Familiar Ground

It's the final episode From Radioland for 2019. As Ric will point out in this episode, we seem to have come full circle in some ways. Remember when everyone thought it was a great idea to "cut the cable"? Now look at us.

All the content providers weren't satisfied with the money they were making and have now figured out how to get more out of us with all their exclusive channel streamers. Guess what? Everyone seems a bit worked up about this predictable turn of events.

But the fight for your TV is going to get interesting and Ric is here to help sort it out. Also, a little look at the upcoming new year and a sort of related unpopular thought.



NEXT WEEK: New Year, New You... My Ass

Stay tuned...

Keep In Touch

In reference to episode 304, Ric talked about an idea he had for a holiday card. It came true. Actual, physical cards were made as a gift to Ric. In this episode he talks about those very cards plus, he spends some time talking about the interconnectivity of the internet.

Specifically, all the information you give the social media sites as well as other sites is being used against you, in some sort of fashion for the basis of one thing. Money. Also, Ric talks about a couple of things that may be an unpopular thought. At least one of the two things he mentions is accurate. It'll be you to figure it out.



NEXT WEEK: Familiar Ground

Stay tuned...

In The Moment

As we begin to wrap up 2019, we look back sort of, as to why it seems all of our time seems to be moving faster. In this episode, Ric thinks he's kind of got it sorted out. At least in theory. It would seem we spend so much time looking forward to things and looking back at things that we tend to forget we are living in the moment, right now.

Sort of like seeing something coming at us from a distance and we are excited for whatever that thing is only to blink and it passes us right on by. So fast that when we look back on that thing, we barely remembered what exactly that was. Also, Ric wants to know where his flying car is?



NEXT WEEK: Keep In Touch

Happy Holidays

It's that time of the year again when Ric takes an amusing look at the ongoing "War on Xmas". This time out, Ric gets into how it all started, who is firing the "shots" and where is this all headed. Plus, a little holiday cheer and a little advice.

Also in this episode, there came an idea for a Christmas card that should be made. It should have a nice serene image, in watercolor, with some outstanding words reflective of the holiday season. If that weren't enough, Ric will tell you about a very special show on Radio Memphis happening tonight.




NEXT WEEK: Wrapping up 2019... sort of.

Know Thine Enemy

Here of late, if the current news cycle is anything to go by, we humans have become a rather vociferous bunch. There seems to be some sort of revolution happening all over the world. The United States included.

Although to be fair, ours has a certain game show vibe happening. Nevertheless, the old adage is true, "The next revolution will be televised." The issue this time around is that here in this country, the most vocal people seem to be the less knowledgeable about what they are either fighting for or against. Here is a little something that might help. Learn what drives your opponent before you open your mouth.



NEXT WEEK: The Annual War on X-mas Update From The Front Lines

Stay tuned...

OK, Boomer

You know it had to happen. Ric takes on the current meme disparaging the Baby Boomer generation. But here is the thing. The Millennials who came out with the meme have a very valid point. They may just be going about it in the wrong way.

Even that statement alone tends to get this generation worked up. In this episode, Ric takes a look at why the Millennials are upset and why they point their fingers right at the Baby Boomers. They have a proper reason. Like it or not, this generation of people are the ones who will be calling the shots. And in many cases they already are.

Also, Ric's unpopular thought of the week and a trip to a thrift store reminds Ric of what happens when you die.



NEXT WEEK: The Revolution Is Already on TV

Disliking The Like

Instagram is starting a new thing globally where they are going to hide the number of likes a post gets from it's audience. To be clear, if you make a post, you will see how many likes your post gets. However, your public will not. Which begs the question, what is the value of a like, anyway? In this episode, Ric takes a look at how this may affect the internet famous.

The influencers are kind of freaked about this turn of events. To which the rest of the world seems to not really care. This new idea also seems to re-visit the notion of the overall intrinsic value of social media from a person's point of view. The keyboard cowboys will most certainly be offended anyway since these are the people who look for any reason to be offended. Plus, Ric's unpopular thought of the week.



NEXT WEEK: Ok, Boomer.

Reboot This

It's episode 300 and Ric is talking about a reboot. Seem sort of silly to reboot a podcast and that is exactly what it is like in the boardrooms across Hollywood. Why are there so many reboots and remakes? Is it a retelling? An updating? Is Hollywood actually out of ideas?

The answers to these are all in this monumental episode. Also, Ric talks about podcast production and he'll share with you his unpopular thought of the week. By the way, there won't any rebooting of this show. As Ric says, "It sucks enough as it is, why would I want it to suck even more?"



NEXT WEEK: How much is a "like" worth, anyway?

The Sporting Life

Sports fans, both casual and rabid know the value of a good game on television. However, the landscape has changed over time. Since the popularity of streaming television, access to all sporting events has become a little strained for the casual fan.

The true and rabid fans know how to get what they want with broadcast packages available from all the sports leagues. And that is just it, they are certainly "available" for the right price. Why the money? Broadcast rights for the games are not cheap.

In this episode, Ric takes a look at how the world of broadcast and the world of sports collide with casualties. Who are the casualties? The fans.



NEXT WEEK: Reboot This

Stay tuned...

What's on TV

Network television programming is fairly straightforward. You develop a show, get the greenlight to produce and then, spend a lot of money getting it produced. After that, you hope for the best. Are people going to like it enough to spend time watching the thing?

There are some other nuances at play here and in this episode, Ric takes a look at how this sort of works using the new NBC show, Bluff City Law as a prime example of just how to navigate those treacherous waters. Also in this episode, Ric gives his unpopular thought of the week. Horses in space? Really?



NEXT WEEK: The Sporting Life

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Censor Me

There has been quite a bit of talk in the news here lately about Hong Kong. What you may not have heard is what happens when a company will censor someone over unpopular speech. In this episode, Ric takes a look at the NBA and the mess LeBron James found himself in regarding an unpopular statement.

The upsetting thing about this is that it revolved around a corporate influence on someone else. Also in this episode, Ric says a few things that if said in China would probably put him in some sort of camp. He'll explain what difference is between censorship and freedom of speech. Plus, his unpopular thought of the week and more.



Next Week: Navigating network television programming.

Astroturfing

There is a little dirty secret among some surviving drive time radio shows. Those cute little awkward bits you would hear involving listeners being put into uncomfortable situations for the sake of a laugh are actually scripted. There was a time however, when shows would pull those stunts off entirely through organic methods. It was more difficult to do and the outcomes were generally surprising but the payoff was usually big.

Not so much any more. In this episode, Ric talks about how radio consultants would push the notion of scripting an other wise naturally occurring incident for the sake of having a guaranteed payoff everytime. It came from the rise of reality TV and it is so bad now, listeners cringe over the notion. This is what astroturfing is all about.

Also, Ric and The Immigrant went to the fair and spent some time with circus people. Plus, the unpopular thought of the week.



NEXT WEEK: Just exactly, what is censorship?

Stay tuned...

The Vocal Allure

There are several reasons why audio on demand is so popular. Podcasts included. The basic reason would be convenience. But there is more to it than meets the ear, if you will. In this episode Ric takes a look at the implications of the human voice and why we as humans desire to have a connection with that. It doesn't seem to matter how introverted we may be, we still crave the sound of some one talking.

The trick is to talk about something that may be of interest to the listener. Broadcasters know this and because of this little fact, podcasts and live broadcasts are rather popular. Also in this episode, the unpopular thought of the week.



Next week: Why some broadcasters are lying to you.

Stay tuned...

The Keyboard Cowboys

We have all seen their comments. Filled with bravado and cowardice, the keyboard cowboys live to simply stir the pot. These are people who think that having the power of the internet at your fingertips means that everyone should not just hear what you have to say about a certain topic, but you should believe what they have to say as the gospel font of truth they think they are. Because of this mindset, the idea of some sort of civil discourse is gone. Maybe we will get that back. Maybe not.

In this episode, Ric takes a second look at these people through the eyes of the single most polarized topic there is. Politics. Also in this episode, Ric has his unpopular thought and some news from Radio Memphis.



NEXT WEEK: The implication of the human voice.


Stay tuned...

Video Dizzy

You probably don't give too much thought about how your videos come to you. It's all about format. Much like last week's episode about audio format, in this episode, Ric takes you through a very abbreviated history of how moving pictures came to you.

Starting with the basics of film and the transition to digital devices to the latest in video technologies. Have we reached peaked video? Not so fast, all eyes are on the one industry who have been guiding the advancement through the years and you are probably not going to believe your ears when you hear who is behind it all. Plus, Ric's unpopular thought and more.



NEXT WEEK: The Keyboard Cowboys

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Death To The Disc

The Compact Disc seems to have run its course. Or, has it? In this episode, Ric takes a look at all the various formats that led to the CD through the eyes of a radio personality. How it got here and just what is it good for now? Before you go thinking this is nothing more than some boring look at technology, there is much to be said about how far our technology have come and how much further it might go. Better yet, have we reached the end of the road for audio technology. Plus, Ric's unpopular thought of the show.



NEXT WEEK: Who decides the picture?

Petty Bastard

You might think we as a society have become more petty about everything. Truth is, we are just as petty now as we have always been. So, what makes it seem like we are more nuanced about life's little ridiculous situations? Social media. The one thing Facebook does extraordinarily well is magnify every little thing and feeling people get from time to time.

The rest of us may merely roll our eyes at these posts but for the one making that post, they are deadly serious. It's kind of like when people ask for unspoken prayers. What they are actually asking for is a little bit of attention.

In this episode, Ric gets petty himself as he looks into the hypocrisy of the human condition through the eyes of social media.



NEXT WEEK: Death to the disc.

The State of Fear

The media, especially social media does an exceptional job of trying to keep people in a sort of panic. It sort of starts with the whole Fear Of Missing Out or FOMO. Beyond that, though lies the interesting psychology of posting things with the sole intent of manipulating your thoughts and more importantly, your emotions. The best way to do that seems with the peddling of fear.

In this episode, Ric takes a look at how that works and how best for you to handle these things. Also, Ric takes umbrage with the idea that "all middle aged podcasters are only doing this so they can say politically incorrect things." How silly. Plus the unpopular thought of the episode.



NEXT WEEK: We've always been this petty.

More Mediocre Than The Others

It would appear society has now come to the conclusion that it is okay to be just okay. In this episode, Ric takes a look at the simple things in life we deal with. Durable and non durable goods are not excellent anymore. Neither are services.

Why is that? It could be we have allowed this happen thanks to all the competition out there. Take for example the new chicken sandwich wars. In this situation you have two mediocre companies battling it out to find out which one has the product that is more okay than the other. The bottom line being that no matter which one people tend to gravitate towards is still just okay.

Also, Ric's unpopular thought and a little tip for those who like audio books and don't want to pay anything for them.



NEXT WEEK: The Constant State of Fear

Payin' To Playin'

There is an old quote attributed to John Lee Hooker who said, "If you ain't playin', you payin'." There is a lot of truth to that statement, although he probably wasn't thinking about what is happening now in the entertainment world. In this episode, Ric takes a strong look (and aim) at the notion of pay to play business models out there. Yes, that does include multi-level marketing.

As Ric will tell you, it is a predatory practice that takes advantage of the emotional connection people have with money. He says it is sad and wrong but, it looks like we are stuck with this situation.

Also, is Facebook viable, at all? Plus, this week's unpopular thought.



NEXT WEEK: The quest to mediocrity.

The Great Television War

If it is one thing the internet has done, it has levelled the playing field. Most recently in the world of television. All of the cord cutters thought it was a pretty cool thing to tell the cable companies where to stuff their tiered access fees and bad programming when the internet became more of a place to get content. So we cut the cable, shut off the dishes and began to stream our shows on our own time and without fear of missing anything.

Now, the content providers are stuck in a major war with themselves. Charge for subscription or sell advertisement. Or worse, combine the two. Now, people are just getting a little pissed off with this fight and wondering when the next shoe is going to drop.

Also, Jeffery Epstein is dead, so why all the finger pointing when it was clear nothing more nefarious occurred than him simply taking himself out of the equation. And finally, a new bit in the show. Ric unveils his unpopular thought of the week.

NEXT WEEK: Is Facebook all that viable anymore?

Sarcastic Bullets

 Part of what it takes to being on the air these days is healthy sense of sarcasm and being a bit of a cynic. In this episode, Ric talks about why he speaks like that. In light of the recent mass shootings, he uses that subject to display just how powerful sarcasm can be. It's the vehicle that drives others to react in interesting ways.

Some of you out there may not like what they hear in this episode and Ric makes no apologies. As he says, "You have the right to freedom of speech, but you are not free from the consequences of your speech." He'll explain as he lays out the current status of what seems to be happening in America.



NEXT WEEK: TV on the internet.

Terrestrial Zombies

In a very sad way, FM has become this weird little zombie. Still propped up by the corporate stiffs as something that is still sort of viable. This is quite sad, frankly. There was a time when traditional radio was a fantastic medium, or so we thought. Once everyone was given an actual choice as to what they could listen to, the world sort of changed.

Now, terrestrial radio is sort of a sad joke. In this episode, Ric will expand on this by telling you about a conversation he had with a couple of people. One who was in the business and now is out doing his own thing, and one who is still in the scene and how he compares the current state of terrestrial radio to Weekend at Bernie's. A very sad analogy but so true on so many levels.

Plus, Ric went to the dentist and it was quite the mouthful. Also, Ric prepares to be without adult supervision as The Immigrant leaves town for a few days.



NEXT WEEK: The Sarcastic Cynic

Terms of Service

In light of the recent viral FaceApp thing which was hot for a minute, came news about how nefarious this thing could be. Almost immediately there were reports of how the app designers were a Russian company bent on snagging data from the app's users.

Which begs the question, how come there is all this talk about giving up your privacy and almost everyone is leary of doing that but, when it comes to something fun to do with a picture, these same people willingly give up all their privacy to see the gimmick? Remember, there is nothing free out there.

Sure, the app doesn't cost you a single penny. But, there is a cost and you likely paid handsomely for it. In this episode, Ric takes a look at the terms of service of the FaceApp as well as a cautionary look at other things out there. Also, some of the best ideas never get used. Instead, we are stuck with self checkout.



NEXT WEEK: FM as Zombieland

What A Cover Act

There it is, you see a post about one of your favorite bands in the whole world is coming to your town for a show. You grew up with their music, you have all of their records, it's been years since you have seen them live. You are going to the show. When you get there you realize that not one member of the band on stage is from the original act. They sound the same. They sort of look the same. But they are playing music that is ostensibly not theirs. It belongs to the band.

But, here we are at this show and we paid how much to see this cover act? In this episode, Ric talks about the business that is keeping the name alive of these classic rock acts all for the sake of selling tickets. Every member has been replaced though, but are they still the same? Also, the art of letting go. Plus, music from Tullie Brae.



NEXT WEEK: The 24 hour news cycle is making you dizzy. And it's getting worse.

An Advertising Conundrum

Advertising used to be so simple. You get to tell an audience of a platform about your business or whatever you want (within reason) in exchange for a few bucks. Now it got weird. Terrestrial radio kind of screwed that up, frankly.

They stiffed advertisers simply by chasing the dollar and sold out those dedicated to advertising their wares only to be left holding the bag. Now the internet is sucking up that revenue in all sorts of strange ways. One involves the useless short term gain of social media advertising. In this episode, Ric takes a critical look at what is going on out there in one form of this business and how advertisers are still getting screwed.



NEXT WEEK: If You're Happy And You Know It...

Plasticized

Humanity seems to be choking to death on plastic. We see it in the news all the time. The amount of plastic in the oceans is staggering. So much so it is showing up in the seafood we eat. Kind of scary when you think about that. But there is a fascinating thing going on at the moment.

There is a fairly large group of people in this country who seem to have an issue with the notion of cleaning up the place. Why would this be? In this episode, Ric takes a look what drives some of these ridiculous notions. Also in this episode, Ric takes a look at the apparent shift in podcast consumption. Some interesting things are going on mainly due to Apple.



NEXT WEEK: Advertisers vs Dinosaurs - The Battle of The Century

Too Connected

There are some fantastic technological things at our fingertips. We can do a lot of great things. You can attribute a good chunk of these advancements to computers. More specifically, your phone. The things we get to do with that device come with an interesting trade-off. One such thing is dealing with Facebook's Messenger. Oh, it can be quite the pain in the ass. But is there something more nefarious going on?

Also in this episode, Ric takes a look at kind of a strange scenario that involved pretty much all of the Target stores in the United States. All of their registers stopped working at the same time. Does this point to a serious weakness in our technology? Some scary scenarios are ahead. Listen now.



NEXT WEEK: Paper or Plastic?

Who Wants A Slice of Data Pie?

The thing about the internet is that content used to be king. What really is more valuable is data. Numbers. You. There are those out there who make it their business to keep an eye an where you are going on the internet, what it is you are looking at and what it is you are searching for and buying.

This information is pure gold to advertising agencies. The thing is, that information is not really all that valuable. In this episode, Ric takes a look at Ad Tech and how it doesn't work and how more and more companies are shying away from it, after they have taken it for a test drive. There is a very simple formula for working with advertisers in a broadcast and Ric will explain. Listen now.



NEXT WEEK: The Messenger We All Want To Shoot

Riding Those Coat Tails

In this episode, Ric tells the story of the two years he was asked to be a judge for an Elvis Tribute Artist competition. He wasn't asked to do a third year for reasons that will be made clear. The gist of the story though is about how these performers are riding the coat tails of a dead man.

Even though there may be a market for this sort of thing, the idea that there are those who are actively making a living off of someone else's creativity and hard work is kind of wrong, in Ric's opinion. This sort of thing happens all over the place, not just with a bunch of guys acting like Elvis. Plus, the joys of being a homeowner.



NEXT WEEK: The podcast flotsam.

Don't Look Over There

There are a few things you might hear regarding the news media. Aside from the fact a good number of them are some form of jackal. You might hear people say there is one thing happening to "distract" you from something else happening. It begs the question of how stupid do some people think the general public really is? The idea you can only hold one thought at a time when it comes to something of "national importance" is ludicrous.

In this episode, Ric is going to prove to you your own ability to maintain tons of thoughts at the same time. Plus, how do you really research something in the news? Ric will show you how he does just that. Also, it is the Memorial Day weekend and Ric has a little history about what it all means.



NEXT WEEK: Riding those coat tails to oblivion.

The Third Act Blues

It's a problem plaguing Hollywood. We've all seen it a million times and it is very frustrating when it unfolds in front of you. Much like what is happening now as a major TV show wraps up its final episode. In this episode, Ric talks about how writers can have a great run of a show or movie(s) only to completely ruin the thing by trying to end it gracefully.

Those of you who are Game of Thrones fans are becoming unwitting victims of this phenomenon right now. So much so that groups of fans have started petitions demanding the final season be re-done. It won't happen, but then again, it's hard to stop a shipwreck.



NEXT WEEK: More than one thought at a time.

Stay tuned...

Wine Mommy Loves You

There is a funny yet sad part of our society surrounding the culture of the wine mommy. You know her, she sits around all day with a glass of wine in her hand bitching to anyone who will listen about how hard her life is or how useless her husband is. Her name is probably Becky and her only friends are other wine moms. The only other thing worse than this person is the wine mommy who is full of pills because she just can't cope with anything. For the most part they are an ignorable part of our society, that is until they refuse to vaccinate their children. Welcome to 2019 and the return of the plague.



NEXT WEEK: Bacon & Coffee

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude is a great word. A German word which has found its way into our vernacular. Although you don't hear it too much, it does describe a fairly everyday emotion. Finding the joy in watching someone fail. It's a cruel world out there and as much as you want to believe it is sweet and nice, it is not. In this episode, Ric explores the idea behind schadenfreude and how it is nearly impossible to shut it off. There is a reason for that. Also, Ric takes a look at what happened at the 145th running of The Kentucky Derby. Something stinks and it ain't all that horse manure.



NEXT WEEK: Your Mom wants to kill you, apparently.

Stay tuned...

The Heavyweight Chumps

In a first for this show, Ric sat down with The Heavyweight Chumps. These guys host a podcast about pop culture, wrestling and all sorts of fun things. Several weeks ago, Ric was a guest on their show and to return the favor, The Chumps stepped in to Studio C for a few moments with cocktails to discuss all sorts of things from their perspective on the future of the podcast genre to the future of terrestrial radio and what the hell happened to television. Also, some stories from the world of wrestling, their thoughts on the WWE, the XFL and other sports entertainment. Plus, they played favorites. Also in this episode, Ric talks about the phenomenon of social media influencers.



NEXT WEEK: The Joy of Witnessing Failure

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The Emergency Room Emergency

What happens when an artist, performer, entertainer... a show biz type gets sick? Most of those people don't have insurance. Even if they did, it's not all that great. There are a couple things that go through the mind of these folks. "Oh my God, I have to go to the doctor to get that looked at..." followed immediately by, "This is going to cost me more than anything I have..."

It's the fear some people out there can't wrap their heads around. Recently, Memphis lost two musicians, one who was an elderly man with cancer and the other, a man in his late 30's who got sick from something that might have been curable. How many more benefits and crowd funding efforts are going to have to happen before we don't have to worry about this stuff any more?

Plus, the ridiculous plot to move Graceland out of Memphis.



NEXT WEEK: The Heavyweight Chumps

Stay tuned...

Jerre Dye & Marie-Stéphane Bernard

Opera singer Marie-Stéphane Bernard returns to Radioland bringing her friend Jerre Dye. Jerre is originally from the Midsouth and now lives in Chicago. He's an actor, director, producer and writer. Jerre has taken on the one woman show Sounds of A Dream starring Marie-Stéphane.

It is a biographical look at her life and career from Paris, France to Memphis, Tennessee and all the points in between. In this episode you will hear a demo of one of the songs in the production as well as how one writes such a story. Plus, another round of  playing favorites.



For more, head over to Marie-Stéphane's Facebook page.

NEXT WEEK: Graceland

Stay tuned...

Stream This

I, like most Americans had enough of the cable companies grip on my television. So, we cut the cord several years ago. Finally, TV on our own terms. That was, until the lumbering corporate dinosaurs got smart and started bundling up your favorites again. Yeah, right back into the same old boat. Paying for stuff you'll never watch. Thanks.

Also, is everyone kind of tired of the raw, unfiltered, uncensored live streams in social media? Australia is and they want to put some corporate people in jail over that stuff.



NEXT WEEK: Jerre Dye

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The Unravelling of An Idiot

Occasionally, you get to see reason surmount in situations that beg you to wonder where in the world reason has gone. In this case, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. He's being sued for some consequences as a result of his rabid and false statements. Specifically the Sandy Hook school shooting.

You'll hear some excerpts from his deposition he gave a couple weeks ago. All in the interest of transparency.



Additional audio courtesy of Katie Mettler of The Washington Post and Kaster, Lynch, Farrar & Ball, LLP.

NEXT WEEK: Was SNL ever relevant?

Stay tuned...

ASMR - WTF

Admittedly, I'm a little late to the party that is ASMR. Probably since it appears to be a bunch of nonsense. What is it? According to the research I have done, the concept is fairly simple. Listen to some mundane sound effect and your brain triggers some sort of internal orgasmic experience.

It lost it's luster to me when certain corporations picked up on this to sell products. Not to mention the fact that for me at least, it doesn't do anything.

You be the judge.



NEXT WEEK: Adaptation in a strange new world.

Brooke Fair

It's always an interesting time when I get to sit down with a teenager to have a conversation. Brooke Fair came into the studio to talk music. Since she is a songwriter, it made perfect sense. But the question does come up, what does a 14 year old write about? The answer, life experiences.

You'll hear her song "Love Songs on Loop" produced by Langston Studios.

Plus, St. Patrick's Day is "rookie night" in this country and chances are, you ain't Irish.



NEXT WEEK: Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response

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Sarah Simmons-Langston & Gregory Langston

There are just as many reasons for people to find themselves in show business as there are people who are in this business. For a lot of people, they have to deal with a lot of hidden issues. Most of which are tied to the psychological aspects of this line of work.

Also, ever wanted to know what it is like to be on a reality based talent show on TV?

You are going to find out all about that and we play favorites. Listen now.



NEXT WEEK: Marie Hutton

Stay tuned...

Marie-Stéphane Bernard

There are many facets to show business. There are many types of singers out there as well. I sat down with a world famous singer. By the way, she defines what a "diva" is and no, she is not one of those. Anyway, Marie-Stéphane Bernard is a fantastic lady. She is a real pro from the stage and a delightful person to have a conversation with. And, that we did.

In this episode, we talk about all of the places she has performed and what she is working on right now. Plus, we "play favorites".



If you would like to see more of Marie-Stéphane including some video of her performances, take a look at her website.

NEXT WEEK: Sarah Simmons-Langston & Greg Langston

The Mendoza Brothers - Canz & Windows

Due to a production schedule conflict, we had planned to bring you a conversation with Sarah Simmons. She'll be on the show in a couple of weeks, in the meantime, there were a couple of nice guys who were passing through Memphis and stopped by the radio station.

Jason and Johnny Mendoza are from El Paso, Texas and have spent some time in Los Angeles and out on the road. They have some interesting stories to tell as well as some pretty cool music.



NEXT WEEK: Marie-Stephané Bernard

Stay tuned...

Austen Onek

Years ago, I spent some time in the television industry. It was a wild time, for sure. At one point I was working with Austen Onek in Kansas. Over the years, as situations occur in this business, people move from city to city.

Well, our paths crossed again here in Memphis so I sat down with Austen and what did we talk about? The weather, of course. Among a bunch of other things.



NEXT WEEK: Sarah Simmons

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Talking Tech with Dianna Fryer

For several years now, companies have found new and inventive ways of removing people from various industries, even in the world of broadcast. Which is sad. It's as if technology was sucking the fun right out of the business.

But what happens when you put people back into the mix? In the new format of From Radioland, I sat down with Dianna Fryer, General Manager of Pirate Radio Studios, Inc. to discuss this very thing.

Also, a new element has been added to the show, Playing Favorites.



NEXT WEEK: Talking about the weather with Austen Onek.

Stay tuned...

Benny Turner & Cash McCall

This episode marks 5 complete years of production for the show From Radioland. As I had been talking about over the past couple of weeks, we'll making some changes. The content for this show has been from The Booze & Blues Show at Radio Memphis.

Well, the time has come to move that content over to the RMOD (Radio Memphis On Demand) collection. This is a good thing since that move will allow us to get those blues shows online much faster than trying to shoehorn it into this show.

So, what of this show? I'll explain in the show.

Also, a visit with 2 legendary blues musicians who had not worked together for over 40 years. They got together and made a CD. You'll hear some of those songs as well as some of the stories as to how this collection of songs was made.



NEXT WEEK: Technology sucking the fun out of everything with Dianna Fryer.

Stay tuned...

The Lizzard Kings

It's not a typo. The word "lizzard" (with 2 Zs) has an amusing connotation. You'll learn about it here. These guys represented Memphis in the International Blues Challenge this past week in the band category. They are a real blast to hang out with as we did that night. You'll hear some studio performances and a few songs off their brand new CD.

Also, we are getting close to wrapping our 5th year of production with this show. An interesting milestone for sure. With that, there are some changes coming to Radioland. But you can think of it as more of an expansion than anything else. I'll explain in the show.



NEXT WEEK: Benny Turner & Cash McCall

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John Nemeth

John has been a long time friend of Radio Memphis. He stopped in with a guitarist named Aubrey and brought a drummer named Willie. It was fun night and there were quite a few stories told including the whole thing about John getting censored over a pickle.

Also, ever been to a grocery store after the snow has come and gone and they haven't restocked everything? I did and it tells an interesting story.



NEXT WEEK: The Lizzard Kings

Stay tuned...

Back from Europe with Low Society

We have known these guys since 2011. We all met one fateful New Year's evening on Beale Street. They just arrived in Memphis and we just arrived on the air. Ever since, we have been a family of sorts. Now, Low Society, back from their 3rd European tour in 2018, sat down to catch us up.

Jeff and I also got to experience a brand new blues act of which you will hear as well.



NEXT WEEK: John Nemeth has a big van.

Stay tuned...

The Post Holiday Blues

It's that time again when we come out of the holiday rush into what many would call the dark times before spring. Although as of this writing, it's like 70 degrees outside. Anyway, a couple of weeks back, we were in the throws of the impending Christmas holiday. On the air, the return of Tlaxica but this time she brought along her musical partner, Pope. Stories were told and music was played. It was big.

Then a little later on, a dear friend of Radio Memphis, Zeke Johnson came in to talk about the holiday and play a little music related to the day. He also tells one of the most remarkable Christmas stories you will ever hear with every word being true.



NEXT WEEK: Fresh from Europe, Low Society.

Stay tuned...