Wednesday, October 8, 2014

A Review on The John Batchelor Radio Show on WABC (Part 2)

updated on 10.09.2014 

Abstract 
The John Batchelor Show is the most intelligent and informative show on the radio wave.  (Some people have considered the radio to be obsolete.) I have been listening to it for many years.  The attraction is its extensiveness view on political news, and international matters.

His analysis of current events (national and international) is quite sober and intelligent.   ...  What I have always liked about Mr. Batchelor is that he doesn't overwhelm the audience with his own personal politics, unlike most right wing radio, there is substance in his show. 

The discussions on international affairs better than anyone else in the "news talk" business because of his frequently interviews with the foreign correspondents from the many international cities (i.e., London, Cairo,
Damascus, Tel Aviv, etc.) and an array of subject matter experts (sme). 

Listening to the reporting from the scene of the crime is always interesting regardless of the interviewees and the experts political leanings.   ... Differing the facts from the opinions requires some deep listening proficiency and profound strategic assessment skills.  (I presumed that you can perform that feat in a cyber moment while drinking a 20 oz of green tea.) 

Beside international affairs,  Batchelor's also touches on a diversity of national matters (i.e, economics, energy, automobiles, space programs, etc.)
... He also follows the feats of certain politicians from California, NY, Texas, and other relevant states. 



The Compass View 
There is no shouting, no screaming and no "demonization" of the other side of the political realm in this show. It is very unusual in today's political climate, which is probably why the mindless masses categorized him under the caption of boring.  ... Although I don't always agree with him, but his points are quite thought-out 

Paraphrasing what someone said previously, Batchelor's reminds me of an orchestra conductor directing his ever-talented quartet. He does a superb job in coordinating the flow and ebb of an interview during the real time of the interview. 

Interestingly I preferred his approach of refusing calls from the listeners. It filters out the "emotional debris" from the non-informative, political-leaning novices. Therefore, the information flow from the show to the listeners is smooth and concise.  

The Schema   
The show usually follows the template of focused on macro national matters and earth-shaking international affairs with great depth for the first three hours.

In the fourth hr, Batchelor usually interviews an author who has written a specific historical topic or a scientific subject matter that many intelligent people would find intriguing and educational.   


Some of these interviews are occasionally replayed on his Sunday show. You can download his show through Apple itunes and his web site

Miscellaneous Notes  
Unlike most tv and radio talk show hosts,  Batchelor's and his producer do their homework on the various topics and his array of interesting guests. He usually asks smart questions and superb follow-up questions.   ...  His daily habit of reading one book per day enhances his questioning acumen by 10 fold.   .. 

The entertainment value is in the quality of his show. His bumper music does a good job in presenting the theme that invokes the theater of the mind.  

Comments From the Compass Desk 
I believed that his show is the most "connected" radio show in terms of defining what are the significant matters and how it might impact the future of our global economy. 

This info-tainment-based radio show might not appeal to everyone. It usually requires someone who is moderately informed, reasonably well-read and open-minded.

If you wanted a sober insight from an ultra class professional,  I highly recommend the John Batchelor radio show.  

Side Notes 
Click here for part one of this topic and click here for an insightful 2011 interview on Mr. Batchelor from Jewishpress.com .


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