terrestrial radio in 2020

Submitted by DennisFithian on November 18th, 2020 at 10:49 PM

For those of us who love the NBA and the NBA draft it’s a great time to turn into local sports radio. Pat's been great to listen to tonight.
What are your thoughts on local sports radio or media?

terrestrial radio in 2020

ckersh74

November 18th, 2020 at 11:04 PM ^

Pat Caputo has been utter shit for 15+ years. There's a reason he's on during Sunday evenings and the middle of the night. 

Sports radio is as stale as a 3-month old loaf of bread. The same 6 bowling alley blowhards, who have never run a damn thing in their lives let alone a billion dollar business, call in every day, thinking they know more than someone who is actually running a team or franchise. 

Whoever screams the loudest wins. Great format. 

Code-7

November 18th, 2020 at 11:25 PM ^

Best example of terrible Detroit radio, besides Caputo, is Mike Stone.

I started listening to the morning since Jansen was hired and had never listened to "Stoney". This oxygen thief must have sexy hamster bits on someone at the Ticket. 

He'll contradict himself within the same sentence, miss a Jansen quick witted remark like a Michigan corner back wiffing on a receiver and seems to always make Archie Bunker'ish comments when all other parties go as quiet as an ICP concert without Faygo.

Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow. 

608Monroe

November 20th, 2020 at 7:45 AM ^

I’m sorry.  But Pat Caputo is Jim Brandsatter level horrible. Virtually unlistenable.  Pat Caputo is what I put on to get me sleeping through the worst hour of my migraines.  Pat Caputo makes Mike Valenti tolerable.  Pat Caputo is the monotone, 78 year old science teacher who once translated Homer’s “odyssey“ back into Latin.  Pat Caputo is like Christmas dinners with my mother in law when she shows me yet again the fucking tree she’s had up for five years   

There. I feel better now.  

lilpenny1316

November 18th, 2020 at 11:34 PM ^

"Pat's been great to listen to tonight."

- Said by no one on this board before tonight.

EDIT: For those not in the know, OP is referring to Pat Caputo on 97.1 in Detroit.

NittanyFan

November 18th, 2020 at 11:39 PM ^

Sports radio had its heyday in the 1990s and first half of the 2000s decade.

I could listen to WDFN or WRSC (in State College, PA) and legitimately learn news or insights about the Tigers (Joe Falls as a guest), or Wolverines (Angelique) or the Nittany Lions.  Something I wouldn't know from reading the paper or watching TV.

But, of course, the internet blew up and now we have 7543 other sources for that.

Fox Sports Radio is legitimately entertaining at times - Dan Patrick and their late evening show.  So I'll still listen to that.  But it's only "value" anymore is entertainment, not as a source to learn things.  Stoney and Caputo and the like - they have zero value anymore.

News Radio has the same issue.  I used to listen to WWJ 950 a lot in the day.  Not any more when I am back in Detroit.  Don't even need it for traffic either, given traffic apps.

KO Stradivarius

November 18th, 2020 at 11:41 PM ^

I listened to WDFN & WXYT for many years, but honestly Valenti drove me away along with the same commercials.  That asshole just ruins it for me, especially when it comes to the way he trolls Michigan.  The radio format really is just a big troll job if you think about it.  I just reached a point where I said to myself that there must be something better than this weak sauce.  I'd rather pay for Sirius radio and listen to music without the stupid advertising.        

UMICH1606

November 19th, 2020 at 3:45 AM ^

Doug Karsch and especially Scott Anderson are 2 of the least talented radio personalities ever hired for a major market radio station. No, people wouldn't tune in to listen to Doug.

Or Caputo, or whatever untalented hacks that are employed at that station.

XM radio is a far better option for that format.

lilpenny1316

November 19th, 2020 at 7:49 AM ^

I interned at WTKA when I was in school and I spent two nights a week producing Doug Karsch's show. Two things about Doug that I will always appreciate are his love for Michigan sports and Tony Gwynn.

If he was still at WTKA, I would still listen to him. But occupying a radio dial with Anderson and the other Sparty slappies at 97.1 is too much for me.

Sam1863

November 19th, 2020 at 5:32 AM ^

My thoughts? I can do without it just fine.

Especially in the case of Valenti, who draws attention to himself by seeing how many people he can piss off. (The Drew Sharp Theory of Media.)

Or Caputo, who sounds like he's needed to clear his throat for the last 15 years. (My brother once referred to Caputo's show as "Hock-a-Loogie Radio," and now I can't think of it as anything else.)

Goggles Paisano

November 19th, 2020 at 6:39 AM ^

I left Michigan 20 years ago and remember hearing Caputo back then.  He was the 2nd worst I had ever heard on the radio with the top honor going to Rob Parker.  

As far as Terrestrial radio, it is a dying breed.  I have been on Sirius for at least five years now and would never turn back.  There are just so many options between talk radio, music and tuning into the play by play of any MLB game you want.  And of course the Howard Stern show is pretty darn entertaining.  

Brian Griese

November 19th, 2020 at 8:44 AM ^

I’ve never understood the point of local sports talk radio. It’s mostly just trolling and verbal click-bait (Joe Milton looks like Cam Newton!!).

Then when that’s done Larry from Livonia calls in to ask the hosts why Bob Quinn didn’t trade his third and seventh round pick to the Texans last year for both JJ Watt and Hopkins. The hosts give a dumb question a dumb answer and then the next armchair GM calls in. 
 

Why bother. 

1VaBlue1

November 19th, 2020 at 9:29 AM ^

I've only ever listened to terrestrial radio while driving.  And on some Saturday afternoons when the Ufer show was on, back in the day.  I mean, that's the only thing it's for, right?  Driving?  We don't live in 1947 anymore...

But for the last 6 years, Sirius has been a far better option - unless I'm driving through a parking garage and lose the signal.  No commercials, craploads of options, and the hosts don't drone on about their pet cat and local traffic.  I can see the fucking traffic - it's the same thing every day!

But mostly, anymore, I listen to books - in my own world.  Because the world that's filled with everyone else generally sucks.  With special emphasis on the world filled by the 'talk radio' shows, both their hosts and the callers...

Roy G. Biv

November 19th, 2020 at 12:05 PM ^

I just simply won't.  I've had XM for almost 15 years, and between 1st Wave, Lithium, Alt Nation, and Rock The Bells I'm covered.  I live in the Flint area, and for years I would listen to sketchy reception of 89X instead of the local schlock.  The demise of 89X is essentially the end of my interest in terrestrial FM rock radio in this corner of the world.

rob f

November 19th, 2020 at 3:40 PM ^

Same thing locally for the GR area, now all we have left is that blowhard "Huge" Simonton because the local FM espn affiliate 96.1 WMAX just dropped the 'Big Drew & Jim' afternoon show a couple weeks ago in favor of one of their nationwide syndicated shows.  Jim and Drew were much more listenable than idiotHuge; they did a decent job of covering/discussing all the local teams and schools.