Biases

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I heard this morning on both KVPR and KCRW (our nearest NPR stations) that they are both up for license renewal.

I swear, if any Washington whackjobs succeed in shutting NPR down, I am going to stop wearing socks.

Anyway, according to a recent survey, the results of which I read in AJR, 31% of NPR listeners consider themselves liberal, 29% conservative and 30% moderate. Which seems like an extraordinarily balanced listenership.

And besides, I feel like I’m actually getting quality from NPR which is not something I feel from any other broadcast or news station, radio or tv.

Anyway, I also bring this up because I had the opportunity to listen to KPIG (one-oh-seven-oink-five) when I was up in the Bay Area and reacquaint myself with its wonderfulness. So I was thinking about the minimum number of radio stations I would need to be happy. I settled on KPIG and an NPR station.

But which NPR station?

I love KCRW’s music programs, but they play This American Life at inconvenient times and don’t carry Prairie Home Companion.

Another program I remembered they don’t carry is Calling All Pets. Lady Steed loves it, but if any program can be accused of bias, it is Calling All Pets. The vet on the program does not give equal time to all pet behavior modification theories. In fact, she has openly disparaged the beat-them-until-they-love-you methodology revered by our ancestors.

Here is an actual transcript from next week’s Calling All Pets program:

Larry: Wow. Mauling children. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard that one. What should he do, Trisha?

Trisha: Well, the first thing you’ll need to do, Steve

Steve: Yes?

Trisha: is get some treats. And you’ll need some good ones for this, maybe bite-sized pieces of bacon.

Steve: Bacon. Right.

Trisha: And you’ll just keep some in your pocket and whenever Floofy isn’t mauling children, just pop her a piece of bacon and say, “Good girl! Gooooood Giiiiiirl!”

Steve: Okay.

Trisha: Now don’t get frustrated. Just remember, no treats while Floofy is in attack mode.

Steve: Sure.

Trisha: Just ignore her. Any attention at all could be construed as positive reinforcement for the behavior.

Steve: Okay, sure.

Larry: So treats. Huh. I never would have imagined that it would be so simple. Thanks, Steve, for the interesting call.

Steve: Thank you.

Larry: So is mauling children getting more common these days?

Trisha: It’s interesting you would ask that. The short answer is no, not really. But there’s some fascinating new research in that suggesting that visually, many breeds of dogs — and Pomeranians like Floofy are one of them — can’t tell the difference between a small child and a leg of lamb.

Larry: Really!

Trisha: So if the dog can’t smell well, say he’s got a cold, he may maul a child thinking it’s mutton. Isn’t that fascinating?

Larry: It sure is. But what can you do to keep your dog from getting sick?

Trisha: That’s a good question, Larry. Here’s what you do — and this will work with dogs, cats, pigeons — just about anything — turtles, goldfish — you just get some bacon, break it into bite-size pieces, and keep it in you pocket.

Larry: Uh huh?

Trisha: And then, whenever your pet isn’t sick, you toss it some bacon and say, “Gooooood booooy.........