Finally, someone is giving local radio its due – and on a nationally syndicated scale. This past week, the pop-culture focused TV show “Dish Nation” premiered (locally on Fox-2), featuring morning radio shows from New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and (are you ready?): Detroit.
WDVD (96.3)’s “Blaine and Allyson” are representing from Motown as the show is built around the best daily bits, happening organically, over the course of their show as well as New York City’s WPLJ-FM (95.5)’s “The Big Show with Scott & Todd,” Atlanta’s WHTA-FM (107.9)’s “Rick Smiley Morning Show” and Los Angeles’ KPWR-FM (105.9)’s morning show hosted by DJ Felli Fel.
Through September, ‘Dish’ is being ‘test-run’ weeknights at midnight in seven different markets while a determination is made whether to pick the series up for a year.
It’s an incredible coup for terrestrial radio and recognition by show producers (the same people that created “The Daily Show”) of the outstanding creativity and talent that exists and is broadcast each and every day out of radio studios across the country. That the show showcases and celebrates geographic uniqueness flies in the face of typical one-size fits all programming convention of New York- or LA-based satellite broadcasting.
It would seem, once again, that the death of traditional radio is greatly exaggerated. On the contrary, when the “content is king” mantra is followed in any medium, the delivery system is often unimportant. In this case, however, the masters behind the microphone are also a beauty to behold.