THURSDAY, February 14, 2008
THE INFORMATION AGE PROVIDES
MORE THAN ONE WAY TO GET NEWS
BY DAVE HUGHES
YOUR HUB CONTRIBUTOR
Thursday, February 14, 2008
We’re blessed with more sources than television, news— papers and the Internet to get real news and tolerable music. It is all coincidental, of course, that we have two complimentary FM radio stations — KCME and KRCC — that fill the void other media do not. As I grew older, like many people, I started turning on my bedside radio at night to listen to music of my taste while falling asleep. I listen and happily contribute to KCME for the quality of music it has provided to me for over 25 years. It has classical music with very little talk 24 hours a day. And for for all of us old guys who grew up during World War 11, 40s and 50s music on Saturday mornings. Occasionally, such as on Saturday afternoons, I listen to live opera. I am also comforted to know I could live anywhere in the world where I had an Internet connection and could listen to that little, non— profit gem of a local radio station managed by Jeanna Wearing, Even Denver listens to it from down here. But that is not enough. I also want to know what’s going on in the world in ways the advertising-dominated radio does not . Television just doesn’t deliver either. Nor do ad- fat newspapers. So I have gotten into the habit of listening to a at very particular times — the Colorado College public-radio supported KCME 91.5 FM. I say “at particular times" because there are other times, such as starting at 9 am, when I can‘t stand its modern music. Starting at 2 am. I tune to a unique source of world news I can't get anywhere else It’s international BBC, on most nights from 2 to 5 am. BBC has the ability to get live, interesting reporting from reporters and knowledgeable com— mentators in every corner of the world. From the country- side of Myanmar (once named Burma — aha, gotcha!) when monks marched in protest, to the rebel firing in clashes around the palace in Ndjamena, Chad. Then between 4 and 5 am. it often has really in depth interviews with noted , people from other nations, or a good roundtable discussion by ex- perts on the state of the world economy, science, politics or on- going wars. Interesting, intellectual, and articulate locals one would never encounter in mass media in print or by television— to get news. Great insight into the rest of the world I only need-about four hours sleep per night at my age, and whether I turn in at 10 pm. and sleep until 2 a.m., or go to bed late, and then listen from 2 to 4, then sleep a couple hours, its always there. Then at 5 am. National Public Radio comes on from which I can get, without opening my eyes, pretty rounded reports about domestic US events by familiar American voices. So KCME anytime and KRCC sometimes, are my daily fare, even though I read The Gazette every morning, usually for the business section and monitor the editorial page for amusement. And I grab some news off television periodically, along with football in season While choosing only the History and History International channels, the National Geographic and Military Channel, or the occasional good PBS programs the rest of the time or during prime time. I reserve the Internet for the really obscure and technical stuff, voice chats via Skype with people around the world, and e-mail. Dunno about you, but that is how I stay sane and calm, while the world goes to hell around me.
