Anyone else prefer Radio to TV?

r3nu4l

I could be alone in this but recently I've become more and more of the opinion that radio is better than TV!

Let me clarify! I listen to talk radio, intelligent debate, good magazine shows etc. Let me clarify further, I don't consider late night phone-in shows or Joe Duffy's Liveline to be examples of intelligent debate.

I love shows like Today FMs' Sunday Supplement or a lot of material from BBC Radio 4 or the BBC World Service.

Recent articles/programmes I've listened to have been discussing the "Fairness of Fair Trade" and "The origins of the human species" as well as good political debate and current affiars.

I used to find such television programs to be highly interesting but more and more over the last three or four years I've found these shows tailored to meet the lowest common denominator. This is of course necessary to meet audience share which seems to be the biggest pressure for television stations.

There are of course notable exceptions but in general this is what I've found and I feel as though the amount of time and space devoted to this type of programming has diminished only to be replaced with more sensational type programming (such as Trevor McDonalds "Tonight" program, good but rather hyped).

Does anyone else agree? Am I alone?

FlutterinBantam

You are not alone.

I much prefer radio when it offers challenging debate on current affairs and allows the listener to use his/her imagination in a way television cannot.

I fully agree that TV is dumbed down to lowest common denominator even to the extent the BIG BROTHER et al have some goon with a thick revolting regional accent telling the morons what is happening

UGH!!!!

mike65

True enough, I've always said that if I was forced to make a choice, I'd choose a radio receiver over a telly any day. All thats best in radio - its intimacy and subtly, its lack of obtrusiveness is what makes it inherently superiour.

Regarding factual content, TV has broadly taken a nose-dive, the moment the BBC threw its lot in with Discovery was epochal. Now its got a have a happy ending. Infotainment. Bleugh.

Mike.

Liam Byrne

Like everything, it depends on what's on. Given the amount of repeats and crap "reality" shows on TV, there's a good chance that radio will be superior. But it does depend on who's doing the interviewing/presenting and what they're presenting, so it's not completely black & white as to which is "better".

Radio has everything that TV doesn't (including, if it's a good show, interactivity and intimacy) and in lots of cases it is better for both factual news and debate and fiction:

Examples:

Factual : Questions & Answers vs The Last Word
Fiction : CSI repeats vs politicians on The Last Word on the state of broadband/health services/crime figures/cost of living in Ireland
Comedy : Jackass vs ComReg saying eircom do a good job
Music : MTV (what's the "M" for, guys?) vs most radio shows
Sport : Knowledgeable local or national commentators vs Sky's UK-focussed coverage
Reality : Big Bother vs real-life discussion with real people - not idiots eating woodlice or pretending to be cats

Add to that the fact that the better radio shows have text and comment lines so that true opinions (good and bad, informed and ignorant) get aired and you have a much better forum. On TV, there are generally two opposite poles - cosy discussions between "experts" or shows designed to drag ignorant idiots out of the woodwork in order to seem cool or controversial; a good radio show tends to get every opinion across the spectrum.

RadioActive

I would agree, but the radio has too many commercials and so I can't get emmersed in the content because it's always starting and stopping and just when it's getting good; they go away.

r3nu4l

RadioActive wrote:

I would agree, but the radio has too many commercials and so I can't get emmersed in the content because it's always starting and stopping and just when it's getting good; they go away.

Regarding adverts, I think Television is just as bad if not worse. Also, some stations such as the BBC World Service and BBC 4 are full of intelligent debate, well crafted magazine shows etc, with no advertising at all Of course, you need either satellite or Internet radio to listen to crystal-clear BBC in most of Ireland.

bbability

RADIO RADIO RADIO.... Certainly Sky digital has me spoiled for choice. Some of favourites are Choice FM (for RNB), Magic (for the easy listening) and Capital Gold (for the oldies). Not forgetting the Beeb's. Oh and as for the Irish stations, I only listen to them in the car or some particular shows like Off the Ball or Colm and Jim Jim. Problem for me with Irish radio is they all sound the same here unlike their UK counterparts.

r3nu4l

While I agree to an extent about Irish DJs nearly all sounding the same, I don't think that British ones are any different.

Lsiten to Chris Moyles/Dominic Byrne shows on BBC1 in the morning and it sounds exactly the same as the Kiss FM, Q103 and StarRadio 107.9 breakfast shows...exactly the same as the Colm and Jim Jims of Ireland.

Talk radio in the UK is certainly more interesting and diverse to that in Ireland. Last night I heard a medical program on BBC4 discussing the mechanics of brain injury and related healthcare etc. A few weeks ago there was intellignet debate on the exact meaning of multi-culturaism in the UK, and its meaning with regards to the Big Brother incident. Brilliant

I love the Sunday Supplement on Today FM and I loved Rattlebag (even if some of it was a bit too pretentious!). Either way, radio does it for me

limerick_man

Today FM's Sunay Supplement is great radio alright, whereas The Last Word reminds me of Live 95fms 'Limerick Today Show' ... they just keep saying the same thing, generally not at all entertaining!

Liam Byrne

As someone who listens to both TLW and LT, I'm curious, limerick_man.....what "same thing" do they keep saying ?

limerick_man

No, each show keeps having the same discussions every month or so, not that the two discuss the same issues.

r3nu4l

limerick_man wrote:

No, each show keeps having the same discussions every month or so, not that the two discuss the same issues.

Ah, so for example, LT might discuss trouble in Moyross every month or so, while TLW might regurgitate a discussion about the Port Tunnel every month or so?

Well, if there are new developments or angles that's fine imo but if it's just a space-filler then it is fairly annoying!

RonaldCox23

Really it depends on wether your visual person or a audio person.. Let me explain.. For example some people see the picture and grasp everything about it, while others listen better and grasp everything they hear. Me I think Im more of a visual person but I do enjoy the radio and love music.:cool:

r3nu4l

I don't think that's the case at all. I'm referring to the quality of debate and information. A huge amount of 'factual' television these days is focused on edutainment, take 'You are what you eat' as an example. The exception to this type of television are nature documentaries which are almost always far better on television than on radio, simply because it is so visual.


Radio often relies far less on hype in their current affairs programming compared with television. Even Trevor McDonalds Tonight show spends a lot of time focusing on the 'popular' issues, radio seems to have more scope to cover a wider range of issues that may not appeal to the mass market...television cannot do this without suffering massive revenue losses and scheduling pressure.

I'm an extremely visual person, you have to be to get the most from reading books but I still prefer Radio to television for current affairs and intelligent debate anyday.

Chillwithcian

RadioActive wrote:

I would agree, but the radio has too many commercials and so I can't get emmersed in the content because it's always starting and stopping and just when it's getting good; they go away.

Yeah i know its nearly getting to the stage like america. Is there even a law stating how much they are legally allowed to play??