When you are asked, "Whad’Ya Know?" what’s your answer?
If you answered, "Not much," then you know the weekly radio show with Michael Feldman and the crew from Wisconsin Public Radio.
Feldman will broadcast his show Saturday morning at The Pabst Theater, and through Public Radio International, heard around the world. The Milwaukee native and I talked earlier this week about the live event.
"I’ve been to The Pabst before to see other things, but have never been there with the show," Feldman said. Based out of Madison but taking road trips around the country, "Whad’Ya Know" gets to Milwaukee only about every three years or so.
"We have a good show planned," he said. "Sam Llanas who was with the BoDeans will be there with his band, and – well, I hope he brings some samples – Mike Romans of Romans Pub will be there to talk about beer."
The show will also feature some of the mainstay elements, in which Feldman chats with the studio and home audience and has them compete for prizes during the "Whad’Ya Know?" quiz.
"I had a guy on stage, and I pulled out the box of index cards (for the quiz)," Feldman said about his old-school ways of doing the broadcast. "And he says, ‘Hey, you’re analog.’"
The doors at The Pabst will open at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and seating will start around 9 a.m. Tickets are still available.
Beyond promoting the local show, Feldman talked a bit about growing up in Milwaukee and listening to different DJs, hosts and programs that were popular on the air waves. It is always fun to talk shop with a person in the business who is able to draw inspiration from that early foundation in the Cream City.
"My mom and I were listening and we had the chance to win to meet the hosts at the station," Feldman recalled when he had his mom call in. "We had to name three DJs at the station, so I had my mom call in and talk when I ran and got the paper to find the names."
At different times, Feldman met with Bob Barry, who claimed to be "the fifth Beatle," and Gordon Hinkley when he was a kid. He later met them as an adult, but said they forgot the earlier get togethers.
"Hinkley would have people call in with ‘Ask Your Neighbor,’" Feldman said, remembering when Hinkley chatted about all sorts of issues during his tenure on 620 WTMJ-AM.
"Someone will call in and say something like they have a blood stain on a pillow and don’t know how to get it out.
"Hinkley would say that he didn’t know either, but he bet that one of 'our neighbors' would. And then he’d ask people to call in. Hinkley didn’t do anything. And I thought, ‘Hey, I can do that.’ I think at a subconscious level, that’s what I did."
Feldman has taken that laziness … um, I mean, subconscious inspiration … and made it a career for 30 years with "Whad’Ya Know?"
That’s a pretty good gig.
POLITICS: Fox News will present a one-hour special at 9 tonight. "Fox News Reporting: The Tangled Clinton Web," anchored by Bret Baier, looks at the political careers of former President Bill Clinton and former secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Baier will go behind the spotlight of the power couple and follow the money to see where it came from, where it went and how it may have affected policy. The show will include an exclusive interview with Peter Schweizer, the author of the soon-to-be-released book, "Clinton Cash."
SAME AND DIFFERENT: Saga’s Milwaukee Radio Group has rebranded WKLH-FM 96.5, the station announced and launched mere hours ago.
Known as a "Classic Hits" station, the new brand is "Hometown Rock."
"Milwaukee has so many signature products and brands ─ brands people love and are loyal to. But even popular brands have to reinvent themselves and respond to consumer preferences. WKLH is now brighter, richer, fresher and has more tempo," Milwaukee Radio Group Vice President and General Manager Annmarie Topel told the RAMP newsletter.
Look for analysis next week on OnMilwaukee.com.
Media is bombarding us everywhere.
Instead of sheltering his brain from the onslaught, Steve embraces the news stories, entertainment, billboards, blogs, talk shows and everything in between.
The former writer, editor and producer in TV, radio, Web and newspapers, will be talking about what media does in our community and how it shapes who we are and what we do.