What can I listen to on xmas that won't make my secular ears wilt?
December 6, 2010 8:38 PM   Subscribe

Looking for Radio Humbug: On every major holiday, but most especially Christmas, I'm annoyed that the radio broadcasts I habitually listen to--mostly NPR, BBC world service--are overtaken by special holiday content, which is usually religious and sappy. Can anyone recommend a radio station to listen to on internet stream on these holidays (talk, not music) that will present news, interviews, documentaries and the like? I could do podcasts, but I much prefer live streaming. Necessarily in English. Most any sort of content or geographic focus would be of interest, so long as there's no shouting, minimal or no religion, no political extremism.
posted by Corvid to Media & Arts (6 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Well CBC radio 1(Canadian) can be streamed or by podcast and they have usually minimal holiday content (except maybe for the 24 and 25). So far nothing religious or Christmas - like. The programs I really like and think will be least holiday focused are: the current, as it happens, quirks and quarks, the age of persuasion, DNTO, white coat black art, spark and always wonderful, the vinyl cafe (may be holidayish but the stories of dave are worth it).
I would suggest avoiding tapestry as it is always about someone's god.
posted by saradarlin at 9:40 PM on December 6, 2010


I've really given it some thought here, since seeing this question, and I'm unable to come up with even one stream that's not going to be overtaken with at least some holiday hokum. And even if it isn't from the perspective of the cultural holiday, there is just so much going on that involves that holiday in our world that it's got to be hard not to discuss it, on any current events show.

My first thoughts were Pacifica streams, but I'd bet they're going to be inundated, actually, or at least the one I'm most familiar with, KPFT out of Houston, they have volunteers running shows all week long, it's very free-form, it's almost certain that you'd hear about it, even if negatively. Plus it doesn't meet your need of all talk.

Myself, I listen to what I want, my own mp3's, whatever, books on tape, to get me through. I celebrate winter (and the new year) on the solstice, 12/21, the longest night, the shortest day, my favorite day of the year, I spent it last year writing to friends I care about.

I'm quite interested in seeing what other answers might show up here.
posted by dancestoblue at 10:13 PM on December 6, 2010


Take a vacation from the news. If anything important happens, somebody will let you know.

http://www.ted.com/talks

http://english.aljazeera.net/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qy05

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/924_interview_archiv/index.shtml

http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/
posted by llc at 11:20 PM on December 6, 2010


Old time radio? Some of the streams will have planned Christmas episodes of shows, but there are some that are less organized and stream a bunch of stuff without really scheduling, like this one. Maybe not what you'd want to hear all day long, but it might give you a break.
posted by JanetLand at 3:24 AM on December 7, 2010


Podcast episodes of shows you like?
posted by melodykramer at 5:13 AM on December 7, 2010


http://abc.net.au/rn will return you a huge variety of non-Christmas goodies every hour of the day. I especially like The Book Show with Romana Koval (beloved as an incisive interviewer by many authors worldwide), Late Night Live with Phillip Adams (who is on the board of wikileaks), and the Science Show. Podcasts and live streaming galore.
posted by Kerasia at 11:49 AM on December 7, 2010


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