Some of that is our fault, we as citizens are not doing our homework. I wonder how many of us can name our city and state representatives?

As for the Presidential race there doesn’t seem to be a lot of substance. It’s not enough to recognize the problems that need attention. What I want to know is what are the candidates going to do about the problems. If they feel that there is nothing the President can or should do, then they should have the honesty and guts to say so.

The issues for a typical blue collar Charlotte resident might include:

The high cost of fuel and how it’s feeding inflation, the cost of everything else is going up to compensate for higher fuel prices.

The downsizing of our workforce to satisfy shareholders. There doesn’t seem to be much job security in any field. Jobs are outsourced with no concern for people living in this country.

Crime which is growing with inflation and unemployment.

The high cost of medical care. One hospital stay can bankrupt the average worker even if they are fortunate to be covered by insurance.

Integrity, of the three candidates I have concerns about all of them.

There has to be a reason to drive the demand for HD radios. The best way to encourage the trend is by giving the listeners compelling content. There are far too many other forms of entertainment today for radio stations to play the waiting game. The time to do something meaningful with HD is now, before the parade passes you by.

Ever wonder why NBC always had more shows in color than the other two networks and was the first network to go all color? NBC was the only network owned by a company that happened to make color TV sets (RCA). It worked, a lot of people bought color TV’s just to see the Ponderosa each week.

If stations don’t invest in HD radio then it will go the way of AM Stereo.

HD radio on AM is a curse it causes more problems than it solves. As for the local FM stations with their HD2 counterparts they do nothing to promote it, it’s just there playing a very boring computer full of over researched music. It’s a bit like listening to someone else’s iPod.

WFAE could make a difference if only they would use their HD-2 for the excellent Smooth Jazz format they gave up to go NPR News/Talk. While there is another station doing Smooth Jazz on HD2 it’s not even close to being as good as what WFAE used to do.

Remember content is king, I have given up on local radio with it’s endless commercial sets and repetition. XM Satellite radio has opened up a whole new world for me including NPR, Oldies and an excellent Smooth Jazz channel “Watercolors”.

So I guess in a way it is the year for Digital but it’s Digital Satellite Radio!

Mike Miranda

http://hdradiofarce.blogspot.com/

we were just in Athens. Great city. I noticed that some of the light rail was running on the streets with the traffic and that auto traffic was allowed on the rails.

Was I mistaken in what I experienced?

ron

I wrote you last October when you interviewed Dr. Richard Lindzen, the MIT climatologist and noted “global warming critic” paid by industry to conduct a BIG TOBACCO-like campaign to cast doubt on the world’s consensus, who was here in town under similar circumstances…funded by the John Locke Foundation. I was told that he HAD to be interviewed because he was here and had an opinion. I questioned whether ANYONE with ANYTHING to say should qualify them to appear on the show…or whether they had to be from out of town, sponsored by think tank.

I also expressed my concern that you are falling into the game plan of the PR effort of the anti-environment “industry” by giving disproportionate voice to their agenda. I was told by Tim Ross that you have done many shows about global warming, and it was your responsibility to provide “balance”. “Balance” is not achieved by giving equal voice to “both” sides when one “side” is overwhelmingly supported by the science that it is occurring. This is actually “imbalance” by giving the minority [and paid] voice equal exposure, implying a “50-50″ chance, and casting more doubt than is due.

Your website describes Mr. Schwartz as a “climatologist”. According to his website http://www.joelschwartz.com/resume.html

Mr. Schwartz is vastly less qualified to discuss climatology than Dr. Lindzen. He has a M.S. in Planetary Science, and has worked most of his career on very terrestrial air pollution issues for conservative state governments and think tanks…I don’t see any references to research work on climate change.

So, I wonder why he is a guest. Lindzen is the most-qualified denier of global warming, and was given a one hour, unchallenged forum for his message. What will we listeners learn from someone who is much less academically-qualified to speak on climate? Apparently Mr. Schwartz meets your “anyone with a voice paid by think tanks can appear” criteria. I cannot pay for a membership knowing that your station’s policy is to provide such disproportional access by paid PR flacks which results in such unbalanced coverage.

If I could take public transportation to work I would but my job location and working hours make that impossible.