Little Bang Theory

I really can’t tell you how lucky I feel to be in the immediate listening area of WAMC Public Radio out of Albany, NY. Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of good radio stations out there, and I hope you have a fave within ear-shot of your daily routine. When in Boston, for instance, I try to tune in to WERS from Emerson College for reggae, hip-hop and the most INCREDIBLE a capella show on Saturdays at 1pm.

But WAMC is different in that it combines your typical NPR pablum with a serious number of well-produced local shows about politics, the environment, culture and society. It’s frequently hilarious, usually informative and always entertaining. Even their fund drives are great, and draw some of their largest audiences.

The driving force behind this phenomenon is their President and Grand Poobah, Alan Chartock, CEO of a veritable media empire consisting of a network of about a dozen radio stations and a superb program production company. While I don’t always agree with his point of view, I do always respect his position and admire his energy and enthusiasm. Plus he’s short, which is a plus in my book.

Today’s highlights for me included a segment on their morning program, The Round Table, in which a local “folk-hop” musician performed some interesting original tunes; an hour long conversation between Alan C. and Greg Palast, a personal hero of mine; an installment of 51%, the ever-informative program for and about women’s issues, and the upcoming Fresh Air, tonight featuring a discussion about Congressional corruption.

For those of you not able to tune into this feast at 90.3 FM and it’s herd of progeny, the whole thing streams live at WAMC.org. Browse the programs in the left side-bar, you’ll find some real gems.

Enjoy!