Further proof TV is worthwhile

The Bob & Tom Show is a morning-drive radio program that is syndicated across the country.  The best one in the history of radio, mind you.  Originating out of WFBQ-FM in Indianapolis, it consists of your hosts, Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold, your sportscaster and long-time Redskins (and tennis shoes) fan, my hero Chick McGee, and your newscaster, the absolutely beautiful Kristi Lee.  I first discovered them in early ‘91 when I moved to Indiana.  I was captivated from that point on.  I bought every CD of theirs that I could, and have damn near played the grooves out of them.  (Yes, I know CDs don’t have grooves, Sunshine.  That was an LP reference.  See, back in MY day…)  I moved back here to Springfield in July of ‘93, bummed that I would be missing out on the B&TS, and soon discovered that K-SHE out of St. Louis also carries it.  Unfortunately, at least with the POS musical equipment I possess, I couldn’t pick up K-SHE very well.  Then lo and behold, a few months later WCVS changed its then-format from more-or-less easy listening to classic rock (i.e. found some testicular fortitude) and also picked up the best radio show in the country, many years running (Bob & Tom have the awards to prove it).  I was in absolute heaven.

I am “that kind” of person {the kind most people can’t stand} that loves being fed new songs, catch-phrases, and jingles with which to drive everyone crazy- songs like “Prisoner of Love”, “The Feminine Hygiene Song”, and my personal favorite, “Wiper Blades”.  I guarantee you, you hear “Wiper Blades” once, you’ll be singing it for a week.  Oh, and did I mention that Bob & Tom are actually FUNNY and WORTH LISTENING TO?

Then some time late last year or early this year, Springfield radio station WCVS decided to change its format from the classic rock (i.e. real music) they were playing to the same kind of crappy thrash, speed-metal, grunge, and cock rock that the now equally shitty station WQLZ has been playing for 15 years.  That change, crappy as it was, wasn’t horrible in and of itself, until you factor in that they decided to drop the Bob & Tom Show and replace it with Ray Lytle’s Morning Disaster, a show syndicated… over a tri-county area… which is appropriately named (because it is brutal to listen to) and ALSO a show which is nothing more than recycled (i.e. stolen) gags and bits that the Bob & Tom Show have been doing for 30 years.  Somebody needs to tell Ray he sucks.  Hard.  With a loud slurping noise.

Anyway, I’ve been pissed off at WCVS- and consequently, unceremoniously yanked their frequency out of all presets on every signal-receiving device I own- ever since.  Like I said, I can deal with the shitty music they play, because every 9- or 10-dozenth song they play doesn’t totally suck.  Not to mention, I’ve actually heard of that song or at least the band.  But for them to drop Bob & Tom was the final straw, especially considering they replaced B&T with a 100% douche like Ray Lytle.  So I’ve been sitting here twitching every morning from 5-9 from B&T withdrawal for the last year or so, and then I found it.

Flipping TV channels last night, I come upon WGN (apparently they now call themselves “America’s Channel” or some BS claim like that) and a radio show was on.  I passed it up and then went back to it, for whatever reason, and when I did, I said to myself, “Self,” I said, “that sure looks an awful lot like Kristi and Tom from the Bob & Tom Show”, and then they showed Chick McGee’s mug and I said “Holy shit- it’s Bob & Tom!!”  Ask Mrs. Johann- I really said that.

Bob & Tom apparently are now televising their radio shows!  Yeah, yeah, they may have been doing this for months now, but then again, I haven’t been able to listen to them for many months now, so how would I have known this?!  Apparently, WGN airs it weeknights at 10:00 (that’s my local time; check local listings).  Heaven only knows for how long; not long ago they used to show an hour of the equally comedically genius Scrubs in that time slot, as well as trying out a couple different shows in that time slot.  Hopefully they’ll keep B&T there for a long time to come, or at least keep the show.  I’ve already set up a series recording on the DVR, so I’ve got that going for me.  Which is nice.  Granted, it’s not the full four-hour show that is the radio show, but a little crack is better than no crack, right?