Paul Farhi: Welcome, all y'all. Well, don't we all feel better about our little media world now that the FCC will allow the big guys to get even bigger? And Clear Channel (the company with 1,200 radio stations) STILL isn't happy? As always, your thoughts welcome....Plus, a pet peeve (one of 6,543): Why do radio stations permit commercials/programs that contain the sound of horns honking or emergency sirens blaring? I can't tell you how many times I've done a full head swivel trying to figure out where the phantom honkers/ambulances/cop cars are.

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Alexandria, Va.: Country station WMZQ has started playing and promoting music by the Dixie Chicks. Am I the only one who is still offended by WMZQ doing so?

Paul Farhi: Oh, get over it. You're offended by a singer--a singer--expressing an opinion that you happen to disagree with? Please. This is a threat to democracy, America, the war in Iraq? What is it about this trivia that so sets you off?

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Midwest TV Junkie: I cannot understand why big name starts (like Catherine Z-J, Danny Glover) have to stoop to doing commercials. It CANNOT be for the money since they rake in big bucks. I can understand the so-so stars (Carrottop!) doing it for exposure or residual pay. Also, why would a company want to pay the high dollars to these people? I don't buy products because so and so is hawking them.

Paul Farhi: Oh, it CAN be for the money. It takes a few days to shoot a commercial; it takes months to shoot a movie. Commercials are a very efficient pay day.

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Jacksonville, Fla.: What people have overlooked in the FCC decision to further relax media ownership limits is not the silencing of alternative voices, but the permanent ending of jobs in the industry. I finished my radio career in Jacksonville, but spent 10+ years working in the DC area. When I got into the business, companies could own one FM and one AM station. Clear Channel owns nine stations in Jax -- that would have been at least six GM jobs, nine Sales Manager jobs, nine Program Director jobs, plus all the support staff. Now Cheap Channel has one GM here, and none of the PD's only program one station. Not mentioning the loss of on-air jobs to corporate satellites, this industry is literally chewing its arm off through consolidation. And nobody seems to be mentioning this.

Paul Farhi: Thanks for mentioning that. Yep, it's called "economies of scale," which is fancy MBA language for "don't let the door hit you on the way out." Interestingly, Howard Stern was commenting on this sort of thing last week. He mentioned voice tracking (using a distant deejay to sound "local" in multiple cities) and said, in effect, maybe it's not such a bad thing if the lesser talented are replaced by the more talented. Highly debatable, of course...

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Hamilton, Va.: Your article about the News Central was quite interesting. I wonder if it will become more common if media conglomerization (is that a word?) continues? Sure would save a buck or two.

washingtonpost.com: TV's News Central: One Source Fits All (Post, May 31)

Paul Farhi: Thanks. Yes, saving a buck or two million is exactly the point. It's kinda sneaky, isn't it (viewers don't know who's where, and sometimes, as in the weathercast, they are outright fooled into thinking that the weather person is in their town). That said, Sinclair Broadcasting (the company behind News Central) makes a pretty good point: If we didn't do it this way, we wouldn't do news at all on many of these also-ran stations.

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Washington, D.C.: I am an African-American who is appalled at the use of "ebonics" and street slang in prime time shows. I have heard that somebody was "bitch-slapped," I've heard talk of "baby mommas' and "baby daddies," among other stuff, and I find it totally inappropriate. Don't you? How did it come to this?

Paul Farhi: There are two trends at work here: 1) the "targeting" of African-American viewers by the networks (Fox started this way back in the late 1980s, but now WB and UPN are in the game); and 2) the general coarsening of the media. I don't want to be a prude here, but the more media "choices" we have, the more each has an incentive to push the bounds of good taste, whatever that is.

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Reston, Va.: Paul, I heard somewhere that the Junkies really dropped in the last ratings book. Is that true?

Paul Farhi: No. They were up slightly in the overall (listeners 12 and up) ratings, and up bigtime in the 18-34 category, which is really their bread and butter.

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Re: Ebonics/Slang: I don't mind it so much when a TV personality/newsperson uses slang, as long as it is apparent that the words they are using are part of their lexicon, and not just something they are throwing out there to try to sound hip.

Paul Farhi: Word!

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12th Floor Metro Center, Washington, D.C.: I still don't see why WMAL fired Bill Press. I thought their morning show was finally coming together. Are they going to redo the format yet again?

Paul Farhi: Not sure WMAL "fired" Press. The official word--and I have no reason to doubt it--is that Bill left because of his ever-expanding MSNBC show with Pat Buchanan was taking up too much of his time. Incidentally, Bill's supposed to show up on WMAL from time to time. As for re-doing the format, yes, they will keep tinkering with it.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: What will it take to put a stop to Michael Powell and his cabal at the FCC? This turn of events is appalling! When someone like Barry Diller thinks it is a bad idea, it is really bad! And scary.

Paul Farhi: If you don't like the FCC, your only choice is to vote out George Bush, or at least a Republican administration. The president appoints the majority of FCC commissioners. Hence, every FCC is dominated by the commissioners from the president's party. The FCC is supposed to be independent of Congress or the White House, but of course it never is, entirely.

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Washington, D.C.: Have you ever noticed that on Channel 4 news that during sports highlights they stick artificial crowd noise over it? Its really weird and annoying. I can't think of another station or channel that does. You'll be watching highlights of a girls high school basketball game when its clear that there are about 25 people in the stands and it'll sound like the Super Bowl.

Paul Farhi: Yes, very distracting, completely phony. This is a leftover "innovation" from about 1953, I think. Even better than the empty stadium cheering are the highlights in slow-motion that are accompanied by real-speed cheering. Apparently, Channel 4 thinks this is physically possible.

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Castle Shannon, Pa.: Of COURSE it's for the money. Why else would Bob Dole go on national TV talking about erectal problems.

Paul Farhi: Dole had prostate cancer, so maybe he thought he was doing a kind of public service by endorsing Viagra and coming out of the closet, so to speak. But what explains having baseball slugger Rafael Palmiero as a Viagra spokesman? Are we supposed to mentally associate his bat with his...okay, okay, skip it.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Paul, you're going to have a awful hard sell telling callers to just "get over it" -- the Dixie Chicks really got themselves into a mess, and now they are reaping the results from an outraged public. I'm afraid that caller was only the tip of the iceberg. Many millions of people are not going to just get over it.

Paul Farhi: Many millions? Is the American public THAT superficial? Look, the Dixie Chicks sing real purty. That's good enough for me.

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Oakton, Va.: The first caller from Alexandria has a good point -- and we can't just fluff it off by saying "get over it." Many, many people (not just that caller) are NOT going to get over it. The Dixie Chicks in many ways don't deserve to be on American radio and much of the American public indeed is going to rebel at this. perhaps Radio Baghdad as it existed before the invasion would be more to their tune.

Paul Farhi: Wow, what a low tolerance for dissent. I wish the Patriotism Police would stop this holier-than-thou stop. Short of that, maybe they can find someone or something that makes one whit of difference to throw their self-righteousness at.

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FCC: The first poster hit the problem with the FCC rule change on the head. Clear Channel claims that there will still be plenty of diverse voices out there -- but its 1200 stations won't play the Dixie Chicks because of something the lead singer said? I'm sure that now that Clear Channel can absorb WMZQ and hundreds of other stations, sensitive Arlington won't be forced to listen to any more of those wrong, wrong outside the mainstream opinions.

Yeesh.

Paul Farhi: I see your yeesh and raise you double.

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Dixie Chics controversy: It's simple. We need to keep radio stations from playing non-political songs of groups whose members criticize the President while they're not singing in order to protect American democracy. Stations in Cuba and China also censor artists who disagree with the government. What don't you get?

Paul Farhi: Yep.

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Re: Stars in Commercials: You would be surprised at how many of the great unwashed (to quote from Bloom County) in this country are so easily swayed into purchases just due to who is hawking the product. Why else would Nike pay $90 MILLION to an 18 year old kid?

Paul Farhi: No question. Anyone ever heard of a fellow named Michael Jordan? But I just ask that the celebrity and the product somehow match up. A few years ago, Hyundai, the car company, hired Charles Barkley as its spokesman. Why? Did anyone believe that a thuggish, multi-millionaire basketball player drove a Korean econo-box?

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Washington, D.C.: I'm moving to a new apartment. Which should I get digital cable or satellite TV?

Paul Farhi: I think satellite TV may be a marginally better value. But the key word here is "marginally." They both can be expensive, and each gives you something the other does not (cable can go to multiple sets without extra charge, fr'instance).

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Targeting African-American viewers?: Targeting African-American viewers? I doubt if the type of African-Americans who regularly use and appreciate these terms (and generally -- ebonics) are same demographic that Fox and the other networks (not to mention the advertisers/sponsors) are desirous of reaching and impressing. I'm a middle aged professional, and I cringe every time I am confronted on the television by this stuff. By the way, I'm no prude either, but it just seems like producers are aiming at the lowest of the lowest common denominator these days. And are you saying that because we have so many choices to watch now, producers are saying to us that if you don't like how we do our thing, watch something else? Is that their attitude?

Paul Farhi: Well, I cringe, too, so this really isn't a race thing but a taste thing. And as a middle-aged professional, you're not exactly who Fox, et al, has in mind. They wouldn't mind your viewing loyalty, of course, but they're actually aiming at someone younger (say, 18-34), who is less likely to be offended by the stuff we're talking about. And, yes, producers are saying exactly what you suggest--that's what "targeting" is about.

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Washington, D.C.: Celine Dion is hawking Chrysler minivans. She's probably never set foot in one!

Paul Farhi: Agreed. Ridiculous. Other examples?

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Business Park in Alexandria, Va.: GAWD! I nearly spit hot tea all over my screen at your response to the Dixie Chick question! I love it! Your probably the first person I've seen or heard telling someone to "get over it". Thanks!

Paul Farhi: Really? That's sad. This whole thing is bizarre. I can't imagine this happening (or at least having the "legs" it's had) at any other point in recent history.

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Kingstowne, Va.: Mr. Farhi, could you please explain why I have the choice to buy HBO and other superpremium cable channels, but can only buy the other basic and premium channels as "bundled" packages? Why aren't, say, CNN, The Learning Channel and the History Channel, for example, sold a la carte the way HBO is? Why can't I decline the inanity of CNN and pay $1 less per month on my cable bill? Any insights? Thanks.

Paul Farhi: This is one of the great scams of the cable business. Cable programming is the last communist outpost in America. By "bundling" (i.e., socializing) the cost of all the programming on basic cable, the industry has kept alive networks that would otherwise fail in the marketplace. The system helps the marginal channels, but it also helps the cable operator, who can promote a 75-channel lineup (or whatever), 68 of which you never watch but pay for anyway.

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Oh, The Irony: Am I the only one who finds it ironic that the people protesting the FCC's decision are the same people who love that the federal government FORCES people to pay for NPR by funding it with our tax money?

Paul Farhi: Oh, go on. The federal government "forces" us to pay for a lot of things that we, as individuals, may not agree with. That's part of democracy. And the cost of NPR to each individual taxpayer is absurdly low, given the value of what it provides. (Warning: Prepare for deluge of incoming comments about liberal bias at NPR...)

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Cable vs Satellite: What about this controversy between Albritton and Dish network?

Paul Farhi: Dish and Allbritton are in a dispute over carriage of Allbritton-owned WJLA, channel 7, on the Dish. Very similar to other disputes involving cable companies carrying local broadcast signals (a year or so ago Fairfax Cable was fussing with, I think, the local Fox station, WTTG, channel 5). These always get resolved quickly because both sides have mutual interest in seeing it settled; this one's probably already over.

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Washington, D.C.: Woah, lets all step back and take a deep breath.

So what if the Dixie Chics do sing purdy. They also make a living (and quite a good one) at entertaining people. If their fans start deserting them, for whatever reason, they either have to hurry up and start replacing those fans or shrivel up and find a nice cubby on Hollywood Squares. If you alienate your base audience without replacing them you got problems -- and I don't care if you alienate them because you say you think Hitler is cute or your hair goes out of style. Tough.

Now let's say that you are a country rock station. Let's also say that you make your money by entertaining people -- enough so that they will keep your station on even through commercials. Now lets say that whenever you play the Dixie Chics, whose core demographic overlaps yours, people get upset, turn the radio dial, etc. Don't you think it is good business to stop playing them until the core audience simmers down? And what if they don't simmer? Well guess what, your job isn't to coddle artists who take a stand that is unpopular to your base and you shouldn't pay a price for it.

The Dixie Chics are big girls. They should be able to take care of themselves. Perhaps they will have to play RFK instead of the Nissan Pavilion. I think they can take it.

That said, you people who can't separate an artists opinion with their art must have a very limited video collection.

Paul Farhi: Deep breath in, deep breath out...All true. But haven't the Chicks taken enough guff for this? Haven't they sufficiently (and rather artfully) backed away from Natalie Maines' original comment (see Entertainment Weekly cover story of a few weeks ago). And, by the way, isn't their tour sold out?

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Re: Paying for each channel: I used to work in the cable industry and know a little about this. The problem is what if it becomes ala carte? Comcast pays ESPN about $2 a month. But with a lot less revenue from having to lower ad rates, it may cost the individual $8-10 a month for the sports networks. So let's say the average family only wants 10 stations, it may be more expensive to do the ala carte approach than the one they have now, basically because of lost ad revenue.

Paul Farhi: Well, of course, that's up to the marketplace to set the price. The most popular channels, by definition, will be the most expensive (that whole demand-supply thing). But that's already true (ESPN keeps jacking up its rates; it gets a whole lot more in fees than, say, the History Channel does). As for ad revenue, that's a function of how many people are watching. That probably wouldn't change if the people who like, say, ESPN now, pay for it a la carte and watch it in the future.

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Washington, D.C.: I love NPR. Happy to pay for it.

Paul Farhi: Me, too.

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Washington, D.C.: So, how do I get my own drive-time radio talk show? Yep. I'm serious.

I've had it with the 9-to-5 white collar world and really would like to give radio a shot. I do have previous on-air and production experience from back in the day and am confident that I could produce a show that would draw listeners -- the challenge is making the leap back into radio and convincing a station to take a chance on me.

That said, where and how do I start?

Paul Farhi: Enroll in the Columbia School of Broadcasting?...Sorry, I don't really know.

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Leesburg, Va.: I must have stepped into the wrong chat. I thought I was going into Station Break but found I was in the "hypocritical leftist opinion break" instead. Why don't you "get over it" that people have opinions that differ from yours. Others feel strongly about negative comments made by "celebs" that they have paid to see perform, not to listen to political commentary from you.

Paul Farhi: We here at HLOB actually LIKE opinions different from our own. As I'm sure you do. But let's note that the whole Dixie Chicks "protest" started as a kind of publicity stunt by a few radio stations. Granted, it caught fire (or seemed to, at least). Here's my latest hypocritical leftist opinion: Isn't it time to move on?

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Targeting African-American viewers?: So, are shows like NYPD Blue, & the various Law and Order shows, targeted at the 18-34 set? I could swear that first, these folks aren't sitting home watching television on weekday evenings, and when they are, aren't they watching those sickening "reality" shows?

Paul Farhi: No, the shows you mention are aimed at a broader audience, probably 18-49, but more likely 25-54 (don't you love these extremely precise-sounding age cutoffs?). And you are right: younger viewers aren't sitting around watching TV on weekdays, by and large, which in part explains why it costs more to advertise to them (back to that supply-and-demand thing again).

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Baltimore, Md.: Other example of a ridiculous ad/celeb set-up: Tiger Woods in a Buick. Does anyone honestly think that one of the most popular athletes on the planet would be caught dead driving around in a "Grandpa Mobile." Somehow I doubt it.

Paul Farhi: Bingo!

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Not an NPR fan: Do you two want to pay for my share of NPR? I don't want it, but will go to jail if I don't pay it.

How about I send you my address and you two can cut me a check?

I am sure I can use the five cents in better ways.

Paul Farhi: Hmmm. This suggests a very interesting exchange program: Let's swap our obligations for the government programs we don't like with someone who does. Okay, I'll take your NPR tax share if you'll take my soybean-farmer subsidy. Whadya say?

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Washington, D.C.: Can't we all just wish the Dixie Chicks weren't on the air because their music is bland? Do we really need another reason?

Paul Farhi: Oh, so now everyone's a critic, hmmm? (Me, I like 'em).

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Gaithersburg, Md.: Let Clear Channel own all the radio stations they want! As long as they're using the same playlists on all of them they're only dividing the same size audience into smaller segments while the rest of us listen to CD's or NPR in our car.

Paul Farhi: Well, let me bore you a second with the basis for federal broadcasting policy over the last 60-plus years. The government got into licensing broadcast stations because of 1) scarcity of the airwaves; and 2) the need to protect "diversity of voices" and "localism". We've still got 1). Whether letting one company own 1,200 stations ensures 2) is where the debate begins.

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24: President Palmer: Dead or alive?

Paul Farhi: Oh, quite alive. And that was the ONLY intriguing thing about the finale of "24." Sad, isn't it, that the best thing about the big much-hyped finale is the 25-second cliffhanger setting up next season.

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Dixie Chicks: Actually, most radio stations were ready to get over the whole George Bush thing when one of the Dixie Chicks wore a T-shirt at a recent awards show that had the initials F.U.T.K apparently aimed at Toby Keith. Now they're just being mean and petty.

Paul Farhi: Good point. Toby Keith was being ungracious (okay, he was being a lout), but prudence would have dictated that they just grin and bear it (don't you often wish Prudence would just shut up?).

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Arlington, Va.: I keep hearing two things here that disturb me. The people who think the Dixie Chicks should be pulled from the radio because they badmouthed the president and the people who think that the Dixie Chicks should be immune from the repercussions of their words. Can't we all use our pent up frustration for and get back to making fun of Pat Collins and Jewel?

Paul Farhi: A very sensible suggestion!

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NPR Bashers: Their hair would probably fall out if they heard Pacifica on WPFW, especially Amy Goodman on Democracy Now. (As an aside, Goodman would sound strident even if she was reading aloud Dr. Seuss.)

Paul Farhi: Totally agree. But I like WPFW, in a weird way. Not much like it on the air. Not NOTHING like it on the air, in fact. I think that's what "diversity of voices" is supposed to be about. I feel the same way about blue grass music on the air. I hate blue grass, but glad someone's playing it.

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Washington, D.C.: So, 24 started off as a cool concept, but now its bound into this format where everything has to happen in one exhausting 24 hour period. How much life has it got left?

Paul Farhi: Well, this season I thought they sustained the concept more plausibly, more artfully, and for longer than last season. I mean, they stumbled badly with the mountain lion thing (hilarious, in a campy way), and then lost their way entirely after the nuke blew up. But that was maybe 18 or 19 hours into the season. Last year, they were out of juice about 12 hours in. I will watch next season more skeptically, but I will most assuredly watch.

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Broadcast Policy: We may have the same scarcity of airwaves, but the choices for communicating with the general public have greatly increased. Much like cable TV increased the number of channels television viewers could choose from, so too is XM Radio revolutionizing the broadcast medium.

Paul Farhi: Right. But cable and XM are national media. Localism is an important ideal. And there are really only three truly local media of any importance: radio, newspaper and broadcast TV. Newspapers are now monopolies, and radio and TV station ownership is consolidating. We could debate whether there's ENOUGH local content around now, but there's no doubt in my mind that the trends aren't good.

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Somewhere, USA: "I hate blue grass, but glad someone's playing it."

Why if nobody is listening? Would you be equally glad if some station had a "Yoko Ono Hour" every night even though it caused two to three suicides a week?

Paul Farhi: Hahaha! Well, someone's listening to it. I think. My point, if I had one, was that not everything has to be ruled by the market, or at least Arbitron and Nielsen. I'm happy that there's a protected zone for alternatives.

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24: That cliff hanger ending really pissed me off! Cheesy!

Paul Farhi: Naw. Implausible, maybe (like the president is really gonna wade into an uncontrolled crowd a few hours after a nuke has blown up, civil unrest is spreading and his cabinet has launched an abortive coup), but it did take the show in a very different direction.

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Chevy Chase, Md.:
When will the networks learn that they look like idiots when they do these cheap knock-offs?

ABC tried to knock-off "Survivor" with "I'm a Celebrity..."

CBS tried it with "Star Search 2003"

NBC is doing it with "For Love or Money?"

Paul Farhi: Oldest trick in the book. If it works, imitate it. But it's got to be scary to the creative geniuses in Hollywood that "reality" show imitations don't do very well. They may have to--horrors!--dream up new and ever-more silly concepts.

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Washington, D.C.: The whole Toby Keith think is hilarious! Its like the inane Hip Hop battles have come to country! Gangstacountry. Whooooweeee.

Paul Farhi: I wonder what would be the country equivalent of the East vs. West gangsta rap rivalry. Nashville vs. Austin? And I do think there's a pay-per-view special in a Shania vs. Faith steel-cage match.

And on that felicitous note, I bid thee farewell till next time. It's been fun mixing it up. Let's reconvene in two weeks. Till then, regards to all. Paul.

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