Did you listen to his whole interview on Thursday? He talked a lot about the TV show, and it is very much a secondary priority for him. They made a decision to not cut down at all on the number of radio shows to accomodate their work on the TV show. Showtime actually asked them to do this. Showtime is trying to reach a new audience (NPR listeners) with the TAL TV show, and they feel the radio show will promote the TV show, so they don't want it cut back in any way. Also, TAL on the radio has about 1.7 million listeners, and the TV show will only have about 300,000 viewers, so Ira and company don't want to do anything to hurt their much larger radio audience.

It is my understanding that the radio show will go on but the plan is to produce fewer of them so they have the time to ensure the TV product has the same quality as the radio show. I seem to recall reading that they'll do something like 16 new radio shows a year. I might be off the mark with that number.

I'm a bit disappointed in this since I don't have Showtime but frankly, I have so few opportunities to listen to TAL anymore even the reruns are new to me.

I wish them luck on TV but I think they will lose a lot by giving up radio's theater of the mind.

I did miss part of the KUOW interview, so thanks for the extra info. He did say he is leaving Chicago and moving to New York for the TV show, this is a big change in priorities already. I have concerns about what will happen when the people are visible to the physical eye and not just the mind's eye. Will it be better? worse? who knows?

He talked a bit about that, too. He said he felt weird about being on TV. How should he present himself? Should he wear his street clothes, or dress up in a suit? What look should they go for - a reality show kind of thing, a newsmagazine thing? In the end, they decided to be very cinematic with a letterbox aspect ratio, dramatic lighting, filmed on film stock, etc. He said it definetly has a distinctive look.

At least on radio, he could show up for work in his PJs, and nobody would say a word.

Of course, *I* could show up for work in my PJs, and nobody would say a word. But then, I work at Microsoft.

unrelated to this post: Is everyone at The Stranger off today? three measely posts all day? What gives?

If you're curious about what is up with Mr. Ira Glass, why don't you walk into your boss office and ask him? The ever-so-glamorous and influential Mr. Dan Savage was seen leaving the Paramount with Mr. Glass. Later that night they were spotted together at the ever-so-glamorous Dahlia Lounge. Mrs. Ira Glass was there too, as were Mrs. Dan Savage and Ms. Julia Sweeney.

Oh, but Dan is to modest to mention this! He doesn't want to seem like he's part of the media elite! Or an NPR liberal! He's just Mr. Average Joe, riding the bus!

Thanks for the heads up about our own "man of the people" smoozing with America's top media elites. Why didn't The Stranger publish an Ira Glass interview?

Probably Mr. Savage needs to cultivate his "media outsider" persona so he can keep the attention of the covented wealthy urban hipster market.

What if all those readers found out the The Stranger writers are the most privledged, wealthy, and elite writers in town. There's really nothing "media outsider" about any of them.

Ira Glass at the Daliah lounge? Just ask yourself how many lowly Post Intelligencer reporters have access to that kind of media power?

Now what was the reason again that readers should trust The Stranger instead of the P-I... we don't need to worry about losing the P-I reporters...something about...ohh why is it all so confusing?

What if all those readers found out the The Stranger writers are the most privledged, wealthy, and elite writers in town. There's really nothing "media outsider" about any of them.

Hilarious.

ira glass and julia sweeney = media elites?

a storyteller and a comedien?

okee dokee MEDIA WATCH. you sound like a "kooky konspiracy" theorist.

if mr. savage has sooooo many media friends, maybe it's 'cause they think what he's saying is interesting and want to talk to him more.

though in the case of mr. glass i think it's 'cause they are both from chicago, dan has been on ira's show (a number of times), ira has written for the stranger, and they apparently have a number of mutual friends in the writing/radio biz.

hardly a "konspiracy". you sound like a poor downtrodden pi reporter. or worse

A SEATTLE WEAKLY JOURNALIST! (if i was ira i wouldn't hang with them either....)

P.S. or even worse a spurned KUOW reporter....
(zat you steve sher?)

Not laughing here.

In the interest of full disclosure - what did ya'll dine on at the Daliah? How much did it cost?

Sunday's NYT uses Daliah lounge as an example of prissy, expensive places that charge $14 for a salad, the kind of place ordinary working class people can't afford to go with their friends. In fact the story mentions a Seattle (non Stranger)writer who tells his rich friend "I'll only go to Daliah if you pay."

And here we have the spectacle of the "paper of the people" editor dining at the same expensive place with NPR's top journalist. Then scrambling to convince his readers he's just a regular joe like them!

If The Stranger isn't privledged elites then
where did the guy who owns The Stranger get all is money? Did he make it himself? How much money does he have?

What about your staff, what kind of degrees do they have from what universities? Who paid for their degrees?

Do they support themselves on their Stranger salaries, if not where do they get the rest of their money?

One of your writers crashed a party I was at a few years back and was bragging on how he lived on his father's social security checks. His retired father was so rich he didn't need the social security income and passed it onto his slacker kids who went around pretending to be poor.

Now that is really hilarious.

My goodness. Who the hell is this nutball?

(Oh Dan, I forgot to tell you, the Ferrari dealer called.. your Scaglietti is ready, and the gas tank is filled with caviar as you requested. They said they really can't do solid gold wheels (too soft), but they knocked $80K off the sticker for the trouble.)

what is so wrong with being rewarded for your hard work? i'm sure that dan savage has worked his ass off for whatever it is he's got. how about you, media watch? do you deserve to be rewarded? what have you done? and by the by, who cares about some trust fund kid who happens to write for the stranger- they're everywhere and you just take them for what they are and move on. get over yourself.

The NEW YORK Times was criticizing a SEATTLE restaurant for being overpriced? Now that is hilarious.

Being born into a trust fund family is not anyone's choice. There are hard things about being rich too.

When I started getting my trust fund money, it wasn't like everything in my life became easier or anything.