Does anybody listen to ICRT in the morning here without cringing.
First of all it’s still got a huge American bent which is full of boring baseball and hockey results for sports. Yawn. I like listening to that guy Stefan Graus on ‘The Taiwan Report’ just to try to figure out where the hell that guy is from. The political stuff can be really boring unfortunately, Taiwan feels like a place that fell off the planet sometimes. The only other foreign reference usually is what George Dubya is doing with those Al Queda lunatics (not much better than CNN).
What I do like are there local features, like on Spring Scream or some show that is going on.
Anyway what I really want to talk about is the girl that sends those reports from BeiJing. I literally cringe when I hear her talking. An 8 yr old could speak with more rhythm than this girl. She’s obviously reading from prepared text but she has no clue where to put intonation or any emotion in her voice. It’s really awful. The whole prepared nature of their conversations is just brutal.
Perhaps they are too chicken (or not allowed to do a live unedited broadcast) but it really is terrible. What is going on there?
My old college radio was better than that.
quote:Originally posted by haobana:
Does anybody listen to ICRT in the morning here without cringing.
First of all it’s still got a huge American bent which is full of boring baseball and hockey results for sports…
It has an American bent because it was set up by the US and then given to Taiwan. If you don’t like it then ask some other country to establish a radio station here for free…I won’t be holding my breath.
BTW, baseball is one hell of alot better than soccer…any game that features grown men boucing balls on their heads has GOT to be queer!
I KNOW the history of ICRT thanks very much. Do you know what ICRT means – International Community Radio Station. Well it seems to be focused on Taiwanese more than foreigners in some ways. Sorry for stating the facts about those sports but the results of these games are meaningless for 90% of people who listen I reckon, at least mix and match with other sports (I didn’t mention soccer)from around the world. Baseball has a small following even in the states.
ICRT is not free, it’s a commercial organisation.
I’m just giving my two bits cos I wish there were more options for English media here as there are in almost all other Asian countries. If I could get some internet radio now that would be cool!
quote:Originally posted by haobana:
I'm just giving my two bits cos I wish there were more options for English media here as there are in almost all other Asian countries. If I could get some internet radio now that would be cool!
Do like I do…read the Straits Times and the Bangkok Post…and listen to:
I have noticed that recently, the long-time newscasters have clearly not bothered to even scan the text before they read it on the air, resulting in a stilted, guarded and unnatural delivery.
They also don’t bother to find out how to pronounce certain words. I cringe too and shake my head when a place name is mispronounced and then the CNN sound-byte has it pronounced correctly – only for the ICRT reader to AGAIN screw it up.
These guys are obviously not giving a horse’s ass about what is going on the air anymore.
And by the way, why are they playing that US TOP 40 show on the weekend? Is that only to show how far away from contemporary music ICRT is? I mean if you want to be an oldies station say so. “Taiwan’s only 'stuck in the 70s and 80s station…with a 90s tune thrown in every couple of hours!”
Thanks for the advice. Actually I mean readily available media like newspapers that are pretty cheap and regular radio broadcasts.
When I say Internet Radio I mean get a radio that you could carry around with you and didn’t need a cable connection but you could tune into some sort of wireless or cellular network-----I’m sure it’s done already but very expensive. Might go back in time and get a Shortwave like grandad!!!
Not too long ago, the station was purchased by a major bank. It is no longer a public institution. The staff has had run-ins with the new ‘management’… Some left. I think maybe they are going through something like what the folks who used to work at the Taipei Times went through… Actually, I like the news report in the morning… It is typical of an American private radio station, but then again, most of the guys are Americans who work there – so what would you expect? The news about Taiwan and international affairs is as timely as you can get… I wouldn’t complain so much… The only other alternative is to hook-up your shortwave and listen to those dizzy Brits make jokes at everyone’s expense but their own… That’s the way it is. Concise sports scores or in-depth global disaster and the odd personal interview… Remember – ICRT used to do more live interviews of local politicos and newsmakers, that is until they got muzzled by the new management, which seemingly wants less than deep coverage; the silent owners get what they want. Like CNN: having been bought out by bigger business: no more in-depth, on the ground documentaries about what life’s like in various hot-spots around the world. I don’t even have cable. Catch-up guys… The choice is yours.
Haobana, “Stefan Graus” sounds strangely familiar german to me, maybe that is where he comes from.
ICRT in general: I still somehow liked it when I heard them for the first time in '91, but now I don’t like most of their music, don’t like the way they “act” (Sorry, I’m not a 12 yr old…), don’t… …so I simply don’t listen to that station any more. There will probably never be another “international” station challenging them, but maybe another radio station will change a part of their program once in a way that could cause at least partial “competition” to them.
OK, I’m daydreaming…
The American Community Radio in Taiwan is best when not listened to. Boring DJ’s, crap music and no news that are not related to the US. Like the CNN, actually. There are so many ways of getting less biased news …
Actually I prefer ICRT now that it plays a lot more music. They have time limits on talk time and that suits me. When they talk I turn it off. It really makes my skin crawl.
The simplest formula for success would be to play MODERN POPULAR MUSIC I mean how hard can that be. And just plonk the BBC news on on the hour with two 1 hour round ups per day in the morning and evening.
quote[quote]Does anybody listen to ICRT in the morning here without cringing.[/quote]
I occasionally listen in the morning just to make myself cringe. No, really. There's nothing like hearing the way some of the news announcers mangle the pronunciation of, for example, Taidong and Taizhong to get me agitated enough to wake up fully and get out of bed. [img]images/smiles/icon_mad.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/converted/hellno3d.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_mad.gif[/img]
“English” pronunciation of Chinese is a horrible, horrible thing, especially when it comes from someone who most certainly should – and probably does – know better.
ICRT is an enormous pile of shite. The only time I ever listen to it is when there’s a major disaster and I’m trying to catch 2 minutes of English news 2 hours late.
Can anyone at ICRT explain what has happened over there? The music seems to be nothing but moldy oldies and pretty sappy ones too.
Did someone take a poll and decide that everyone wanted to listen to Lionel Richie? Where is the new music? Billboard’s top 20 are like mysteries to us here.
ICRT is not for Americans or Europeans it is for the Taiwanese. They are the masses here. We are lucky to have a station here in English (When I worked in Bangkok there were only Thai stations) and I agree with O’Brian, don’t hold your breath for some European country to set up a station here. Regarding baseball scores well, I think the Taiwanese are quite fond of baseball. Maybe the Taiwanese that listen also like sappy old tunes so they can practise their KTV singing while listening. The DJs are old so they play old music. And that Casey Casum flashback stuff must be free or cheaper than a DJ. Maybe the Taiwanese even like it when the DJs are talking so they can practise their English comprehension skills. I turn on Chinese radio stations to work on my Chinese comprehension when I am in the car and I prefer it when they blabber and not play any music. Personally, I like the KROCK alternative countdown on Saturday, if they still have it. In the morning they play the BBC if you get up early enough. I know some people still at ICRT I will ask them how the reporter from Beijing got her job. It could be that she is busom buddies with the general manager, rumor has it that is how it works over there sometimes.