A bit of driving around the Boston area when my radio's "seek" button landed me on WBUR. I generally avoid talk radio, preferring music, but there was something today that sounded interesting. I stuck with it for a while. Clear reception, a few reminders that they're "supported by listeners like you" and some regional/world news. I'm familiar with the NPR format and this is one of the oldest stations in the NPR network. They did a fine job today of keeping me entertained. [Review 15227 overall, 729 of 2021, number 1089 in Massachusetts.] read more

This is local news done right--they even make police and fire stories, which I would turn off if they were on local tv--very informative.

Some people have a TV on all the time, some people have NPR on all the time (ok maybe I'm the only 26 year old who does this). It might have something to do with the fact that I've been able to sing the opening bars of the evening news theme music since I was about 4. I also used to think that Phil Donahue could see me picking my nose while my mother folded the laundry. Anyway. I digress. WBUR keeps me well informed. Over the years and years of listening, I actually have an understanding of world events including the Middle East, the Israeli situation, and US politics. Even if you're not paying attention, you WILL pick up a tidbit or two of useful information that will help put the next news piece you hear into context. That's the tricky part about news, right? Putting it all in context. Never mind the number, size, and colors; just how important IS the hummingbird population in rural Mexico? NPR will let you know. And occasionally make you laugh. Try NPR. Just for 20 minutes while you're getting dressed in the morning. You'll be surprised at how easily you'll be able to tolerate it, and then shortly thereafter, love it. My boyfriend no longer fights me to change the station in the morning - he even sometimes requests NPR. PS. During fundraiser times, donate and then listen to WERS 88.9 until your NPR friends come back.. or try 89.7, which often is not fundraising at the same time. You would think they would coordinate these things! read more

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WBUR is quite repetitive for an NPR station. They tend to run the same 2 hour block of NPR ad nauseam in the mornings. There is local news, but not much of it. WBUR does have good shows like "The World",they were responsible for bringing Car Talk to the world from Cambridge... but it doesn't make up for how boring they are. On KQED, in contrast, by 10 am, they vary their schedule. They have call-in shows, science shows, and Saturdays have great shows like "Reveal","Radiolab" and The Moth Radio Hour (ironically, out of Woods Hole) KQED has the California Report for statewide news. On the other hand, WBUR lacks this variety. An equivalent Massachusetts Report doesn't exist- despite their obvious advantage of being in a much smaller state. Even KOPB has the Northwest Passage. WBUR is BORING. One could say it's an archetypal NPR station that way. It has helped put me to sleep. A greater emphasis on local news, along with variety, would keep it from being a snooze fest. When I had to be up early in the morning for a flight to SFO, I can thank WBUR for being a tranquilizer. read more

NPR is my crack. My new crack. I got sick of nodding and smiling, and wanted to get out of the cave in which I live, so I timidly set the dial to 90.9, and at first, yes, I'll admit, I'd tune out the soothing voices like background noise, but then, then, I came to realize, I couldn't live without the noise. I now get all of it podcast onto my ipod, and, in addition to listening in the car (station set to #1), I listen to it livestream on my computer at work!! Wanna discuss the stock market? Falling value of the dollar? Pakistani state of emergency? Kasparov's new book? San Diego fires? Burma crisis? Elections 2008? Juan Carlos telling off Chavez? I'm all over it, bring it! Not to mention, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and CarTalk, turn that shit on at the grocery store, and hilarity ensues, LOLing all day long with my ipod on (passers by think I'm schizophrenic and responding to internal stimuli). Yea, good station! If I had money, I'd succumb and donate. read more

WBUR is one of the finest NPR news stations in the country. It's been proven that NPR listeners have a more accurate view of the news and the world than Fox News viewers. Not that anyone is surprised, except the Fox News viewers of course. Search Google for "Misperceptions, the Media and the Iraq War" and you can read the report for yourself. read more

A typical NPR station, meaning it's the besweatered intellectual's version of the Muppet Show. As radio it's nothing exceptionally creative, simply having found a formula and stuck to it (worked for NBC, right?). The shows are often hosted by computers (evident in the long conversations conducted in tones and cadence that aren't found in nature). The technology is weak, though, often making noted robot Mike Wallace sound human by comparison. Humor is often a focus of the programming -- "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" is a forum for people who find themselves very funny, while "Car Talk," a show about relationships, is... well, the same thing. On "This American Life," a young man mutters to himself as his friends muse about things like how many times they've wondered why they call it eggplant. You'll notice some to-the-point, clear, far-reaching reporting at times. But then the BBC World Service ends and WBUR's fundraising -- er, programming -- begins anew. About once a year WBUR hosts a show not on its own airwaves, but in the rest of the local media, a soap opera in which it embarrasses itself over some move or another involving calculated greed (exorbitant salaries, illegal reneging on contracts, etc. -- see http://snipurl.com/veft). Ironically, this program gets more attention than the rest of the schedule combined, yet is never, ever mentioned on the station itself, probably by order of its owner, real estate developer Boston University. Great as a college station, though. I'm sure the students are running the whole thing. read more

the BBC stuff they carry lags behind shortwave eg 6.005/9.41/15.4 MHz by about 15 or 30 seconds and features less interesting programming (eg business news, why bother when anyone into that can check cnbc/reuters/bloomberg/blogs). the NPR/PRI stuff can be heard on numerous other outlets below 92, + streams, xmsirius, podcasts BU students have probably never heard of radio since their iPod and iPhone both curiously omit said feature, otherwise maybe theyd want their radio station to do something interesting read more

The Station is Top-Notch in most ways But please, somebody, tell Bob Oakes to retire or go behind the scenes. I can't stand that man's voice. "Boston's NPR neeeeeeeeeeeews station..." Ugh, and the way his voice catches in his throat. Hate it. Delores Handy pronounces the "ing" at the end of words like "een" Why is she still "workeen" as an annoucer? Well, otherwise she's ok. Hate the way Tom Ashbrook has to list all the possible questions "you" might have before the sessions starts....I know why he does it, but it's annoying as hell. And no, I don't miss arrogant Chris Leydon...the worst kind of Boston-type know-it-all. Yuck. Yet I still listen to WBUR sometimes because "The Takeaway" on WGBH is even worse!! :) read more

I love WBUR. It has given us such studs as: Tom Ashbrook, Bob Oakes and the Tappert brothers. How much do I love Bob Oakes' accent? I could listen to him read the neeews everyday of my life. I listen to this station only on my commute and when running errands on Saturdays. Car Talk and Wait Wait are my favorite Saturday programs. I've listened to NPR in Chicago and Minneapolis. In my experience, NPR is pretty much the same everywhere, so I can't say that this station is better or worse than the other two. read more

At the risk of flagrant self-promotion, I want to encourage reviewers interested in a behind-the-scenes peak of life at WBUR to head over to our Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/15396672@N00/pool/ Thank you for the kind words, but I must take objection to some of the comments regarding Delores. That being said, there is always room for improvement in the news business and we are no exception. read more

These "journalists" have now hit a new low... their current fund-raiser shell game has them saying that they are only "guaranteed" a huge chunk of corporate sponsorship money if they meet their goal... but only sometimes; other times they say they will not get the $$$ unless they meet the goal. So which is it? Sorry but I simply do not believe this. They have the sponsor's name all over this fund-raiser day after day and week after week, including self-serving messages from the sponsor CEO. Please... can we get some journalists on staff at WBUR management and leave the marketers to produce infomercials? Tell me how this sleight-of-hand double talk is somehow better than the airing of commercials, which is far more up-front and honest? Meh. More and more I listen to WGBH and stream WNYC, which is truly an exceptional NPR station with high standards of excellence and honesty. read more

I love npr. Maybe too much. Is it wrong that I listen to npr from the minute I wake up...all day at work.. and even sometimes when I go to sleep at night (BBC World Report rules)? What a better way to learn lots about what's going on around the world and in Boston than just sitting and listening? From the Connection and On Point to Fresh Air, wbur has consistently good programming... and I always end up learning about cool stuff that I wouldn't have otherwise. seriously listen to wbur and you will be smarter... you can even stream it at wbur.org Once you realize how great wbur is, be sure to donate during the fund drive! read more

In both cars we have BUR at position one on preset. The kids complain but every once in a while they will make an astounding observation that adds to the dinner conversation, insight that could have only come from listening to BUR during the car ride to soccer practice. At some point after 9/11 WBUR decided that they needed to "educate" me. This "education" borders on propaganda, I don't like it. I have a graduate degree and I was already smart enough to be a listener. Just the facts please I can think critically enough on my own, when I want pompousness, I listen to the BBC (on WBUR). I like classical music and I have a car radio with that had 3 FM preset trunks. On FM 2 I have all the college stations like ZBC, MBR and ERS and WICN (Jazz and Folk). FM 3 starts with WGBH now. I've become so dismayed with WBUR I've turned to listening to Sports Talk and traffic reports on AM radio! I like the bubbly Robin Young, I'm old enough to remember when she was a hottie and she still has a golden voice. Tom Ashbrook probably started the the need to "educate" listeners but I still like him. It is annoying that he gets 85% of his show themes from periodicals I read (Sunday NY Times, Economist, Foreign Affairs, etc), I actually can predict which stories he will go with. God I miss Christoper Lyden, last time I saw him at Les Zygomates I told him so. read more

Love it. I started listening to Wait Wait and Car Talk about 20 years ago without knowing what station they were being played on. While I hate the Sunday programming and dislike Radio Boston intensely for some odd reason, it is my go-to station for news. read more

I like WBUR when they're not fundraising. I like Car Talk. I'm tired of Bob Oakes. But what I really want to know is this: Who's Hugh and why does he sponsor everything? Seriously, thanks, WBUR. I don't know how you and the other NPR stations do it. read more

I listen to this radio station occasionally. It's categorized as a nonprofit but they constantly and aggressively solicit for donations. Some years ago one donor bequeathed them $200 million dollars. The interest on that money alone can support the radio station forever. But they continue to solicit for more money and line the pockets of their executives. Throughout the day it's a constant repetition of the same programming, it has become lackluster. read more

I love NPR/WBUR for oh-so-many reasons, but I'd like to point to my favorite for a moment. Tom Ashbrook! When Tom was away a few weeks ago my radio was so gloomy. Something about his voice cheers me up, and his savvy for connecting with callers and the deeper meanings behind their calls always impresses me. read more

This is a review of "On Point" with Tom Ashbrook. One of the best post-Connection call-in shows I've heard. The subject matter is usually split between contemporary and instantaneous, such as discussing a fiction writer, and then Habeus Corpus abolition legislation. Ashbrook is deft in handling callers, factual background and splitting airtime amongst the panel. As a regular commentator, Jack Beatty is always prepared, firm and clear with all subject matter. The subject matter is varied, but often gets at recent events in a discussion that rarely is heard in the media, eliciting thought in a way that is unprecedented. I download the podcast with iTunes and listen to it at work to keep me informed. Bravo, Tom & Co. read more

I love WBUR... though sometimes it's a bit excessively liberal [Democrat] [ie, during the campaign coverage - but that's NPR in general]. Sorry, but Delores Handy's voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I really have to turn the volume dial down if it's within reaching distance. Regarding a listener's comment about the BBC in the morning - so true! They seem to spend a lot of time focusing on warfare in Africa and people losing limbs. I have a son who is 1.5 and wonder how much of this depressing news he is absorbing. If you listen to the BBC late, late at night [when it's 5am their time], the newscaster is hilariously sarcastic. Love it! read more

I love NPR/WBUR & it's on 24/7 (unless I've already been through the loop). I like the fact that they educate me on issues (they do a particularly good job at describing both sides of an issue & not just left/right) that I'm unaware of (& I have a graduate degree), b/c there's so much more I need to know about what is going on in the world. I really like the *silent* pledge drives, I always give during them & cannot stand the quarter ending pledge drives, they drive me nuts. read more

WBUR, you made me believe in the radio again! What would I do without you? My commute would suck and I would be far more dumb about the world I live in. Special thanks for StoryCorps (my all time favorite thing ever), This American Life (that show has changed my life), and Carl Kassel. Love. PS - Fucking fire Gregory Pfeiffer already though. I can't stand that guy's fake newscaster intonation. I want to punch him through the radio. read more

Believe it or not, this is the only radio station I listen to in the car. I rarely listen to others, because they play crap music, and I have everything I want on my ipod. - I love This American Life, Car Talk, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, etc. Interesting, thoughtfull, funny - it's just good stuff. Sure, the fundraising announcements drive me batty, but I still love the programming itself. And most have Podcasts, which I regularly listen to as well. Whereas I used to be ashamed of being a guy listening to this on a regular basis, I am now confident enough to stand proud and say "Yes, YES I love NPR!!!" read more

I don't know have anything to compare my favorite radio station to.... but 5 stars just the same. Yes, the news programs and discussions are all great, I love how confrontational Tom Ashbrook has gotten lately, but what I really, really LOVE is car talk. The funny part is, I don't even drive. That's right- no license, never have driven, can't drive. But I think Tom and Ray are so entertaining, and I love that the show airs twice during the weekend. Thank you WBUR!!! now could somebody tell me why Bob Oakes says his name like that....? read more

This isn't a review so much as a Thank You note. I wouldn't be a right proper leftist if I didn't drink deep of the knowledge on WBUR. Morning Edition, Car Talk, This American Life, Wait Wait. Fruit on the Tree of Snooty Intellect. Bravo, to you, WBUR. Thanks for making me bright. read more

I love WBUR. I really do. So why the three star rating? It isn't available on Beacon Hill! I've now tried using four different radios to tune to WBUR in my office, and no luck. Irony anyone? Morning Edition and Radio Boston have pretty good coverage of what's going on in the State House, unless you actually try to tune in from the State House, and then you are stuck using your computer. read more

Okay I couldn't help myself. I am a genuine GENUINE addict. If I don't listen to WBUR everyday -- my heart stops (true story). I'm actually in London for a few months, but still manage to stream it live everyday (pathetic? perhaps...)...not to mention the podcasts... Anyway, the point is that this NPR station is by far the best in Boston from Tom Ashbrook (On Point is my favorite show) to Bob Oakes to Robin Young to Terry Gross (where does the goodness stop?)...just doesn't get any better. Not to mention the fact that the weekend NPR shows they play (Wait, wait, don't tell me for one) are out of this world. I am a poor college student, but still manage to donate exorbitant sums to BUR in spite of the fact that I have to skip meals/doctors appointments to do so. Just listen...you won't look back. read more

Delores Handy. Seriously. Can I have your job? I don't think you really need it anymore. I have broadcast experience and can elocute the letter W properly. Oh WBUR, you're with me day and night. I wake up to the dulcet tones of the illustrious Bob Oakes and make the trod back with Tom Ashbrook guiding me home. You're a beacon of truth lighting my way in this murky world. I am only too happy to tithe for your sake. read more

I agree with Sojourner F to the degree that the station deserves 1 star-at least in the yelp review system. The station is a joke, pure and simple. NPR is a joke: or would be a joke if the future of the country weren't at stake. Give me fair and balanced any day of the week. They are neither. If you want propaganda all day, move to Russia but if you believe in freedom- freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and particularly truth in reporting, don't bother listening. read more

once upon a time i was a college underclassman who thought npr was boring. my sister who works at a public radio station encouraged me to give it a try and putting up quite a fight i started listening to it during my 45 minute commute in the mornings. low and behold i liked it! i really liked it! i even got out of the car one day, called my sister and said " i am so much smarter then i was when i got in the car". amazing. WBUR is one of my favorite NPR stations because of the quality programing. I wake up to Bob Oaks every morning and know I'm running really late if the BBC intro music starts playing. I am proud to say that they not only have a great line up but they produce great shows right here in town. My one complaint is that they stopped running "The Connection" with Dick Gordon, which was one of my favorite programs. But I guess Bill Littlefields rhyming skills makes up for it. Almost. donate at www.wbur.org read more

Yes, God Bless Harvard. A Boston institution. Outstanding, quality programming. But showing it's age. Keep up the great work, but age with the times. read more

I love WBUR. Their programming is excellent, and it's always an interesting and entertaining listen whenever I need it. My only complaint would be that they don't carry A Prairie Home Companion, but that's what WGBH is for. And they've got Car Talk and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, two of the best audio programs you can get. I'll support you as long as you support me, and you do! read more

WBUR will be five star in my book until there is another station out there that can top it. Without this station my commute would be boring and lifeless. Not sure what else to say. It's just a preference! read more

Re: Delores Handy Maria V needs to clean the wax from her ears, get better ears or learn to listen. Handy is one of the few on air hosts on WBUR who retains the L in her pronunciation of W. I also find it comical that some in this forum jump on Handy's on air flubs while failing to here Bob Oakes' similarly numberous stumbles. While I'm on him I wonder why none of the Handy bashers has a issue with Oakes' double you be you aawrwrww. I'm left snickering at jim j.'s fawning over Robin Young with her somewhat mousey voice and the annoying nasal heh-heh laugh of hers. And jim j. you ask "who doesn't love Terry Gross?" Frankly I'm one. I find most of her shows about creative types artists, writers, performers uninteresting. And I find her halting somewhat timid pattern of speech peppered with "like" and "you know I'm saying" somewhat ear-ritating. read more

Very entertaining and informative whatever time of day you turn it on.

My morning just doesn't feel right without hearing Bob Oaks. It just goes well with my morning coffee.

This is the radio station that they are making fun of when they make fun of public radio. But, it's the one that sets the bar and I haven't found another that can hold a candle to it's pseudo-professor listeners. Thank you for keeping me informed from age 8-18. WBUR is always on the dial when I am in the Boston area and it makes me really happy that they're there. read more

This is my favorite radio station in Boston. Love that lots of their locally made material gets played around the country on NPR affiliates. read more

Clearly anything that makes you smarter in the car AND allows you to turn on the radio without being assaulted by heinous bad contemporary music deserves five stars. I applaud you, Boston's NPR, because you along with Cambridge Public Radio give me hope that the future of radio can be like the radio of days of yore. A++ programming. read more

Morning edition gets me up in the morning when I have to iron my clothes, make lunch and coffee, shave, and shower. I like how they advertise their sponsors since it doesn't take away from the news and random documentaries. Since I don't have cable TV, this is one station I cannot live without. read more