Comments by Arvid Hokanson

Comment for "Ask Mr. Kettenburg" (deleted)

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Review of Ask Mr. Kettenburg (deleted)

I like hearing young people doing interviews. It's also interesting to hear from a high school teacher and his thoughts on national politics. This is also different from the standard public radio interview since we hear some of the thoughts and opinions of the teens conducting the interview.

I am mixed on the use of music. The music sets a tone for the interview and will shape listener thinking. However, it does help keep the interview moving and covers up the bad sounding phone tape.

This would work well in a local magazine or a long drop-in to a weekend national magazine.

Comment for "Seeing Voices: Baldness, Bond Villains & the Noah Adams Moment"

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Review of Seeing Voices: Baldness, Bond Villains & the Noah Adams Moment

An engaging, funny and sound-rich piece. Well done! This is a subject that both staff and listeners like to discuss....and this story does a great job capturing the phenomenon. I myself was surprised to see Michele Norris at the PRPD conference and found she did not look like I pictured her.

Rebecca does a great job of using tape, including herself in the story and proving a strong arc to keep the ear entertained. Also, the music is not overbearing and help sets the tone for each segment. The opening words grabbed my attention and did a great job of setting the scene. I like how she put a twist on the story with the segment on sexual attraction and voice.

The story is made stronger and more appealing to all stations with the inclusion of the tape of Noah Adams, Frank Tavares and the interview with Peter Sagel.

This would make a great drop-in to Weekend America, Day to Day or WESAT. Also, consider adding it to a local arts/culture magazine.

Comment for "Hog Chocolate"

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Review of Hog Chocolate

I liked the idea for this piece - we even had chocolate-covered bacon at the KUOW Holiday Party this year! However, this piece was a bit hard to follow. It felt disjointed in the editing and how the audio jumped around between the voices. Producing pieces with little or no narration is one of the most challenging things in radio. I feel this piece needed a bit stronger editing or some narration to make it flow better and make it easier for a listener to follow.

This piece would work as a drop-in during these winter months in WATC, WESUN/WESAT or Weekend America.

Comment for "B-Side: Indoor Space, Outside"

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Review of B-Side: Indoor Space, Outside

Another great episode of B-Side Radio. Tamara Keith does a great job putting these shows together. Her narration is always conversational and engaging for the listener. Kudos to Tamara for getting herself out of the studio. The tone is relaxed and engaging compared to the stories Tamara has filed for NPR.

I like the theme for this program. The stories are personal and are all ones we can relate to - from walking around the house in our underwear to learning about life on the streets of a major city. The producers do a good job of using lots of sound and letting the tape tell the story. I also like the conversational narration from each of the producers.

B-Side is an example of the work coming from the next generation of pub radio stars. Shows like Theory of Everything, Love and Radio and B-Side should help engage the next generation of listeners.

This show would work well in a 29 minute showcase slot or paired with a 23 or 29 minute piece to fill out an hour.

Nicely done!

Comment for "Cafeteria" (deleted)

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Review of Cafeteria (deleted)

I had trouble figuring out what this essay is about. It doesn't contain any real story or arc. The voicing is also a bit fast. However, I also realized the entire audio file is not loaded. A complete review is not possible.

Comment for "Aiming to Miss - The Art of Knife Throwing"

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Review of Aiming to Miss - The Art of Knife Throwing

What a great subject for a radio story. I really enjoyed learning about the Great Throwdini. I liked that you left in the audio of your visit to the Throwdini "Bat Cave". This helps add an authentic touch.

This story is well produced, with good voicing and writing. It also was well edited. The writing kept me engaged and had a good arc to it. I also liked that you used Throwdini for your character reference. It helped keep in the mindset of learning about a knife thrower.

This would make a great drop in for Day to Day, WESUN or Weekend America. It would also work great for local magazine.

Comment for "Flea Market"

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Review of Flea Market

The conversational tone helps guide the listener through this story. The producers also did a nice job bringing the sound of the story into the flea market.

This piece is a bit long and would benefit from a tighter edit. I think it would be stronger and have a better chance to keep listeners around 4-5 minutes.

I do like the girls voice and it is fun to hear them travel around the flea market and guide us with their thoughts.

This would make a good drop-in for a local news magazine or Weekend America.

Comment for "#5 Behind the Comedy: Thirty Years of Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre-Out of Iowa"

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Review of #5 Behind the Comedy: Thirty Years of Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre-Out of Iowa

This is programming only possible on public radio. Elements of old-time radio theater, sketches, comedy and plenty of good sound effects.

This is a humorous piece and will appeal to a wide range of listeners. I found myself laughing multiple times at the cheesy jokes and the skits.

This is also well produced for radio, and includes resets throughout and is newscast compatible. Nice work!

This series would work well in a variety of dayparts, including weekday evenings, weekends or as a holiday special.

Comment for "Pirates of New York: The Battle Over Bootlegged DVDs"

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Review of Pirates of New York: The Battle Over Bootlegged DVDs

A nice sound rich piece that uses ambiance to set the scene. The tone is conversational and easy to follow. It does a nice job of laying out the issues involved in DVD bootlegs, without getting bogged down in policy.

I like this feature. It would work well in a local magazine or drop in to Weekend Edition or Day to Day.

Comment for "KRYM: "All Crime, All the Time""

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Review of KRYM: "All Crime, All the Time"

It's great to hear live radio-theater programming. This is a funny segment. With a good lede this segment would work well in a holiday or evening special.

Nicely done.

Comment for "A Wall Of Our Own"

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Review of A Wall Of Our Own

This piece is good in spirit, but is read way to fast for the average listener to actually hear and absorb it. If it was re-done at about half the speed, it would be much better. Also, the humor is good, but would be better communicated with a bit more inflection in the voice.

A good start, I like the humor in the piece.

Comment for "The Scary Plan"

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Review of The Scary Plan

Ghoulish fun for Halloween....this piece is offbeat and quirky - the right blend for a Halloween special. This would work best in a evening or weekend slot, when folks can really engage the ears. The pieces are engaging, but do take listener attention to follow.

I like the variety and the flow of the program.

Well done.

Comment for "Bob & Ray THE LOST EPISODES Program 7"

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Review of Bob & Ray THE LOST EPISODES Program 7

This is classic radio and it's great to have it available for broadcast. It's wonderful entertainment to hear the comedy, skits and singing.

These specials would work great as a limited series - airing after APHC or Vinyl Cafe. They would also work to air selected episodes on a holiday or Saturday nights.

Thanks for bringing this great radio back to listeners.

Comment for "Wonderful Life"

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Review of Wonderful Life

I like this piece a lot. It's simple, well-written and nicely produced.

I like the simple, conversational writing and the music in the background.

This piece would fit well into a local or national news magazine. Especially a weekend magazine or a program like Weekend America.

Comment for "What's the Deal with D&D? An Audio Adventure in Dungeons & Dragons"

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Review of What's the Deal with D&D? An Audio Adventure in Dungeons & Dragons

This story is a good start, but needs work before it's ready for broadcast. I think a good editor could help tighten the story, including shortening it and dropping some of the tape. The story would be stronger at about half the length.

The tape of the game playing is hard to follow at times and would be better with some processing or better mic recording in the future.

The story also assumes the listener knows something about Dungeons and Dragons. I'm not sure how many listeners know much about the game beyond the title - especially that is not a false stereo-type. I would like to know more about the game. Where do people play? How long do games last? Do people eat and drink a lot while playing? There is an explainer of D&D, but it comes to late in the story. Also, I never learned how you win the game or how it ends.

I did like the tape of the Smith College alumni. It was conversational and a good explanation for listeners.

Also, the story needs an ending. I felt like the tape ended with no conclusion, summary or explanation.

This would be a tough piece to air with the length, but could be paired with a 20-24 minute piece from PRX.

Comment for "Pee-Wee Gangstas"

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Review of Pee-Wee Gangstas

This is a well told story. It's a good use of letting the tape tell the story. I really enjoyed the portion at the Boys & Girls club. I like the narration, it's conversational and engaging. Taking a breath for a pause after some of the actualities would give them a bit more strength - to let the listener really get the impact.

This could work as a segment in a local news program or an insert into Latino USA.

Nicely done!

Comment for "Art of the Song #79 with Darrell Scott" (deleted)

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Review of Art of the Song #79 with Darrell Scott (deleted)

I like the music, and hearing new songs, but this show needs format tweaking to make it more listener friendly.

This show needs more host resets and other format improvements. Listeners don't listen with headphones on from start to finish. After each song, I would hear the song title and the artist and then the interview would just continue. I didn't remember the hosts names, or what the interview was actually about. In other words, who are you, what show is this, why am I hearing this guest, and what are you talking to him/her about? Without listening intently (as opposed to while I'm driving, cooking, walking etc), this feels a bit "inside baseball" - as in it's designed for people already familiar with the artists. Don't make the listeners work to figure out the basic information. Consider putting the show on a fixed clock and/or adding quarter hour maintenance to it - to keep the fringe listener engaged.

I like the choice of guest and hearing his thoughts on the music.

This show would work well in a showcase slot or on a weekend following APHC, American Routes or World Cafe. It has a good tone for public radio and the music has strong appeal to public radio listeners.

Comment for "Hop Fu and the Asia-Hip Hop Connection"

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Review of Hop Fu and the Asia-Hip Hop Connection

This piece teaches us something new with good information, a conversational narrative and strong use of sound. I really enjoyed it. This is a great piece for radio or a podcast, as it keeps me engaged wanting to hear the flim and music clips. The narration of the film clips is the right amount, and not overdone. I'm can picture the film in my mind and make my own conclusions.

This segment would fit well into a local news magazine or as an add into Day to Day or an arts/culture program.

Nicely done! It's great to introduce public radio listeners to this culture.

Comment for "THE STEALTH ATTACK ON LAND USE PLANNING IN THE WEST"

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Review of THE STEALTH ATTACK ON LAND USE PLANNING IN THE WEST

A straight-forward interview on land use initiatives in several Western states. It is informative, with an obvious point of view. This interview is definitely most interesting for listeners in Western states.

The interview would be best being about 12 minutes, to fit into the 'A' segment of the NPR talk clock, or shortened to fit into a segment of Day to Day, ATC or ME.

Comment for "The Local Option - Mental Health and Suicide"

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Review of The Local Option - Mental Health and Suicide

This piece features two well-produced stories about death and suicide. Both stories do a good job of exploring suicide and depression through strong radio storytelling, including engaging production techniques. The strong storytelling helped to keep me engaged and really listen for the messages of the story. Covering death, suicide and depression is a challenge, and both these stories approach the subjects in a way that will capture listeners attention.

For PDs, this would fit well into a showcase slot. You could also pair it with another 23-29 minute piece to fill a hour-long showcase or holiday slot.

Comment for "Ice Cutting in Vermont"

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Review of Ice Cutting in Vermont

I like this story. It's got a great narrative and good use of sound. The writing, pacing and sound kept me engaged and made the piece easy to follow. It also provides a good sense of place. The flow is excellent with a logical progression.

I knew nothing about ice cutting in New England, and now feel like I have a grasp of it.

This would be a great piece to run during Weekend Edition Sunday, Living on Earth, Weekend America or a local news magazine.

Great job!

Comment for "Into the Woods - Long Version" (deleted)

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Review of Into the Woods (deleted)

This piece has a great use of sound and good production value. However, I found the piece too long. I had trouble paying attention as the piece went past 6 minutes.

I think this piece would be much better with a good edit, and trimmed to around 5 to 7 minutes in length.

I like the first person writing and the conversational tone. Also, it was great to hear the hail, thunder and rain - great for providing a sense of place.

This would work for a local magazine program, or as a long drop-in for Weekend America, Living on Earth or Day to Day.

Comment for "Into the Woods - Long Version" (deleted)

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Review of Into the Woods (deleted)

This piece has a great use of sound and good production value. However, I found the piece too long. I had trouble paying attention as the piece went past 6 minutes.

I think this piece would be much better with a good edit, and trimmed to around 5 to 7 minutes in length.

I like the first person writing and the conversational tone. Also, it was great to hear the hail, thunder and rain - great for providing a sense of place.

This would work for a local magazine program, or as a long drop-in for Weekend America, Living on Earth or Day to Day.

Comment for "Unkempt #2 - OWEN WILSON" (deleted)

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Review of Unkempt #2 - OWEN WILSON (deleted)

This piece is far too long and is in need of an editor. It would be much stronger at 12-13 minutes, not 29 minutes. Fortunately Tim is willing to edit the piece for language. Why not bleep the content before posting it?

This piece also needs editing for formatics. There are no resets. If you don't listen from beginning to end, you'll have to work to figure out what this piece is about. Most listeners don't listen closely for 29 straight minutes.

The story for this piece is humorous and interesting. It can be the foundation for a funny and engaging radio piece. However, an editor and rewrite would greatly help.

Comment for "A Shortcut to Impeachment"

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Review of A Shortcut to Impeachment

This is a good humorous piece - I had several good laughs. The music and audio clips work well together. Listening for the next sound bite keeps the listener engaged.

I thought the amount of music with soundbites could have been cut back a bit - around the middle - but otherwise well done.

Good choice of clips from Presidents Bush, Clinton, Stephen Colbert and others. Also, nice work editing it all together.

This would be best for a showcase slot or holiday special.

Comment for "Winter Caretaker (Summer Mix)"

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Review of Winter Caretaker (Summer Mix)

This is a simple essay about the working life of this caretaker, Peter. It's nice to hear a first person essay with good use of ambience.

I found it interesting, although I feel it could have been a bit tighter. This could be done by making the piece 30-45 seconds shorter. The reason being is this is a piece that really requires the listener to pay attention.

I do like this type of piece. Well-produced, first-person essays play to the strength of radio and it's nice to hear directly from the subject of the story, rather than as a profile piece done by a reporter.

This would work great as a drop-in to Day to Day, Weekend America or a local magazine show.

Comment for "This I Believe - Cecile Gilmer"

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Review of This I Believe - Cecile Gilmer

This I Believe is excellent and here is an example why. Hearing straight from listeners with their convictions once again highlights why I listen to public radio.

Cecile is a good writer with short, well-thought sentences. The essays from listeners are often better than the ones from famous people, as listeners tend to talk about what events and issues have shaped their lives.

The length of this essay is good, not too long or short. It would work well as a drop in to the NPR magazines, a local magazine or added into a holiday special.

Comment for ""I could tell you stories, but I don't think you want to hear them.""

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Review of "I could tell you stories, but I don't think you want to hear them."

I had a great bus ride home, totally engaged in listening to this piece. It's well written and the reading by Victoria Haas was excellent. The pacing is good, with a great narrative and it keeps the listener engaged.

Public Radio has the chance to bring great radio drama to listeners with LA Theatre Works and now Handwritten Theatre.

Use this as a holiday special or for evening programming. You can play several together to fill an hour or pair with another good storytelling piece.

Comment for "This I Believe - Cecile Gilmer"

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Review of This I Believe - Cecile Gilmer

This I Believe is excellent and here is an example why. Hearing straight from listeners with their convictions once again highlights why I listen to public radio.

Cecile is a good writer with short, well-thought sentences. The essays from listeners are often better than the ones from famous people, as listeners tend to talk about what events and issues have shaped their lives.

The length of this essay is good, not too long or short. It would work well as a drop in to the NPR magazines, a local magazine or added into a holiday special.

Comment for "Winter Caretaker (Summer Mix)"

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Review of Winter Caretaker (Summer Mix)

This is a simple essay about the working life of this caretaker, Peter. It's nice to hear a first person essay with good use of ambience.

I found it interesting, although I feel it could have been a bit tighter. This could be done by making the piece 30-45 seconds shorter. The reason being is this is a piece that really requires the listener to pay attention.

I do like this type of piece. Well-produced, first-person essays play to the strength of radio and it's nice to hear directly from the subject of the story, rather than as a profile piece done by a reporter.

This would work great as a drop-in to Day to Day, Weekend America or a local magazine show.