Though most of Rochester's talk radio time is occupied by nationally syndicated hosts, mid-day talk radio listeners have two home-grown Bobs to choose from: Smith and Lonsberry. With such a variety of local talent, choosing the right Bob is tough. Perhaps the following table will help you make this difficult decision:
| Smith | Lonsberry | |
|---|---|---|
| Station | WXXI - AM 1370 | WHAM - AM 1180 |
| Station Slogan | "Public Radio for Rochester" | "Rochester's News Leader" |
| Show name | 1370 Connection | Bob Lonsberry Show |
| Website | http://wxxi.org/talk1370/index.htm | http://www.lonsberry.com |
| Sounds Like | Ben Stein on Quaaludes (Bueller? Bueller?) | Porky Pig on Crystal Meth |
| Idols | Hillary Clinton and Jimmy Carter | Ronald Reagan and Bill O'Reilly |
| Villians | Anyone opposed to funding public broadcasting | Gun control advocates and Louise Slaughter |
| Target Audience | Left-leaning, complacent, baby boomer | Right-wing, flag-waving, retired |
| Most Irritating Trait | His questions are longer than the guests' answers | An excited, affected stammer when he gets worked up about something |
| Rut He Falls Into | Endless discussion with a college professor or public interest group shill on some marginally relevant topic | Long-winded, paranoid rant about a public figure out to take him off the air |
| At His Best... | when he shuts up and lets the gardening or antique expert talk | if the topic is something other than politics, like local trivia |
| At His Worst... | when he fancies himself an expert on the topic at hand - his questions are then 3 or 4 times longer than the guests' replies | during hunting season - he gets a little manic about slaughtering every living thing in sight |
| Common Ground | Both Bobs love to talk about gardening. | |
