h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What I think is the major difference between radio and television is that a lot of people (myself included) switch on the radio when there doing something else (lawndry, ironing, washing up, reading) but when they watch television, the box has there undivided attention.

I have to agree with you, the Radio is on most of the day in our house, I also think the reason radio is becoming more popular is because a lot of people listen to it at work I know I do ( it's on from 6.00am to midnight ) and of course in the car, you don't have to pay much attention to it so it's fine for a backgroung noise.

Reefgirl

But I think it is an established fact that there are less radio series like there used to be

My Mum's the Radio 4 fan in the house, she's into the plays and the Archers, but I like the comdey shows on Radio 2, but I must admit some of the comedy shows on Radio 4 are really good but I suppose people associate comedy and Drama with TV and Radio with music, travel and news

Reefgirl

Quite likely so, but when was the last time you heard anything that came anywhere near The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy??

Independance Day UK ok I didn't hear the Radio 1 broadcast of it but I've got it on tape, the Miss Marple's are good too

Reefgirl

I'm a radio fan, in Canada. We only listen to CBC at our house, and the radio's on all day. There's a great balance of news, reviews with interesting people, serialized radio plays, music, and talk. We originally listened to what's become one of our favorite movie and talking book on radio. I won't mention its name, or I'll get edited, but its about a CEO who gives it all up in Toronto and buys a farm, with the intention of farming with horses. The best comedy since Hitchhikers Guide. The radio's our daily companion, the hosts like old friends.

TV's got an awful lot of drivel, and most of it isn't worth watching (just our household's opinion). I don't understand how some of it stays on the air. Don't get me wrong, we do watch TV, but only selected shows, the odd movie, national and local news.

Radio forces you to use your imagination, to create the movie or play in your mind. Much better than having it all served up to you in living colour.

The Kid hated CBC when he was growing up, escaping to his room and commercial radio. Now when we're discussing something or other, he often says "I heard on CBC..." How they change!

If I had to choose between the two, it would be radio every time, for the news, quizzes, comedy shows, plays, music and so on.
I think the only areas where TV scores better are nature programmes, visual arts and perhaps some history & geography programmes where it would be difficult to visualise from a spoken description only. But pictures in a book could cover for this!

Agreed. I was doing a contract job away from home, and my apartment had cable - we don't have it at home. I spent most evenings on a history channel, or one that showed all kinds of scientific-geography-animal type programming. Learned a lot, and being a history buff, saw dramatizations of real events. Loved it.

Our Local commercial station has an hour long piece called the A-Z of Rock N Roll one letter per day tonight it'll be B the listeners choose which songs they want to hear like Black is Black, Back for good, Baby Love and so on

Reefgirl

I live in the States.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS GOOD RADIO.

NO PLAYS, NO COMEDIES, NO ARCHERS?, JUST BRITTANY SPEARS & CLASSIC ROCK

Okay, you might say, what about college radio? Well, yes there is an occasional punk show or some kid playing obscure new wave...

BUT IN GENERAL...

Clear Channel Communications owns everything - well, what they don't own is ran by the Mouse (Mickey)

If I hear another top 40 tune I'll rip my ears out.

No wonder I drink

I´ve completely gone off the idea of television. I´ve been without it for the last 6 1/2 years. I used to be an addict, hanging around till 3 o´clock in the mornings and I didn´t care what was running, as long as I could hang out infront of it...

The main reason I don´t like TV anymore is, that there actually is no good program. I feel quite fine hearing about all the desasters in this world. There are far too many of them of course, but I just don´t need to see all the attrocities the human race can be up to.

Atm I´m getting a dose of TV again, as I´m staying in a household with a TV. I survive fine of course, but I just really don´t care anymore.

As for violance on TV and if it´s responsible for things like "The Washington Sniper" or around here in Germany the "Erfurt Shooting" (which actually was said to come from playing Counterstrike):
I think the violance is there anyway. It is something terribly human. There wouldn´t be much difference with the people who commit murders if there was no violance on TV. I think it is important to talk with children about violance and aggression and how to cope with it, what to do if you want to hit someone in the face... I guess that children are quite good at deciding what is "just show" and "for real". At least I have grown up to be rather non-violent even though I have been watching Tom and Jerry during my youth

So how about my Radioconsumption? Enourmous! I have it on in the car, as I´ve got some 3000 Km a month to cover. I´m a great big fan of the music we get on our local public station. You can listen to it at www.swr1.de (go through to the Baden-Württemberg station). It´s got a fabulous mix of the last 50 years of music, lots of 70ies and 80ies and quite a good news update.

I wish I could also get more of the Deutschlandfunk. This is the nearest to Radio 4 we get, but I´ve got a local religious radio program running on their frequency

I don't want to make you feel bad Pinboy but it sounds like you could do with a dose of Radio 2 every night at 8.00pm GMT they have specialist music hour Mon-Jazz, Tue-Clssical, Wed-Country, Thur-Blues, Fri-Big Band, try the Radio 2 website and try a listen.

Reefgirl

I'm in the same situation as Pinboy, only in Holland. If the're not playing music, it's some daft advertisement!

It's the same everywhere, I suppose there is some really crud stations here too, our local BBC station Radio Solent for one and Radio 1 for another but you can't please everyone.

Reefgirl

No, but you can try to actually MAKE some good radio series, or re-broadcast some old ones

most of them are on tape now anyway, but new generations are listening now, they recycle old TV shows so why not old radio shows, what do you say

Reefgirl

The problem is that the radio, or any media for that matter, can't please all of the people, all of the time. They have to please some of the people, some of the time. Much as I love our CBC, there are lots of times when I walk away, or simply tune out - just not interested. They get into wierd (to me) music once in awhile. The afternoon phone-in may be on some topic I have absolutely no interest in. They may have a guest in the morning who bores me. Someone is interested, and they have to cater to their tastes, too.

Radio and tv both have to cater to very diverse groups of people, and no, not everyone will be pleased all the time... but come on.

There was a time when DJs go to pick the music they played. That time is gone. Big business money now tells the DJs who to play and when. The words "no repeat work day" exist for a reason. All staions repeat a handful of fifteen or so songs in a day. Mostly midless dreck.

Interent radio is cool, but it isn't in my car where three hours of my day are spent everyday & SAT radio is still too expensive for me.

TV mostly sucks too. No argument there.

But here Stateside, there are far more good television programs than there are radio.

I listen to talk radio alot... but eventually you get tired of the politics or hearing one too many time how the NY Yankees are ruining baseball.

I guess my biggest problem is that I'm into indie music and it will never find a place in mainstream radio while the concern is more money than music.

But I guess someone has got to pay the bills.

BTW - MTV do us a favor and get off the air.

I suppose we're fairly lucky here in Britain having a multitude of radio stations that specialise in a particular kind of music Classic FM, Jazz FM, Kiss FM etc but the commercial stations tend to cater for the work place during the day ( we have Capital Gold at the hospital I work at ) the younger kids don't like it but that's the breaks even a speciaist station won't be able to please everyone it's the same with TV I can't stand Soaps but the BBC and ITV seem to cater for soap lovers, I'll go mad if there's another 5 night Eastenders special, thank God for Digital.

Reefgirl