“Radio! You
still listen to the radio?” asked an incredulous Daniel: chef, entrepreneur,
and culinary school contributor from South Miami Beach. I confessed my addiction to NPR, which Daniel
admitted he listens to on Sirius XM as it streams from his car’s 12 speaker
system. When we finished our
conversation I began to reflect of what part radio has played in my life.
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Click and Clack |
The show had humble beginnings. Tom Magliozzi was encouraged by his younger
brother Ray to appear on a local radio station as part of a panel of local (Boston)
mechanics to answer listeners’ questions.
No one else showed up, but Tom’s easy manner and breadth of knowledge
impressed the show’s host enough to invite him back the next week with Ray.
After ten years of weekly appearances, for the most
part unpaid, the Brothers were picked up by NPR as a commercial project. The show is by any
measure a success, with 3.3 million weekly listeners on 660 stations, according
to NPR spokeswoman Anna Christopher, making it NPR’s top-rated weekend program. NPR intends to continue broadcasting repeat
shows for the foreseeable future.
This is somewhat ironic in that during
the twenty-five year evolution of the show, an ongoing feature is blending some
past shows with the current one in a seamless and unaccredited manner. Other
features of note include who has called in for advice; for example several
celebrities, including John Grunsfeld, who called in from the Space
Shuttle. In fact NASA has called more
than once, including one session where an anonymous caller was asking about
problems surrounding a car kit, which eventually was identified as the Mars
Rovers.
For many years I listened to one or more
of the 660 stations broadcasting Car Talk
and thoroughly enjoyed the humor and caller involvement. There is something
about a blonde trying to mimic the engine sounds of her 1998 Volvo as it goes
through its gears that is unique.
Even before Click and Clack my
generation had a love affair with radio.
When my wife Mary would come home from school she would listen to The Lone Ranger before going out to play
“Hide and Seek” or ‘I’ll Draw the Frying Pan”. We grew up to follow the Masked
Man into television, film and even personal appearances. The voice and one of the most famous of those
appearing belonged to Brace Beemer, a six-foot five personality who actually
could ride and shoot, but whose greatest claim to fame was his deep voice which
announced at the start of each show, “Hi-Yo Silver — A fiery horse with the speed of
light, a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Yo Silver … the Lone Ranger!”



As my friend
reminds me, we still can have those shows, streaming to us as we commute, but
it isn’t quite the same as hunkering down, close to the radio, often as a
family, sharing the experience. I can’t
help but feel we may have lost something, especially now that Click and Clack
are leaving us. What do you think?
Next
Wednesday I will be sharing a little about my book, Harnessing a Heritage and offering contact with some
interesting fellow authors who blog.
Please come and visit.