Thanks, Arlene
Today is Arlene Violet’s last day on 920 WHJJ.
I had the pleasure of being on her show a number of times in the last year or so – to discuss education issues – and I want to thank her for her graciousness to me during those times.
Thanks, Arlene, for the last 16 years and best of luck in whatever you do next.
Here are some of the posts we discussed on the show:
For a high level look at the strategic questions in education, read Bringing a New Strategic Focus to the Education Debate and Empowering Our Children to Live the American Dream Demands School Choice.
For a more indepth look at the education debate, read The Moral Imperative for School Choice: The Complete Posting.
We also discussed the earlier East Greenwich teachers’ union contract dispute and some statewide education issues.
No offense to the loving tone of your post but Good riddance to old Geezers! Every time I’ve tuned into her show it’s been like being a fly on the wall in the old folk’s home during the week when the medication has run out.
Losing a local radio host, regardless of where you are ideologically, is not good. But in a market where local sports talk hosts get canned in favor of the clusterbleep known as Opie & Anthony, I’m not surprised.
I never heard of this team that’s coming on HJJ in the mornings, either. Though Helen Glover is kicking Dave Barber’s tuckus, I get the feeling she’s being shifted to midday to die a slow, painful death and run down her contract. It’s reminiscent of how SCORE 790 shifted John Rooke and Steve Hyder, then Coach Colletto, to the midday slow before they got speared.
Read an interesting article last year about Minneapolis talk radio in which Hannity, Limbaugh, etc, saw their ratings plunge 50-60 percent over a one-year period while the local guys (both conservative and liberal) held steady. May that trend hold true here.
As for HJJ crying about Air America killing them…the problem was that Randi Rhodes is by far AA’s strongest host, but she didn’t air live here because it was committed to Arlene’s show. If they had turfed Arlene two years ago and Rhodes failed live from 3-6, I might buy HJJ’s argument. As for Al Franken…much better writer then radio host.
Prediction: Arlene’s listeners go to Dan Yorke (I don’t often agree with Yorke, but hey, he becomes the go-to for local issues in p.m. drive now). PRO shoots Barber and brings in Steve Laffey mornings, and beats HJJ like a drum.
Here’s what many people forget — This stuff is supposed to be ENTERTAINING. This is why Rush is so successful, because he entertains the audience.
I’m not crazy about Dan Yorke, but he is entertaining enough to hold my attention and keep me tuned in for more than a few minutes. I think Arlene’s show had become a little stale and couldn’t hold an audience for long enough.
She’s very bright and talented, but I think her format needed to be spruced up a bit.
I wish Arlene well. If she has trouble finding work, I supppose there’s always the nunnery!
She will be missed by us good government types. I didn’t agree with her on everything but she was always careful to give airtime to both sides of an issue.
As to Donald’s posting, it was great to hear her talk about teacher contracts in Rhode Island. She was absolutely scathing in her condemnation of all the ways they put teachers ahead of students, number one being the absence of merit or standards.
As to Rhody’s proposed change for mornings on WPRO – yes, please. Immediately.
Guess the corporate overlords at HJJ were so anxious to stop Arlene’s annoying habit of airing both sides of an issue that they jacked her final show yesterday and started jamming Hannity a day early.
If PRO set itself up as the all-local station (if HJJ wants to steal Limbaugh when his contract next comes up, let ’em), they could kick HJJ’s tuckus in the ratings.
Arlene, sorry to see you leaving. This is one of the few radio programs we listen to. Radio has become so bad, there is hardly anything worthy to listen to, except for News station.
Not even FM programs. Most of the programs nowdays are an insult to the norms of good taste, or to the listener intelligence.
Good luck and best wishes to you.
Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas.