Anonymous wrote:I am late to this thread but happy to find it. I called WAMU several times last year to complain about Armando's stereotyping, sexist, racist and classist comments. I don't actually think he is any of those things but when he editorializes, he makes the most idiotic, offensive and totally unnecessary observations. Remember the one in which he urged people to stay away from DC during the anniversary of the MLK March on Washington because you would have cram onto the metro like a bunch of Japanese workers? That was my fave of all the lows -- he insulted blacks, Asians, and transit workers in one breath.

As for Iiiiii'm Michael Pope, I used to be annoyed but his stories are okay (not probing, but okay) and now I am amused b/c it always sounds like the sound editors are racing to cut off his sign-off before he can get it out -- "Iiiii'm Mi---" click.

Matt McCleskey has a nice North Carolina voice (weren't all the big reporters of the 60s from NC? Cronkite, Kuralt?). The quirks of the others aren't as bad as the lack of probing questions that always leave me asking "And therefore???"

The loud theme music that ran under the entire ArtBeat piece was distracting but maybe that is gone now. Could be my own inability to sort the spoken audio from the music (ah, middle age).

I like having something other than WTOP to get my local news, so I am not easily upset by it. I also dislike the BBC feed b/c I am one of those later commuters and I need my local news.

Are they still employing that odd style where two reporters would present a story and pose q's the other would answer -- like a volleyball set up? But maybe that was NPR? Less obvious now, fortunately.

Finally, the writer for Rehm need to shorten up the intros she has to read at the start of her program. A "teaser" shouldn't be three paragraphs and 4 minutes long! The poor woman is winded before the guest even arrives, and any mystery about the segment has already been thoroughly disclosed.

Otherwise, the team provides a nice accompaniment to traffic or morning rituals, and reminds me that DC is really just a small town with a lot of traffic and the occasional inaugural event.

Anonymous wrote:

As for Iiiiii'm Michael Pope, I used to be annoyed but his stories are okay (not probing, but okay) and now I am amused b/c it always sounds like the sound editors are racing to cut off his sign-off before he can get it out -- "Iiiii'm Mi---" click.

Anonymous wrote:I am late to this thread but happy to find it. I called WAMU several times last year to complain about Armando's stereotyping, sexist, racist and classist comments. I don't actually think he is any of those things but when he editorializes, he makes the most idiotic, offensive and totally unnecessary observations. Remember the one in which he urged people to stay away from DC during the anniversary of the MLK March on Washington because you would have cram onto the metro like a bunch of Japanese workers? That was my fave of all the lows -- he insulted blacks, Asians, and transit workers in one breath.

As for Iiiiii'm Michael Pope, I used to be annoyed but his stories are okay (not probing, but okay) and now I am amused b/c it always sounds like the sound editors are racing to cut off his sign-off before he can get it out -- "Iiiii'm Mi---" click.

Matt McCleskey has a nice North Carolina voice (weren't all the big reporters of the 60s from NC? Cronkite, Kuralt?). The quirks of the others aren't as bad as the lack of probing questions that always leave me asking "And therefore???"

The loud theme music that ran under the entire ArtBeat piece was distracting but maybe that is gone now. Could be my own inability to sort the spoken audio from the music (ah, middle age).

I like having something other than WTOP to get my local news, so I am not easily upset by it. I also dislike the BBC feed b/c I am one of those later commuters and I need my local news.

Are they still employing that odd style where two reporters would present a story and pose q's the other would answer -- like a volleyball set up? But maybe that was NPR? Less obvious now, fortunately.

Finally, the writer for Rehm need to shorten up the intros she has to read at the start of her program. A "teaser" shouldn't be three paragraphs and 4 minutes long! The poor woman is winded before the guest even arrives, and any mystery about the segment has already been thoroughly disclosed.

Otherwise, the team provides a nice accompaniment to traffic or morning rituals, and reminds me that DC is really just a small town with a lot of traffic and the occasional inaugural event.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sitting here thinking about how amazing it is to see 11 pages worth of the nastiest comments about everyday folks that bring you the news and stories. It blows me away to see that these catty and downright disrespectful comments are almost all "anonymous on a "moms" blog! What on Earth are you going to teach your kids about having respect for others? Did it occur to you that the people you are insulting have read your comments? Can you imagine how that stings? Totally crass!

Anonymous wrote:

But seriously it's Elliot Francis that is ruining everything for me lately. I have to mute it when he's on.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sitting here thinking about how amazing it is to see 11 pages worth of the nastiest comments about everyday folks that bring you the news and stories. It blows me away to see that these catty and downright disrespectful comments are almost all "anonymous on a "moms" blog! What on Earth are you going to teach your kids about having respect for others? Did it occur to you that the people you are insulting have read your comments? Can you imagine how that stings? Totally crass!

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree about Michele Martin. Must EVERY.DAMN.THING have some racial angle?