[Swprograms] Podding Along - Issue 444

[John Figliozzi <jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Podcasts are a great development in the history of radio because they permit a shift of listening time from a set appointment to virtually any convenient occasion.  I do it while “power walking” (most) every morning when weather and my own psyche permit.  Indeed, were it not for podcasts I doubt I would have found any other inspiration for putting in these miles as long as I have.

Hence…Podding Along!

Some of the best radio comes from the public networks of the UK, Australia, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and the U.S.  While there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of great podcasts from other sources, the ones sponsored via public radio have been vetted though the worthy objectives of the medium. 

Furthermore, I personally curate this continuing series of small samplings that are listed in more or less 90 minute helpings. Admittedly that makes these recommendations somewhat subjective.  But, as you will see, my interests are many and my tolerance for incompatible topics and views are pretty wide-ranging.  I hope you will find these suggestions helpful in enhancing your enjoyment of radio.

__ __


“China's Influence in Hollywood”
FRESH AIR - NPR and WHYY Philadelphia
Hollywood relies on China to stay afloat. What does that mean for movies? Today's Hollywood blockbusters are specifically being crafted to appeal to Chinese audiences — and pass muster with the Chinese government — according to Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel.  He highlights a few notable situations of product placement: In the 2014 film Transformers: Age of Extinction, Mark Wahlberg's character withdraws money from a China Construction Bank ATM — while in Texas. In another scene from the same film, a character buys Chinese protein powder at a Chicago convenience store.  And just 10 days after its release, Age of Extinction became the highest grossing film of all time in China. The movie has since been overtaken at the box office by a string of other blockbusters, but Schwartzel says its influence lingers.  Schwartzel has trained his eye to spot what he calls "Chinese elements" in movies: "You'll start to see it everywhere," he says. "I go to the movies now and I can see the Chinese cell phone — even if it's blurred in the frame.”  In his new book, "Red Carpet: Hollywood, China and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy", Schwartzel writes about China's growing influence on Hollywood. He contends that China has watched as Hollywood films helped sell America to the world — and it wants to do the same. (44”)
https://www.npr.org/2022/02/21/1081435029/china-hollywood-movies-censorship-erich-schwartzel

"The Editor Planning to Shake Up News"
THE MEDIA SHOW - BBC Radio 4
A bold new media start-up plans to create from scratch a news provider that will rival the likes of CNN, the New York Times and the BBC. The people behind it are Justin Smith, boss of Bloomberg Media, and Ben Smith, former editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News and media columnist at the New York Times. And with those two at the helm, journalists around the world are paying attention...But what does this new company tell us about the state of global journalism, the aftermath of the Trump years and declining trust in the news? (27”)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00139kr


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A monthly (well, mostly monthly) compendium of these newsletters, plus on occasion additional pertinent material, is now published in The CIDX Messenger, the monthly e-newsletter of the Canadian International DX Club (CIDX).  For further information, go to www.cidx.ca

John Figliozzi
Editor, "The Worldwide Listening Guide”
NEW UPDATED 10th EDITION available NOW from universal-radio.com, amazon.com. W5YI.org, amazon.co.uk and amazon.com.au !
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