Cheap and Precious Talk Radio Lives on Central Coast
Have you ever had a friend who you frequently argue with, insult on occasion, fill his ears with whines and complaints day in and day out, and still, for some crazy but blessed reason, he still continues to treat you like a friend whether you deserve it or not?
I know someone who has made it his job to be that way. His name is Bill Benica and you can catch him hosting a radio talk show from 11 a.m. to noon weekdays on KXTY, 99.7 FM.
Bill calls his program "Talk is Cheap," broadcasting from a studio here on the Central Coast. Honest, homespun, all-local, commercial talk radio programs are an endangered species, but Bill shows us why we should treasure them.
Anyone can phone in to Bill's show and yap about anything short of something that might trigger a Federal Communications Commission indecency fine.
A sure sign of bravery in the line of fire, Bill--a Vietnam combat veteran--doesn't screen calls. You simply phone in and give your first name and location to whoever happens to be answering the phone that day. When it's your turn to speak on the show, it's really your turn. You can open your mouth and let it rip. (Yes, in many cases that is like handing automatic rifles to pre-schoolers. Fortunately it is usually more amusing than dangerous.)
What impresses me about Bill is that if you adamantly disagree with him about something--and because of a perverse personality flaw I find it great sport to continually find reason to do so--he lets you make your point in full. Unlike more-famous radio talk show hosts, Bill doesn't cut you off at critical points or use shrewd debate tactics and dishonesty to pull the rug out while snidely suggesting to listeners you are a pitiable fool let on the air because of the host's charitable desire to reeducate you to his more elevated way of thinking. Bill, thankfully, lets us make fools of ourselves single-handedly.
Equally as impressive, Bill routinely allows his callers--even the most argumentative--the final word. I know this firsthand because I've often been that troublesome caller, unloading a heaping ration of shinola over the phone lines and into his lap. And, bless him, Bill simply stands up, brushes it off and, with a chuckle, offers me the opportunity to elaborate.
Not that Bill won't defend his positions--he can be as stubborn and wrongheaded as the best of us--but he always does so with sportsmanship. Win or lose, Bill is gracious even when his caller is being a loud-mouthed, caustic, inflammatory, insulting bore. (Would you believe there are more than a few of us out there? )
Bill subtitles his show "The Friends and Neighbors Network" and that's an honest description of what you hear. The talk from Bill and his friends and neighbors is dished out as cheap as it gets, but the style remains precious.
I know someone who has made it his job to be that way. His name is Bill Benica and you can catch him hosting a radio talk show from 11 a.m. to noon weekdays on KXTY, 99.7 FM.
Bill calls his program "Talk is Cheap," broadcasting from a studio here on the Central Coast. Honest, homespun, all-local, commercial talk radio programs are an endangered species, but Bill shows us why we should treasure them.
Anyone can phone in to Bill's show and yap about anything short of something that might trigger a Federal Communications Commission indecency fine.
A sure sign of bravery in the line of fire, Bill--a Vietnam combat veteran--doesn't screen calls. You simply phone in and give your first name and location to whoever happens to be answering the phone that day. When it's your turn to speak on the show, it's really your turn. You can open your mouth and let it rip. (Yes, in many cases that is like handing automatic rifles to pre-schoolers. Fortunately it is usually more amusing than dangerous.)
What impresses me about Bill is that if you adamantly disagree with him about something--and because of a perverse personality flaw I find it great sport to continually find reason to do so--he lets you make your point in full. Unlike more-famous radio talk show hosts, Bill doesn't cut you off at critical points or use shrewd debate tactics and dishonesty to pull the rug out while snidely suggesting to listeners you are a pitiable fool let on the air because of the host's charitable desire to reeducate you to his more elevated way of thinking. Bill, thankfully, lets us make fools of ourselves single-handedly.
Equally as impressive, Bill routinely allows his callers--even the most argumentative--the final word. I know this firsthand because I've often been that troublesome caller, unloading a heaping ration of shinola over the phone lines and into his lap. And, bless him, Bill simply stands up, brushes it off and, with a chuckle, offers me the opportunity to elaborate.
Not that Bill won't defend his positions--he can be as stubborn and wrongheaded as the best of us--but he always does so with sportsmanship. Win or lose, Bill is gracious even when his caller is being a loud-mouthed, caustic, inflammatory, insulting bore. (Would you believe there are more than a few of us out there? )
Bill subtitles his show "The Friends and Neighbors Network" and that's an honest description of what you hear. The talk from Bill and his friends and neighbors is dished out as cheap as it gets, but the style remains precious.
posted by David C. at 9:12 AM
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