Should talk radio be interactive or do you not care?

I listen to CKNW a lot. I also have listened to Dan Russell’s Sportstalk for years and years and years. I’m not here to blast Dan but I’m here to mention my personal frustration. I’m curious to know what radio listeners in Vancouver and the province think about talk radio and interaction.

There is Twitter, Facebook, email and the trusty old telephone. A talk radio show can exist without audience participation? I question that. In terms of Sportstalk on CKNW I haven’t heard Dan take many if any calls. You are getting the roundtable which is great, but you aren’t getting any other interaction. I honestly have listened during the Canucks short playoff run and certainly felt there wasn’t even a need for Dan to do the show live. I think that goes against talk radio no? Doesn’t some type of interaction make for more compelling radio? I could see audience interaction as being challenging. Right? Taking calls or opening yourself up to being wrong on air happens with more interaction. The safest talk radio show is the one that doesn’t give a voice to the audience. In other words, no interaction is safe and easy. It’s like Raif Maire on CKNW 980. The guy drove me nuts. His idea of taking calls? You get to make your initial statement then you are off the air. Is that interaction? The host can’t be challenged. You can’t make a counter point!

I hear the TEAM 1040 and they have all the interaction from the audience. Calls, Twitter, email and Facebook. Dan Russell used to be king of Vancouver sport talk radio but at this point he is showing his age. No Twitter, no social media, no calls, no emails on air. That’s lame radio in my opinion. Hate to say it. I’ve been an avid and loyal listener of his program from almost the beginning. They say the “longest running sport talk radio show in Canada” at the start of his show. Yep. You can say that again. Longest running and by the energy level and interaction, it certainly is getting old and tired.

3 Responses to Should talk radio be interactive or do you not care?

  1. @FakeDanRussell May 6, 2012 at 7:21 pm #

    It’s hard to be interactive when so much of the show is taped. Dan’s priority is WHL on Shaw. Even on nights when he is in studio, there is almost always a taped segment.

    Now that the evil empire has landed the Giants rights, I wonder if Dan has lost his will to keep going.

    As for longest running, he was off air for a time. It’s a lie that he clings to with everything he has.

    • Admin May 6, 2012 at 7:42 pm #

      Thanks for your comment. I certainly don’t want to bash Dan. I respect his opinions and his show and what he has accomplished.

      I agree with your feelings on taped radio. Replaying radio or taped interviews I can see as a bad radio.

      Perhaps it’s strategy to keep Sportstalk different than TEAM 1040. It does appear that if you want to talk Canucks you have no choice but to listen to TEAM 1040. Dan’s been doing this a long time and I’m sure taking call is a drag. If that’s the case, then I’m just saying open up the email bag, twitter bag or facebook bag.

      I think Dan has a pretty accurate take on the Canucks and that’s why I listen. I really didn’t like what I heard though on this short playoff run.

  2. bc talks sports August 4, 2013 at 3:04 am #

    i do think that taking calls is very important to SPORTS TALK RADIO … otherwise call it SPORTS LISTEN RADIO . I have listened to both Dan since his inception and the team 1040 since its inception , both shows started out similar … in the beginning LOTS of calls were taken … ( CHEAP but bothersome programming ) the program director or host may not like taking calls but it is SPORTS TALK RADIO , True not all calls are great … neither are all interviews or guests . Dan Patrick is a better interviewer than Jim Rome IMHO Speaking of Mr. Rome he often says ,,,, taking calls is being a lazy host yet he tells the clones ” now clones don’t email me ” knowing full well that he will indeed get lots of emails … then he spends 2.5 hrs reading emails … that is the ultimate in LAZINESS and one of the reasons I rarely listen to Jim Rome.

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