Dan Rea's Good Side

Instead of complaining about the decline in the quality of Boston talk radio, how about giving some respect to those still trying to maintain a standard of excellence on the air?

There has been much griping over the past few years about the collapse of talk radio in Boston—the passing of legendary stars, the mismanagement of prominent stations, the willingness of too many hosts to pander to the lowest common denominator—and too little praise for those who remember how great talk radio once was in this region, and are doing their best to keep the tradition of quality radio alive. This shortsightedness is a major reason why WBZ-AM star Dan Rea has yet to receive the praise he truly deserves.

Six months after being selected as the permanent replacement for the late Paul Sullivan, Rea has clearly elevated the Boston talk-radio game, demonstrating a commitment to a fair, objective and insightful analysis of controversial issues. He has already achieved a difficult task: providing an alternative to the dominant template of modern talk radio while being just as good as those who are successful in that template.

Rea has received some online grief for not being an adherent to an explicit ideology. The criticism makes no sense: not every prominent talk radio star has to be a strong supporter of one political party. Boston has several radio stars who are tremendously talented and solidly conservative; just because Rea is not as ideologically driven as those stars doesn’t mean he is not their equal in terms of talent.

Strangely enough, Rea has also received some heat from Internet commentators for supposedly being too ideological: one gentleman has flooded a prominent Boston radio site with accusations that Rea is too hard on Hillary Clinton. What nonsense. Rea’s criticisms are grounded in reality, not ideological bombast. One wonders if this particular critic is even bright enough to comprehend Rea’s arguments.

Listening to Rea requires intelligence—the intelligence to understand that not everyone agrees with your view, the intelligence to recognize that people of good will can come to different conclusions. Rea panders not to the lowest common denominator, but to the highest common denominator—and that quality will make him an iconic figure in Boston talk radio.

Rea has immediate credibility as a host: listeners familiar with his past as a WBZ-TV reporter know that he is a man who is reliable, knowledgeable and humble. In an era of talk-radio self-aggrandizement, it’s nice to hear a host who doesn’t think that he’s the lone genius in a world of idiots.

Those who are accustomed to ideological flag-waving on the radio will have to adjust to Rea—but once they do so, they will be rewarded with a show that seeks to grow the intellect, a show that seeks reason instead of blind passion. Rea understands that he is not playing to conservatives or liberals, but to wise listeners of all political persuasions. He manages to do what so many politicians cannot: reach across the boundaries of partisanship to find common ground.

When Rea was hired for the job, there was a fair bit of speculation as to whether he could fill the shoes of Sullivan and David Brudnoy. He doesn’t need to; he has created his own shoe brand. It would be a foolish effort to try to imitate previous successes; it’s a far wiser initiative to establish one’s own success, something Rea has chosen to do.

Rea is like a film producer who is still devoted to quality productions long after his contemporaries decided to cash in on mindless garbage. Surrounded by hosts who hurl racial insults at women’s basketball teams, hosts who smear former governors for not blocking the implementation of Supreme Judicial Court rulings and hosts who (literally) spew crap at callers with opposing views, Rea stands out as a bold name on the small list of outstanding Boston talk-radio stars.

Rea will never satisfy his small-minded critics; the only way he could do so is by lowering the quality of his program. I can’t imagine him ever doing that. He is demonstrating the same commitment to excellence that defined his work as a Boston reporter, the same devotion to fairness that motivated him to cast a spotlight on wrongdoing in the criminal justice system. Sometimes, he says things I agree with. Sometimes, I strongly disagree with him. At all times, he has earned my respect—because he clearly believes in quality.

Dan Rea should never drop to anyone’s level. He should compel some of his competitors to rise to his.

Comments

[Quaime]

I must admit that I haven't been litening to Mr. Rea since he has been on, but your article has encouraged me to give him a chance tomorrow evening. Given his competition in that time slot, his show sounds like a breath of fresh air. Good piece! If someone from WBZ is reading out there, you guys need to link Devone's article to your website!!!!