Presidential candidates talk a lot about what they'll do to jump start the economy. But what about local TV stations that rely on campaign ads to pay the bills? They're hurting. Today on the show, it may feel like all campaign, all the time, but not on TV.
And, the Rio Olympics have ended - and green pool and Ryan Lochte-gate aside, it wasn't half the disaster people feared. But now with the Paralympics just around the corner, and only a fraction of tickets sold, disaster might just get another chance.
Listen to the full show.
Campaign Ad Spending Has Taken a Dive
Every four years, TVs from coast to coast, in particular, battleground states, are flooded with advertisements. Until now. Gerry Smith is a Bloomberg News media reporter, and wrote how spending on political ads has plummeted for the 2016 presidential race and what that means for local broadcasters.
Neurotribes
Steve Silberman has covered science and cultural affairs for Wired and other magazines for over twenty years. His book is called Neurotribes: the Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity and is now out in paperback. He spoke with us last summer to explain what the neurodiversity movement is currently working towards.
The Plight of the 2016 Paralympics
The Paralympic Games kick off in Rio on September 7th. They are a welcome fix of jaw-dropping international athletic competitions for those in Olympic-watching withdrawal. And like the run-up to the summer games in Rio, financial and logistical anxieties are high. Ticket sales have been dismal and tens of millions in promised support for athlete access, transportation, and staffing has been held up by Brazil's ongoing financial crisis.
Jeré Longman is a sports reporter for the New York Times. He wrote about an unprecedented Paralympics with his colleague Rebecca Ruiz.
10-Minute Writer's Workshop: Kelly Link
Kelly Link is one of few writers to manage to be wondrous, fantastical and ominous at the same time. Here's how Kirkus put it, “like Kafka hosting saturday night live, mixing humor with existential dread.” Her most recent collection, Get In Trouble, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. She and her husband manage Small Beer Press.
You can listen to the full episode again here: 10-Minute Writer's Workshop: Kelly Link.
Additional information from this episode: Sisters Hiking for Equality
