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From an earlier submission (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2546087 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2546087) another factor that gives NPR programs a

by keane 10y ago

From an earlier submission (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2546087 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2546087) another factor that gives NPR programs a different feel than your average live radio interview is a large amount of careful editing, described by On the Media’s John Soloman: http://nprfreshair.tumblr.com/post/5449544068/lk-on-the-medias-john-soloman-explains-how http://nprfreshair.tumblr.com/post/5449544068/lk-on-the-medi...

dredmorbius 10y ago
As NPR falls increasingly under the spell of "it must be live" -- even the hourly news summaries now start with "Live, from NPR News in Washington", rather than the former "From NPR News in Washington", a gratuitous change that grates -- the segments are far more frequently not edited. Among the problems this presents is what I call "the chase", which are the final 30 seconds or so of an interview in which the host or interviewer is quite clearly trying to wrap up with a guest, who either isn't aware of, or doesn't want, to meet that time schedule. It is always awkward, and occurs at the end of EVERY live interview. (The BBC also exhibits this, the worse when it's over some long-distance line.) A pre-recorded, edited interview can go for full feel and length, and then be cut to fit the timeslot. One thing I recall (and miss) from those was a far more gracious interview wrap. I'm sure that far less of what had been said hit the air, but what there was was better for it.
- drivers99 10y ago
  It was really awkward when an official in the UK was trying to give some condolences about Orlando and the NPR host had to cut them off in the middle of their statement.
  - dredmorbius 10y ago
    It's always fucking awkward. My anticipatory cringe starts about 2 minutes into any interview.
- billforsternz 10y ago
  It always puzzles me when experienced media pros don't recognise that they are going to be shut down abruptly by an approaching hour boundary. Sometimes this happens every week on a regularly scheduled gig! Surely it can't be that difficult to wear a watch and keep it accurate.
  - dredmorbius 10y ago
    It's not the approaching hour, but the 3-6 minutes allocated to a given interview. I've come to recognise that "in the few seconds we have left" is the cue for "wrap this up in 60 seconds". But with the very wide range of people interviewed, ranging from seasoned professionals (politicians and PR flacks) to complete novices (hey, news happens to random people), and especially given both language and technical barriers (it's really hard to formulate your thoughts and be cognisant of studio realities when you're trying to catch what's being said over a scratchy long-distance link), the awkward cut happens very frequently. I'd notice it on commercial broadcasts if I listened to those more. I am very well aware of it on NPR and BBC broadcasts. Somewhat less so on CBC.
    - billforsternz 10y ago
      Well that might be so, but the syndrome I was addressing really is the approaching hour. It might happen for example if there is a regular slot for "our Australian correspondent" at the end of an hour. It's supposed to be at 8:55(ish) but sometimes it's delayed or advanced. Either way, the Australian correspondent should be aware the news at 9:00.00 is a hard boundary that is going to cut him off, but surprisingly often he doesn't seem cognisant of that at all. It doesn't matter what the time zone differences are - hour boundaries are hour boundaries! (okay there are exceptions - but the Australian correspondent is not reporting out of South Australia which has a half hour shift).

by keane 10y ago

dredmorbius 10y ago

As NPR falls increasingly under the spell of "it must be live" -- even the hourly news summaries now start with "Live, from NPR News in Washington", rather than the former "From NPR News in Washington", a gratuitous change that grates -- the segments are far more frequently not edited. Among the problems this presents is what I call "the chase", which are the final 30 seconds or so of an interview in which the host or interviewer is quite clearly trying to wrap up with a guest, who either isn't aware of, or doesn't want, to meet that time schedule. It is always awkward, and occurs at the end of EVERY live interview. (The BBC also exhibits this, the worse when it's over some long-distance line.) A pre-recorded, edited interview can go for full feel and length, and then be cut to fit the timeslot. One thing I recall (and miss) from those was a far more gracious interview wrap. I'm sure that far less of what had been said hit the air, but what there was was better for it.

drivers99 10y ago
It was really awkward when an official in the UK was trying to give some condolences about Orlando and the NPR host had to cut them off in the middle of their statement.
- dredmorbius 10y ago
  It's always fucking awkward. My anticipatory cringe starts about 2 minutes into any interview.
billforsternz 10y ago
It always puzzles me when experienced media pros don't recognise that they are going to be shut down abruptly by an approaching hour boundary. Sometimes this happens every week on a regularly scheduled gig! Surely it can't be that difficult to wear a watch and keep it accurate.
- dredmorbius 10y ago
  It's not the approaching hour, but the 3-6 minutes allocated to a given interview. I've come to recognise that "in the few seconds we have left" is the cue for "wrap this up in 60 seconds". But with the very wide range of people interviewed, ranging from seasoned professionals (politicians and PR flacks) to complete novices (hey, news happens to random people), and especially given both language and technical barriers (it's really hard to formulate your thoughts and be cognisant of studio realities when you're trying to catch what's being said over a scratchy long-distance link), the awkward cut happens very frequently. I'd notice it on commercial broadcasts if I listened to those more. I am very well aware of it on NPR and BBC broadcasts. Somewhat less so on CBC.
  - billforsternz 10y ago
    Well that might be so, but the syndrome I was addressing really is the approaching hour. It might happen for example if there is a regular slot for "our Australian correspondent" at the end of an hour. It's supposed to be at 8:55(ish) but sometimes it's delayed or advanced. Either way, the Australian correspondent should be aware the news at 9:00.00 is a hard boundary that is going to cut him off, but surprisingly often he doesn't seem cognisant of that at all. It doesn't matter what the time zone differences are - hour boundaries are hour boundaries! (okay there are exceptions - but the Australian correspondent is not reporting out of South Australia which has a half hour shift).