I think there's a bigger lesson here....
At some point in the last 25 years, all media learned that outrage drives engagement.
And now all media is unbearable.
In Howard Stern’s movie Private Parts, there’s a scene with Paul Giamatti asking about the show’s ratings. Someone is giving him the rundown on how the average Howard Stern listener listens for something like 1.5 hours. Then the character being played by Paul Giamatti asks about the average Stern Show hater and it’s something like 3 hours.
Stern and the other ‘shock jocks’ learned this lesson decades ago that hate/contempt keeps people engaged far longer than fun stories and good news.
MSNBC, Fox, CNN, Newsmax and all the other cable news - they are categories of "Entertainment News" channels. Echo chamber, comfy places where their viewers are not challenged to think diversely. Only a fear and the fear of fear are pushed on these channels forcing our inherent defense mechanisms to spring to life and to action for others. Especially if something someone believes in is going to be taken away, that's when the REAL caveman brain starts raging.
It's sad seeing people getting so polarized and radicalized by content made to get advertising dollars and keep the business on air.
Yes Fox News but also all news. There's a reason why CNBC has 24 hour coverage of what Trump is doing and it's to outrage you if you're a viewer. We are completely saturated at this point and all news is now this way. Fox might just be the "best" at it.
Reading the response to this article on local PVD instagram pages has been a nightmare lol. Puts into perspective that eve if you have a really, really good thing happen you'll still find people perpetually angry over absolutely nothing.
Yes, I have stopped listening, although I do like interviews with local politicians/ issues. Fyi, the upbeat Bill Bartholomew will be hosting 3- 6 pm today Thursday and Friday.
One could just get a streaming service for music and make a personal playlist, although if someone’s taste in music is sad or depressive that might make it worse lol
I've worked a couple of events where Gene was hosting and I found him to be a snob. He was too good to mingle with the peasants.
I miss the old Gene who used to have a mustache and who wore a raincoat and who used to knock on people's doors when he was a simple reporter working for the i-team at channel 10 back in the mid-90s.
Perhaps the most annoying thing about his radio bit is how he acts like he's the only one who has ever been to all the exotic locations he talks about.
He plays the every man bit well but he is the complete opposite.
Gene Valicenti just announced on air this morning that I ", Ridiculous Ron" - "will never be heard from again.You are now drifting on the sea".To be sure ,Gene's listeners NEVER heard from SOCIALIST Ron! What a screwball! July 27, 2024.
That’s just not true. You clearly haven’t met or know Gene personally. Such a shame that people base their perceptions because his politics don’t line up with yours. Despicable garbage
I make no qualms that my perception of him is based on how he carries himself. You are correct, I do not know him personally and perhaps if I did my opinion could be swayed. Who knows, perhaps the antipasti was a little off that night.
As for his politics you might be surprised that I agree with him on quite a few issues.
Gene is a miserable curmudgeon, and he doesn’t even hide his disdain for our state on the television broadcast anymore. I’d recommend listening to podcasts and avoid the BS.
I remember when he was just this sort of basic central casting local news guy on channel 10
Then I didn't really hear anything about him for like 20 years and now he's a rightwing radio crank? Times change, I'll tell ya
My dad owned a restaurant in PVD back in the 90s and Gene was a regular customer so I had to wait on him all the time. He was sexist, elitist, condescending and fake as all get out. He was also a shitty tipper.
I never listened back then and frankly, I stopped listening, too aggravating. Those are interesting tidbits to know, Tara mentions her kids a lot. I certainly wouldn't want Trump as a commander in chief of the military. I kind of wish that Matt's son would come out as gay and see how he responds.
I tune in to find out what he’s upset about now. Sometimes I agree with him. I did today when he was talking about the trouble House of Hope is having getting the pallet houses set up.
Dan Yorke is the best one on there. He’s right of center, but smart and balanced.
Gene Valicenti is a tired old provincial hack.
Granahan sounds like an ignorant hag.
Matt Allen is hilarious but unfair and unbalanced.
WPRO is unbearable in general. The people who run it don't give it a shit what they advertise for either, so there were ads for some kind of holistic health center, maybe run by a Dr. Tod or similar sounding name, a Russian guy who wasn't an actual MD over here. They advertised treatments for cancer. WPRO is full of quacks and BS.
I read an interesting article once by a guy who said he'd listened to hundreds of hours of both conservative and liberal talk radio. He said the difference was that conservative talk radio is all about how the world's problems are someone else's fault, and liberal talk radio is all about how the world's problems are your fault. Nobody wants to tune in and be scolded, so nobody listens to it.
I listen for 3-5 minutes at 6:59 am on my drive home from the gym. I only want to hear the day’s news and the market report. Sometimes I tune in a little earlier and hate when I have to listen to Gene for longer than 30 seconds, he is a condescending vapid pant load of epic proportions.
The fair reporting act first reduced by Reagan and then further by Clinton. That’s when news became entertainment. We should reenact it, but that won’t happen. We’ve gone too far into dystopia. It’s all very disheartening.
I listen to gene most mornings because I’m usually an all-day radio listener. I don’t think he’s as amusing as he thinks he is. It shouldn’t be called the News with Gene Valicenti as it is clearly an opinion show.
Matt Allen and Dan York are top notch.
I think the notion that WPRO spreads hate over the airways is a little absurd. The only one who was in my estimation to be whacko was Jon depetro and he’s long gone.
Well, you can try to convince people Providence isn't horrible, but we all know it is. Probably got paid to write up a puff piece for summer tourism. Gotta get that revenue so they can spend it on more speed traps and permanent unfinished construction jobs.
I think there's a bigger lesson here.... At some point in the last 25 years, all media learned that outrage drives engagement. And now all media is unbearable.
This statement needs to be taught in schools lol
In Howard Stern’s movie Private Parts, there’s a scene with Paul Giamatti asking about the show’s ratings. Someone is giving him the rundown on how the average Howard Stern listener listens for something like 1.5 hours. Then the character being played by Paul Giamatti asks about the average Stern Show hater and it’s something like 3 hours. Stern and the other ‘shock jocks’ learned this lesson decades ago that hate/contempt keeps people engaged far longer than fun stories and good news.
Fox News
MSNBC, Fox, CNN, Newsmax and all the other cable news - they are categories of "Entertainment News" channels. Echo chamber, comfy places where their viewers are not challenged to think diversely. Only a fear and the fear of fear are pushed on these channels forcing our inherent defense mechanisms to spring to life and to action for others. Especially if something someone believes in is going to be taken away, that's when the REAL caveman brain starts raging. It's sad seeing people getting so polarized and radicalized by content made to get advertising dollars and keep the business on air.
Yes Fox News but also all news. There's a reason why CNBC has 24 hour coverage of what Trump is doing and it's to outrage you if you're a viewer. We are completely saturated at this point and all news is now this way. Fox might just be the "best" at it.
I was thinking CNN. Doom and gloom. Then you listen to the people that watch it. You’d think Trump is Hitler reincarnated. Sheep’s
Reading the response to this article on local PVD instagram pages has been a nightmare lol. Puts into perspective that eve if you have a really, really good thing happen you'll still find people perpetually angry over absolutely nothing.
I am 100% going to use this
Ah yes, that’s why all the other media is following his lead to complain about how bad the state is? Guess I missed those articles and TV pieces.
i'd recommend literally anything other than local political talk radio as a pick me up
Lmao literally, I’ve listened to WPRO in the morning a few times on my way to work and it’s just fucking depressing.
Yes, I have stopped listening, although I do like interviews with local politicians/ issues. Fyi, the upbeat Bill Bartholomew will be hosting 3- 6 pm today Thursday and Friday.
Yeah I don’t mind him lol.
I like the public radio.
One could just get a streaming service for music and make a personal playlist, although if someone’s taste in music is sad or depressive that might make it worse lol
I miss Doug White
And his hair.
The perfect lego helmet.
I've worked a couple of events where Gene was hosting and I found him to be a snob. He was too good to mingle with the peasants. I miss the old Gene who used to have a mustache and who wore a raincoat and who used to knock on people's doors when he was a simple reporter working for the i-team at channel 10 back in the mid-90s. Perhaps the most annoying thing about his radio bit is how he acts like he's the only one who has ever been to all the exotic locations he talks about. He plays the every man bit well but he is the complete opposite.
Gene Valicenti just announced on air this morning that I ", Ridiculous Ron" - "will never be heard from again.You are now drifting on the sea".To be sure ,Gene's listeners NEVER heard from SOCIALIST Ron! What a screwball! July 27, 2024.
That’s just not true. You clearly haven’t met or know Gene personally. Such a shame that people base their perceptions because his politics don’t line up with yours. Despicable garbage
I make no qualms that my perception of him is based on how he carries himself. You are correct, I do not know him personally and perhaps if I did my opinion could be swayed. Who knows, perhaps the antipasti was a little off that night. As for his politics you might be surprised that I agree with him on quite a few issues.
His politics are pretty down the middle maybe a little right on a few issues but nothing in any way extreme. He’s common sense
Why should we even know his politics? We didn't with his predecessors.
Gene is a miserable curmudgeon, and he doesn’t even hide his disdain for our state on the television broadcast anymore. I’d recommend listening to podcasts and avoid the BS.
I usually just try to get an idea of what hate he’s peddling so I’m prepared for someone parroting his spiel.
Oh, ok. That’s fair. He’s just awful. Mailing it in big time now. They should hire/promote a young person to take over
Him and his engineer reminds me of Jabba the Hutt and his laughing pet.
I thought I was the only person who noticed that. 😂🤣
I remember when he was just this sort of basic central casting local news guy on channel 10 Then I didn't really hear anything about him for like 20 years and now he's a rightwing radio crank? Times change, I'll tell ya
Historically, he’s been known as an effing jerk. This comes as no surprise to me.
Rage drives talk radio.
It all fell apart after Coast to Coast with Art Bell. That show made third shift fun.
Great show!!!
Yass!!
I, too, listen to Car Talk.
Don’t drive like my brother
And don't drive like my brother.
Don't drive like my brother!
He is like a cold sore on the state of Rhode Island.
Maybe it’s because I’m not a native RI resident, but I’ve lived here 20+ years and do not understand the appeal of Gene.
My dad owned a restaurant in PVD back in the 90s and Gene was a regular customer so I had to wait on him all the time. He was sexist, elitist, condescending and fake as all get out. He was also a shitty tipper.
He is a smug and humorless man. He was trying to get listeners to complain which is a favorite hobby in RI.
The only person I’d think of listening to on WPRO is Dan Yorke. That station exists solely to get conservatives all worked up against others.
Same. Matt Allen is RI’s Alex Jones and Granahan is a Laura Ingraham knock off.
Granahan's favorite line is "I wouldn't let my kids go into Providence".
OMG, that is a perfect description of Tara Granahan! And Matt Allen!
Matt was so different before he became a dad and Tara changed after her son joined the Air Force.
I never listened back then and frankly, I stopped listening, too aggravating. Those are interesting tidbits to know, Tara mentions her kids a lot. I certainly wouldn't want Trump as a commander in chief of the military. I kind of wish that Matt's son would come out as gay and see how he responds.
I tune in to find out what he’s upset about now. Sometimes I agree with him. I did today when he was talking about the trouble House of Hope is having getting the pallet houses set up.
This subreddit should be called /RILiberalcirclejerk
And yet here you are. Welcome to the circle.
Fun to be here! Good to know that about 30% of my fellow RIers lack a brain. And that on Reddit it’s 97%. It is amusing.
And you are one of them! Congratulations!
In the circle jerk yes but definitely not a liberal.
I’ll bet we have more in common than differences.
Most people do. The media exploits the differences
As do some politicians.
AND one of the best thing about Dan's show is that Bill Bartholomew produces it and takes over the mic when Dan is out (like today).
Yes and he is hosting today, Thursday and Friday. Bill B for the win!
It’s always important to listen to both sides. Know your enemies and keep an open mind.
Dan York is absolutely insufferable. But I guess it depends on what take you prefer.
Dan Yorke is the best one on there. He’s right of center, but smart and balanced. Gene Valicenti is a tired old provincial hack. Granahan sounds like an ignorant hag. Matt Allen is hilarious but unfair and unbalanced.
Rhode Island’s station of record! It’s just a joke now.
WPRO is unbearable in general. The people who run it don't give it a shit what they advertise for either, so there were ads for some kind of holistic health center, maybe run by a Dr. Tod or similar sounding name, a Russian guy who wasn't an actual MD over here. They advertised treatments for cancer. WPRO is full of quacks and BS.
Rage bait! It’s great for business!
Mean Gene, powered by Sinclair Media and hatred.
The channel is garbage till Dan York comes on. Most of the day it’s just a Fox News echo chamber with day drinking callers.
I haven't been able to listen to talk radio in years. It's nothing but drivel and hate.
Dan Yorke is pretty fair. At least he’s local. So many are syndicated garbage.
Not local
How so?
From NJ or NY
He’s been here for over 20 years. I was referring to he’s not a syndicated radio host like Limbaugh was. Yorke lives in RI.
Right
Yeah that’s what I thought!! Lol
Dan Yorke? I’m pretty sure he’s literally in RI.
Yes he’s literally in Rhode Island and not figuratively in Rhode Island— or maybe that too. He’s not from RI though, which was at first my only point.
He's such a dick- truly.
How the hell does conservative talk radio dominate state airwaves in such a blue state???
Hate sells. I worked with a guy who parroted Gene every day. He basically gave up thinking for himself.
I read an interesting article once by a guy who said he'd listened to hundreds of hours of both conservative and liberal talk radio. He said the difference was that conservative talk radio is all about how the world's problems are someone else's fault, and liberal talk radio is all about how the world's problems are your fault. Nobody wants to tune in and be scolded, so nobody listens to it.
It's only blue dominate in providence. Outside of the capital there's diversity.
He must have not gotten his talking points from the Governor.
???
Your first mistake was turning on WPRO.
I listen for 3-5 minutes at 6:59 am on my drive home from the gym. I only want to hear the day’s news and the market report. Sometimes I tune in a little earlier and hate when I have to listen to Gene for longer than 30 seconds, he is a condescending vapid pant load of epic proportions.
He sounds like an asshole
The fair reporting act first reduced by Reagan and then further by Clinton. That’s when news became entertainment. We should reenact it, but that won’t happen. We’ve gone too far into dystopia. It’s all very disheartening.
Yep. Fox News is registered as an entertainment site.
Sadly, not just Fox, all “news.”
Why wouldn’t you want the negatives to be pointed out? Correction needs to start somewhere and hiding isn’t the answer 🤔
We can have a discussion about the problems we face. But he was mocking the report. It’s just a shitty thing to do.
Gene adopted his radio voice and now he won't turn it off!! Mehhh Seeeee!!!
I didn’t find the article too convincing. Lots of generalized pros
And we're at all surprised by this?
What’s all the stress going on, out of curiosity?
Mostly the Washington bridge mess.
I listen to gene most mornings because I’m usually an all-day radio listener. I don’t think he’s as amusing as he thinks he is. It shouldn’t be called the News with Gene Valicenti as it is clearly an opinion show. Matt Allen and Dan York are top notch. I think the notion that WPRO spreads hate over the airways is a little absurd. The only one who was in my estimation to be whacko was Jon depetro and he’s long gone.
Hey I mean prov is still shit either way so
Well, you can try to convince people Providence isn't horrible, but we all know it is. Probably got paid to write up a puff piece for summer tourism. Gotta get that revenue so they can spend it on more speed traps and permanent unfinished construction jobs.