The Spoon Man, real life name Brian Carlton, hosts the late night talk show on commercial radio Triple M, 105.1fm from 9pm to 12am (I think its only a Monday to Thursday due to the weekend sport). I have had a few opportunities to tune into a few of his shows over thepast 8 months. However it was only by chance that I came across the program late Thursday nights whilst trying to cram last minute assignments and assessments. Thursdays are a free for all night, the night when the lines are open to any topic the audience feels they want to bring up for discussion. It was only last week that I really had the pleasure of listening into one of his general shows, not a Thursday free for all kind of format.
In this blog I wish to comment in particular about the format of the show and the responses from both Spoony and the Callers that ring in. Ok and maybe a little bit about what seems to be his attitude towards things at certain times. Nturally I’ve submitted my opinions too.
A commercial radio station seems to attract a very interesting crowd of people, mainly people who probably prefer listening to music and the antics or conversations of B or C grade celebrities, eg TV personalities and comedians. It was a bit unexpected that such a show like this existed on a commercial station, refreshing even. At the beginning of the show Spoony makes it very clear that he is opinionated and may touch on issues in the media with some of his opinions, informing the commercial listener audience how some of his views may be taken as offensive. Good call by the Spoony and the station, I chose to listen to commercial radio for the music, which I’m sure many others would have, so I like the fact that I’m warned on what in a round about way I might expect. I could imagine that there would be an audience that would be a little irate, but will with-hold my comments on them. I have really grown to like the program, whilst I’m not a big one for organized listening sessions of anything, or watching much TV either, I find it to be pretty fascinating. It’s even kind of refreshing hearing this kind of show on Triple M, it does spark the beginning of my interest to start listening to talk back radio shows, but in a one step at a time kind of way.
Unfortunately I missed the actual format of the show aired on Tuesday 13th of Feb 07, so when I did switch my radio on I got to a free for all callers segment, does make it a little tricky to figure out what the hot topics were. However from what times I have listened to the show, I can tell that he starts the show with a current media briefing in his own words with some opinions added in, and from that, he selects about 3 or more, hot topics’ from the day then proceeds to open the lines for discussion for one topic at a time. The show I had pleasure of listening to last week included topics’ about the environment and the housing affordability crisis.
It’ s interesting the different kinds of stories opinions and sometimes heated debates between Spoony and the Caller. He might seem even a little controversial, but that’s probably more of his general audience perception of him. I don’t tend to find him to be too controversial at all, highly opinionated and passionate about the stuff he believes in, or agrees with. Some people do call in and sadly enough they really haven’t thought their cases through, or if they have they’ve looked at it in a one minded way, and have forgotten to take in all the aspects. In responce to these kind of callers Spoony gets into, perhaps the best term would be, debates. Overall though he challenges the commercial listening audience to think and be aware a little more, either that or he hangs up (that’s when I sigh relief, some callers really get my motor running high on the what a moron meter).
At times he makes his opinion widely known about his view of the current political situations, which I’m sure attracts just a few of the callers he receives defending their own views on politics. If the caller gave propper thought and research to the argument, Spoony listens, is there really any point of listening to those argue about things they havent researched? (you probably deserve to be hung up on really, Brains are good for thinking with.)
I feel the show has a great format being one of the first talk back shows I’ve listened to, I haven’t yet got much to compare it with. To summarize I think you’d probably need nerves of steel to host this kind of show on a commercial radio station some days, and it appears that Spoony’s got just that.
