ish cars) as part of their regular broadcast signal (it's actually over a sub-channel, but who's keeping track?). Anyway, the display can be anything -- song title, station I.D., ad, whatever. I practically cause a pile up on the road every time I get one of those rental cars since I check the display every few seconds.

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Washington, D.C.: So now we have a McDonald's commercial that talks about breast exams ... not quite sure what to make of this.

Paul Farhi: Wow. Missed that one. McDonald's, doing health consciousness? What, selling salads isn't enough? Yes, not sure what to make of this. ...

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Arlington, VA: Hi Paul!

Posting way early because I will be at work during the chat. I was wondering whether you are aware of what happened with WCBS-FM in NY on 7/12, if so, what you think about it, and if you think that the DC area could ever get that type of radio station back again? (on regular radio as opposed to H.D.)

Paul Farhi: Not sure this is relevant to our fair city. For the uninformed: WCBS-FM dropped its eclectic "Jack" format and went back to playing oldies. Why it's not relevant: "Jack" was pretty much a disaster in NYC. It's doing fine here, in a modified version on Mix107.3 FM. So, not sure we'll see the same move here. ...

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Washington, D.C.: Have you caught any Fox 5 News lately (at least in the morning, not sure if this occurs in the evening). Right before going to commercial, after teasing upcoming stories, they've started randomly saying the names of neighborhoods in/around D.C.: Anacostia, Cleveland Park, Germantown, stay tuned! I'm sure that some marketing notes somewhere stress the importance of all news being local and hearing your town's name, etc., but this is just absurd. Is this confined to the local market, or is this a nationwide Fox news affiliate initiative?

Paul Farhi: Haven't heard about it elsewhere. But this is an old Top 40 radio gimmick. Perhaps Channel 5 will also be making "long distance dedications" in addition to the local shout-outs. ...

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Internet radio: Hi Mr. Farhi,

Do you know anything about what's happening with Internet Radio stations and the fees they are supposed to pay? I had heard there was a chance most U.S. Internet radio streams would be shut down, but don't know what's going on now.

Paul Farhi: Complicated issue, but: There may be a deal in the offing to keep the Internet stations from being swamped by the jacked-up performance royalty fees that the Copyright Royalty Board ordered them to pay in March. Looks like the big operators (Yahoo!, AOL) are trying to work out something with the recording industry's reps that will make everyone happy.

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WGTS sale? Why?: What's up with WGTS up for sale? A lot of us listen to it and love it; we supported the new tower project with financial contributions, and now the parent company is going to solve other problems by selling it off? Are they going to refund donations made to the recent fundraiser if they shut the station down? And they seem to have muzzled the staff and are trying to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible. Is the contract signed, or is it still up for debate/vote as this Web site would have us believe? I can't say that this impresses me that much by Columbia Union College. There's already plenty of talk/rock/country and other stuff out there. You don't have to like Christian rock, but I hope WGTS survives to provide more variety for those of us who DO enjoy it.

Paul Farhi: Background: WGTS -- tiny religious station operated by Columbia Union College in Takoma Park. CUC wants to sell it to raise cash. Reported buyer is Minnesota Public Radio, which would, presumably, turn it into a talk-station, a la WAMU. Terms of deal include keeping Christian rock format on digital band, but that's unlikely to keep fans of the current format happy. CUC's board will decide the issue in September. ...

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Allentown, Pa.: Lisa de Moraes is off the chat schedule this week, but maybe you know. What is the chief weapon of TRWCT inquisition?

Paul Farhi: Severe and persistently obnoxious questions! I've been to the Press Tour before. You don't want to face a roomful of bored, crabby TV reporters. They make Torquemada seem like a nice guy.

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Laurel: Paul, I got a 90 day free trial of XM radio with my new car.

After the first 30 days, it just seems like radio.

What should I be doing to find why some people love it so?

Paul Farhi: Ah, the rare XM hater! Haven't seen many of your kind around these parts lately. I'll leave the replies to this post to the many, many XM lovers who are lurking out there. Get 'em, kids. ...

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Fairfax, Va.: Paul,

What's the latest on the future plans for Don and Mike? If they move to satellite, that may be the impetus for me to make the switch.

Paul Farhi: Don's "retirement" isn't until next year. Much can happen in the interim. I wouldn't take this as definitive.

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: Washington, D.C. asked, "Have you caught any Fox 5 News lately," (at least in the morning, not sure if this occurs in the evening). Right before going to commercial, after teasing upcoming stories, they've started randomly saying the names of neighborhoods in/around D.C.: Anacostia, Cleveland Park, Germantown, stay tuned!

Actually, Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE-Ch. 4 did this with Pittsburgh neighborhoods and suburbs quite a few years ago, everyone made fun of it and they eventually dropped the gimmick.

Sounds like the same media consultant is still hawking his loser wares.

Paul Farhi: Right. I can't imagine anyone watching the news is really stoked to hear their town named. As in, "Hey, the anchor guy just said 'Scaggsville!' That's where we live! Wow! ..." I mean, tell me some NEWS about where I live, and then I'll be impressed. ...

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Boxborough, Mass.: Hi Paul,

I used to live in the D.C. area, so what happens in Washington area radio is of interest to me. The possible sale of WGTS 91.9 to Minnesota Public radio is very interesting.

They have three formats, Classical, News talk, and The Current which is an eclectic AAA format. According to DCRTV, they are interested in bring more news to an already over-saturated news market.

Have you heard any news, or rumors about the sale of WGTS, and what are the possibilities?

Paul Farhi: Well, I wouldn't begin to advise any station on what its format should be, but "over-saturated"? I hear news on WAMU, CSPAN Radio, WMAL, WTOP, WaPoRadio and maybe one or two I'm forgetting. That's "over-saturated"? With the demise of WETA as a news-talk station, and with the consistent popularity of public radio WAMU, it doesn't seem illogical to bring another news station to this wonky town.

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Wiredog: "Laurel" didn't sound like a hater, just someone who doesn't "get it."

I do get it. I love having no commercials. I love being able to listen to the same stations, commercial free when I do a road trip. Did I mention that, unlike regular radio (DC101, etc.), it doesn't run commercials for 30 minutes of every hour?

But, as you can tell, I mostly listen to music. If you are a talk radio or NPR fan then XM or Sirius, it wouldn't be that compelling.

Paul Farhi: Precisely. But you forgot to add: XM and Sirius also carry NPR and some talk (the flacks at XM and Sirius require me to say this, under terms of our current bribe agreement).

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Vienna, Va.: After 30 days of XM, try going back and listening to terrestrial radio. I believe you'll find the commercials to be very obnoxious.

Paul Farhi: Understood. I recall that Clear Channel (and possibly other big radio operators) said a couple of years ago that they were going to limit the number of commercials. Wonder what happened to that, because they can still go FOREVER with the ads. Frankly, I can't believe that advertisers find this kind of thing effective. Do they really believe listeners are sitting there through six, eight, ten minutes of commercials? Have they never heard of hitting the button to change stations?

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Reston, Va.: With all due respect, Mix 107.3 is not a modified jack station at all. It is garden variety "Hot AC." While it did move to a modified Jack format a couple of years ago, the ratings plunged and it moved right back to Hot AC. D.C. has never had a true Jack station.

Paul Farhi: Fair enough. I don't know exactly how the programmers skin this particular cat (or Jack). Jack HAS worked in a few cities. But it seems to have bombed pretty good in the biggest town of all.

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Rockville, Md.: What's your prognosis for The Big O and Dukes on WJFK? They've bounced around a lot in recent years, hopefully the evening slot will be where the show can finally settle.

Paul Farhi: The show--guy talk--does fit with the rest of the station (Junks, Don & Mike, Opie & Anthony), which is something that could not be said of Bill O'Reilly's show or that horrible "relationship" show that followed D&M until this week. So a good move, on paper. But radio programs take weeks and months to build an audience. No predictions on whether Big O & Dukes can do that. ...

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Have you seen ... : The new Clearasil commercial in which a geeky teenaged boy comes on to his friend's mom who's cooking in her kitchen?

It ends with the warning, "Clearasil may cause confidence: http://www.maycauseconfidence.com."

If the mom grabbed a paring knife, an alternative slogan could be: Clearasil may cause justifiable homicide.

Paul Farhi: Two responses: 1) Sounds like a rip off of the Axe cologne/deodorant ad campaign; and 2) They still make Clearasil?

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Silver Spring, Md.: Have you seen the DirectTV ad with Sigourney Weaver as Ripley from Aliens, inter-splicing her pitch with the big bug-fight scene? For some reason, that REALLY weirded me out.

Paul Farhi: I can't figure out how DTV does those ads (others: Christopher Lloyd in "Back to the Future," Charlie Sheen in "Major League"). They couldn't have shot them at the time the movies were made (because DirectTV didn't exist). And I'll buy the idea that they digitized the lip movements to make it seem as if the actors are actually saying those words. But what of the scenes themselves? Are those out takes from the movies, digitized and tricked up to be ads for DirectTV? Very clever, either way you explain it. ...

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Wrong Answer: Paul,

The answer would be something like: The chief weapon of TRWCT are persistent questioning ... and an inquisitive mind. Oops, the two chief weapons are persistent questioning and an inquisitive mind ... and an overwhelming interest in television.

Etc. and then finally ... Amongst our chief weapons are. ...

Paul Farhi: Well, that's a nice way to dress up what is really an unruly mob scene. I mean, I love a good unruly mob scene. And you won't find a better one than the TV Press Tour. Unfortunately, it gets old very quickly. After the third day of grilling useless celebrities (is there another kind?) it does become kind of tiresome. But fun while the fun lasts. ...

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Burke, Va.: Here's today's question -- how many stations in D.C. can Jim Rome fail on? He failed on 980 and 1260, and here comes 106.7.

Paul Farhi: Rome does a pretty good sports-talk show. But it's possible he's a little out of place on WJFK, especially at those hours (1-3 p.m.). Maybe he fits better on all-sports WTEM or Triple X. And maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about and he'll do fine on WJFK. ...

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Washington, DC: Rd: Fox 5 News shout-outs.

That's nothing. Years ago there was a weatherman named Lloyd Lindsay Young on channel 9 in NY that started all his reports with, "Hellllllloooooooooooooooooo, Hoboken!" or some other random neighborhood. Now THAT'S an annoying gimmick.

Paul Farhi: Hoboken must have felt so honored. ...

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Herndon, Va.: Re: The Clearasil commercial ... the worst thing about it is that they air it on Nickelodeon during the 7 p.m. hour. It is obnoxious and completely inappropriate to be shown during kid television shows.

Paul Farhi: Yep. Agreed. I guess Clearasil figures it's never too early to start giving the kids some smooth moves with the ladies.

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Burke, Va.: If Star Jones was going to refuse to answer questions about her weight loss because she was saving the story for Glamour Magazine, wouldn't the reporters have been justified in pelting her with chocolate donuts?

Paul Farhi: Good move! But all they had was croissants, I think. Too classy to waste 'em like that. ...

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DirectTV commercials: I think they've just hired the old actors to recreate the scenes from the movies. If you look at Sigourney Weaver and Christopher Lloyd, they both look older than they did in the original films. I don't think Charlie Sheen ages.

Paul Farhi: Well, then they had to recreate the sets, too, because that looks very much like the main street in "Back to the Future" and the ballpark(s) used in "Major League."

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Clear channel: I am pretty sure that they did reduce the number of commercials -- but they went from nine minutes of commercials to seven, or something like that. A distinction without a difference.

Paul Farhi: Yes. After the first, say, four minutes of ads, does it really matter?

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Chantilly, Va.: Paul: If someone doesn't "get" XM and they happen to like classic soul music, have them check out the Soul Street channel (I get it on DirecTV). It is fantastic. I can "listen" to my TV for hours. Bonus: one of the regular hosts is the great Bobby Bennett.

Paul Farhi: Very good. Not that I'm pimping satradio, but there are all kinds of formats on there that conventional radio has abandoned/watered down.

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Wiredog: I bet they use blue screens to make those DirecTV commercials.

Paul Farhi: This is like Wikipedia, the commercial: We're crowd-sourcing TV commercial technology! Other suggestions welcome. ...

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Washington, D.C.: RE: Satellite hater!

You've got to be kidding me! How can someone not love 24/7 music without commercials, and DJs that actually care and know something about the music they play? They have a channel for everyone, and access to just about every form of audio entertainment possible (TV shows, sports, talk -- both side of the aisle, comedy -- dirty and clean, old radio serials, etc...).

I can't stand to listen to more than 20 minutes of regular radio now, and take my Sirius receiver on vacation so I can hook it up in the rental car. This guy has got to be kidding!

Paul Farhi: Pretty classic satradio-lover response there. ...

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Burke, Va.: I've got Sirius (two months ago) -- and I love it -- but the playlists are a BIT shorter than I'd hoped. It still beats terrestrial radio all to heck and back, but I guess I'd hoped for an "A" and I got a "B-plus."

Paul Farhi: B-plus? Nothing to be ashamed of there. ...

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Baltimore, Md.: So this has been bothering me lately and I've noticed stations like MTV, VH1 and Bravo doing it the most.

They'll have a "series premiere" or "all new episode" -- let us say it is set to debut Sunday at 9 p.m. Then, I'll turn on the television earlier in the day, or the night before, and the "all new episode" will be airing! Excuse me, but if it has aired before it can't be all new on Sunday at nine. Have you noticed this at all? I'm sure the reason behind it is marketing and trying to draw (trick?) viewers in, but to me that is really annoying.

Paul Farhi: Um, what exactly is the problem? You SAW the episode you wanted to see, didn't you? As a general observation: All the networks are desperate to lure as many viewers as they can scrape up, any way they can. So I'm not surprised about any of the tricks they're employing. ...

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No one expects the Spanish Inquisition: "The answer would be something like: The chief weapon of TRWCT is persistent questioning ... and an inquisitive mind. Oops, the two chief weapons are persistent questioning and an inquisitive mind ... and an overwhelming interest in television.

Etc. and then finally ... Amongst our chief weapons are. ..."

Obviously you are short on culture and/or Monty Python.

Paul Farhi: Could someone explain what this person is babbling about?

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Senator Vitters: When speaking to the media -- the first time to explain how hiring prostitutes jives with conservative views about the sanctity of marriage, was I right to stay in the local media market or should I have taken my medicine and done it back in Washington closer to more national media?

Paul Farhi: That whole spectacle is pretty amazing. Just when I thought the D.C. Madam story was, as the Clash once put it, "tease, tease, tease," with a cast of nobodies, out pops this guy.

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Bethesda, Md.: Before you sign off anything more you know about the Imus coming back rumors?

Paul Farhi: I have nothing to suggest they're true. And if it did happen, who might sponsor him? I doubt any company would want to risk the PR backlash by doing so.

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Fairfax, Va.: Jim Rome, "pretty good"? Don't ... you ... find ... the ... long ... pauses ... and obviously prepared "let's read out loud" bits irritating? Remember -- he was already rejected by Sportstalk 980's audience -- both listeners.

Paul Farhi: He can be pretty obnoxious and intermittently infuriating. Isn't that what you want in your sports-talk host?

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Athens, Ga.: DirectTV commercials: A combination of old scenes from the films with new scenes added. The only thing they had to add was Cristopher Lloyd sitting on a curb. Weaver was just a close-up with her face frames by the machine. The wide shot of the fight they superimposed her lips moving. Sheen, all he had to do was stand on a mound, the rest was old. ...

Paul Farhi: Plausible, I guess. Possibly even right. But I dunno.

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Burke, Va.: If Fox 5 news is going to keep doing those "your hometown" shout-outs during the newscasts, what's next? Will Will Thomas be making an appearance at the local high school sock hop? Sue Palka down at the malt shop? Sheesh. Could they sound a little more low-end? How about packing a few more murders and robberies into the first ten minutes of the 10 p.m. telecast?

Paul Farhi: Not sure they can get any more murders on ... unless they start killing people themselves.

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Re: McD's: McDonalds was a sponsor of the Race for the Cure this year. They were giving out baseball caps on the mall. I guess this is one of their causes. They do neglect to mention that a high-fat diet is a risk factor for breast cancer. ...

Paul Farhi: Yep. And Chevy sponsored the recent Live Earth concerts. Apparently, "irony" is something that doesn't occur to the corporate types.

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Rockville, Md.: "And if it did happen, who might sponsor him? I doubt any company would want to risk the PR backlash by doing so."

The Greaseman made it back on and has resurrected his career more than once for speech that was far more hateful and racist than what Imus blabbered. Someone's always out there will to listen to anything, and corporations need to sell to those people too, regardless of some petty boycott or negative publicity.

Paul Farhi: Actually, Greaseman is a good example of the backlash. He's never quite recovered from fallout from his statements.

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Paul Farhi: And perhaps we should leave it there. ... But, of course, we'll resume in two weeks. By then, I vow, I'll have a definitive answer to the DirecTtv commercial mystery. You bring your opinions and comments. Together, we'll do the best we can to form a lasting relationship. In the meantime, regards to all ... Paul.

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