"Cool" isn't a word commonly associated with talk radio, but thanks to quirky shows like
This American Life,
Radiolab, and the now-defunct
Car Talk, it’s on the rise among the younger generation (even if actual radios are not). Whether streamed online, downloaded to an iPod, or heard via satellite radio, a growing roster of new programs sprung from the streets of New York's hippest borough has young people tuning in.
Kings County: Kings County is inspired by variety shows of yore, but
A Prairie Home Companion it’s not. True, the series is filmed in front of a live audience and hosted by a charismatic novelist, but that's where the similarities end. Anchored by Brooklyn- based writer (and longtime voice behind
Studio 360) Kurt Andersen, the guest lineup includes comedians, celebrities, and performances by local music luminaries, such as Greenpoint-based
Chairlift and
Eleanor Friedberger. At a moment when calling something
“très Brooklyn” is considered high praise, it’s likely that the show’s comprehensive coverage of the borough’s distinctive culture, art and food will find an audience beyond the county for which it is named.
Ask Me Another: Tuning in to NPR has become fashionable in the same retro way that joining a book club or learning to knit is, and the listener-supported radio station would like to keep it that way. Sort of a hipper version of long-running program
Wait Wait ... Don’t Tell Me!,
Ask Me Another is a game show for the post-radio generation. It’s taped before a live audience at Brooklyn’s
The Bell House, a multi-use bar/music venue/ community hall that precisely embodies the so-called
Slash/Slash Generation. The show, which is aimed specifically at an under-45 demo, appeals to younger listeners with its strategic mix of crisp banter, cutting humor, and captivating storytelling.
After the Jump: To make the leap from new media darling to old-school radio host is unexpected, but
Design*Sponge founder Grace Bonney is doing just that. The design blogger—whose site was once described by
The New York Times as
“Martha Stewart Living for millennials”—chats with designers, shop owners, and artists on
After the Jump, the weekly talk show she launched this spring on newly minted non-profit station
Heritage Radio Network. Residing in Williamsburg and counting the
founders of the Brooklyn Flea among her circle, Grace is a force in NYC’s creative scene, meaning that listeners can count on hearing guests from among a who’s who of the entrepreneurial design world.
