I think you are blaming the wrong people here.NPR is the one that has the rights to air the program.
Yea…It’s NPR that’s NOT doing their job.
Car-Talk (even in re-runs) is still one of the most popular shows on NPR. Has been for years.
Tom and Ray used to announce when shows were reruns. For some reason, when all of the shows became reruns, they stopped announcing it.
@wesw, if people enjoy listening to the reruns, and it brings more people here, that is a good thing. However, I don’t think putting an honest announcement at the beginning of the show would stop that from continuing.
Whether NPR or Tom and Ray deserve the blame is a pointless argument. I’m not blaming anyone, I’m proposing a solution to the dishonesty problem.
Tom and Ray used to announce when shows were reruns. For some reason, when all of the shows became reruns, they stopped announcing it.
They didn’t do shows every week. So the weeks the show was on vacation they were announced the show was in rerun.
But now they are not affiliated with the show…so it’s up to NPR to make the disclaimer. Although it doesn’t seem they are. Adding a disclaimer at the beginning…well it would work for people who listen to the beginning of the show.
“…well it would work for people who listen to the beginning of the show.”
Heh, heh, I start listening at 10:01 to miss the commercials…
If you listen to their programs on satellite radio, the date of original broadcast is displayed on your screen.
I just think it’s a matter of truth in advertising, so to speak. It doesn’t matter whether it adds to or reduces the listener base, and it doesn’t matter whether Tom and Ray agree or not. NPR owes it to its listeners to be truthful about the nature of the show. It’s an ethical question. Plain and simple.
@VDCdriver: That’s great that the original date of broadcast appears on satellite radio. Now the rest of us should be able to get the same info.
It doesn't matter whether it adds to or reduces the listener base, and it doesn't matter whether Tom and Ray agree or not. NPR owes it to its listeners to be truthful about the nature of the show. It's an ethical question. Plain and simple.
Could you show me the ONE entertainment show on TV that will run a disclaimer that this show was shown earlier. Or even many years earlier?
Yep, huge problem. Demand a refund!
@MikeInNH, why are you comparing a radio show to a TV show? However, the channel guide on Xfinity cable shows which shows are reruns and which ones are new episodes, as do many online TV listings. Back in the day, TV Guide magazine labeled the reruns and the new episodes.
However, the channel guide on Xfinity cable shows which shows are reruns and which ones are new episodes, as do many online TV listings.
But there’s no disclaimer before or during the show. And if you have Comcast basic (which I do) there is no channel guide on the TV. I have to go on-line to find out channel information. There is no listing available for Radio shows that I know of. And if there was I doubt many would use it. I really only listen to the radio when I’m driving.
How is a discussion about television relevant to a call-in radio show? You must have missed when I asked: “why are you comparing a radio show to a TV show?”
Nonetheless, you asked if someone would “…show me the ONE entertainment show on TV that will run a disclaimer that this show was shown earlier.”
Comedy Central’s Daily Show displays and announces the date of the show’s original broadcast before every show, new and rerun alike. Jon Stewart also announces when the show will be taking a week off and showing reruns.
Ok, name a non-news related show.
Actually, who cares?
Exactly! This is in no way relevant to the discussion!
When I try to judge whether a particular behavior is ethical, I judge it on its own, I don’t compare it to other behavior.
my good ness. this is pointless. its funny tho. I wish I felt well enough to point out all the hypocrisy.
Pointing out hypocrisy could be a never-ending chore. We’re all hypocrites. Every human being engages in cognitive dissonance, so you could say calling anyone a hypocrite is, well, hypocritical. As soon as I realized that, I stopped calling people hypocrites.
@Whitey: "How is a discussion about television relevant to a call-in radio show? You must have missed when I asked: ‘why are you comparing a radio show to a TV show?’ "
Exactly. But it goes beyond that. It is comparing Car Talk to an entertainment show that is the bigger issue. More on that:
@MikeInNH: “Could you show me the ONE entertainment show on TV that will run a disclaimer that this show was shown earlier. Or even many years earlier?”
The key issue is that Car Talk, as entertaining as it can be, is more than just an entertainment show. It is an informational show, and other NPR programs that purport to be informational are labeled as “encore” presentations (god, I hate euphemisms, but at least it gets the point across), and so should the Car Talk re-runs.
Also, while many entertainment shows (at least on my cable) are identified as re-runs, when a news or informational program is re-run, it is almost always identified not only as a re-run, but by date.
Again, it doesn’t matter. It is the ethical thing to do, and NPR is falling down in this regard. The fact that some, such as myself and others on this forum, are upset about this should be demonstration enough that something is amiss. I’m not here to be argumentative, and I’ve said what I have to say. What NPR does at this point is entirely up to it and all our bellyaching and defending isn’t likely to make any difference.
It is the ethical thing to do, and NPR is falling down in this regard
Not ethical? It’s ENTERTAINMENT. If it’s a rerun or not…how does it effect anyone or any thing. It maybe misleading…but so what. How does that effect you or anyone or anything else?
@MikeInNH: It is not just entertainment, and it purports to be informational (like this site).
How does it affect me? It does. And that’s all you need to know.
The show’s ‘informational’ value is unaffected by use of reruns. The questions and answers are equally valid.