[Swprograms] Help VoA's Talk to America!

["Sergei S." <radonezh@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Feb.10 the VoA's phone-in show Talk to America
hasn't received a single call. In the end, TTA's host
Doug Bernard said that the show has been on the air
for 9 or 10 years and that the amount of phone calls
received just keep dropping. So now he is thinking
about having a real phone-in show only once a week or
so. On other days there might be some other kind of
talk show.

Right after the program I sent Doug a note saying that
I actually wanted to call during the show but the
phone # was announced only once in the very beginning!
I'm forwarding his reply because it concerns not only
me. I think Talk to America is a fine show and it
should continue with some form of interactivity with
its listeners.

You can email Doug with your thoughts and comments at
talk@xxxxxxxxxxxx You can also participate in the show
on weekdays from 16:05 UTC (note the new time slot!)
by calling 1-202-619-3111. VoA accepts reverse
charges. 

Here are the frequencies for the program:
http://www.voanews.com/english/About/frequenciesatoz_e.cfm.
Live online streaming:
http://www.voanews.com/real/live/newsnow.ram

Finally, here's the message I got from Doug:

Hello Sergei;

Doug Bernard with TTA here; thanks much for the email,
and the
thoughts.  You're right; I only gave the number out
once today.  Why was
that?  Well, I have become so accustomed to giving out
our phone and
email address over and over throughout the program,
and yet receiving no
calls!  Frankly, I think it sounds bad -- like we're
begging for calls
but no-one's listening -- and I know it makes our
guests very
uncomfortable as well.  
Have you phoned in or written before?  Are there
topics that you would
really like to call in and ask about?  Or what about a
program on an
international story everyone knows -- say the Iraq war
-- and just open
the phones for opinions; would you like to participate
in something like
that?
We're just very curious what listeners like and what
they don't like,
and I think this is one of the best ways to conduct
audience research.
 --dbj


Doug Bernard
Voice of America
330 Independence Ave SW
Suite 2110
Washington DC 20237  USA



		
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