"Traditional" Radio is in Big Trouble

Thanks to the internet and other technology, there are so many free and low cost options for audio entertainment these days. I look at how popular terrestrial radio used to be. These days, I wonder how many people listen to traditional radio. The numbers must be very low. There are countless free podcasts out there. Personally, I enjoy the Adam Carolla Podcast, Joe Rogan's Podcast and the Carson Podcast. The final one that I mentioned has interviews with people who appeared on Johnny Carson's show, or people who worked on the show. Johnny's show has been off for a generation, 1992 was his final show. But still, podcast host Mark Malkoff finds many people who were associated with the iconic late night show. The Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR is a free, entertaining option. Another option for audio entertainment is audible.com. One can find endless audio books through this site. It has a monthly charge, but it is a convenient service since it is portable since one can listen to books via phone. Sirius/XM radio is another excellent source of audio entertainment with music of every genre plus countless talk shows. Some radio stations are operating the right way, offering unique content with local talent rather than depending on syndicated, generic feeds for their programming. But, traditional radio will never have the power and influence that it used to.

Ron Bennington: Entertainment Interviewer Extraordinaire

Celebrity interviewers are a dime a dozen. But, not many do it well. Many do not truly listen to the responses of the person they are interviewing. So many interviewers are only thinking about what their next question will be. Johnny Carson was a top notch interviewer since he really listened and would not go by his notes, rather he would let his next question come from the response to the previous question.

Ron Bennington from Sirius/XM is one of the best celebrity interviewers working today. He does not get the attention he deserves. Satellite radio is not heard by that many people, so many do not hear Bennington's interviews. But, luckily they can be heard for free online. He hosts "The Ron and Fez Show" on Sirius/XM's "Raw Dog" channel. He also has a show called "Ron Bennington Interviews". He talks with various actors, musicians, directors, and others from the world of entertainment. He has talked with people like Willem DaFoe, Oliver Stone, John Lithgow, Jessica Lange, Mayim Bialik, Robert Randolph and many more. His other show is called "Unmasked". That show is dedicated to talking with comedians. He has chatted with comics such as Todd Barry, David Steinberg, Jane Lynch, Tim Conway, Lisa Kudrow and many more. You can listen to these interviews here.

Ron does a fantastic job with these interviews since he is passionate about movies, TV, music and all things entertainment. He knows how to talk to comedians since he is a former comedian himself. He owned a comedy club in the 1980's in Clearwater, Florida. He has worked in radio for almost 30 years, first as the co-host of Tampa, Florida's "Ron and Ron Show" with Ron Diaz. In Florida he met Fez Whatley and they have worked together in Florida, Washington D.C. and at their current gig in New York City. Find out about "The Ron and Fez Show" at this link.

Ron and Fez Show on Sirius/XM

My favorite show on satellite radio is the Ron and Fez show. It is on XM 202 and Sirius 197 from noon to 3 pm weekdays. Ron Bennington and Fez Whatley have worked in Tampa, Florida and Washington, DC before coming to New York City. Ron used to be a stand up comedian and he owned a comedy club in Florida. They have many sidekicks and recurring characters on the show such as producers Earl Douglas and David "East Side Dave" McDonald. The show takes a humourous look at what's going on in the world of sports, entertainment, politics, or anything else that is on their minds. Ron is an outstanding interviewer and he hosts an XM show called Unmasked where he talks with comedians about their influences, their style of comedy, and the like. Fez has an odd view of the world and many phobias which he is not afraid to share with listeners. Fez grew up in Florida, and Ron was raised in Philadelphia where he was childhood friends with "Don Vito" Margera from the show Viva La Bam. Above I posted a photo from week 12 of the battle of the beards between Dave and Fez, with Fez on the left.