Off the Hook (radio program)
| Genre | Talk radio, current affairs |
|---|---|
| Running time | 60 min. |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | WBAI |
| Hosted by | Emmanuel Goldstein |
| Starring | Various panelists |
| Created by | Emmanuel Goldstein |
| Recording studio | New York City, New York |
| Original release | 1988 – present |
| Audio format | Stereophonic |
| Opening theme | "Much Worse" (Extended Mix) by Big Audio Dynamite |
| Website | Off the Hook |
| Podcast | high-fidelity feed |
Off the Hook is a hacker-oriented weekly talk radio program, hosted by Emmanuel Goldstein,[1] which focuses on the societal ramifications of information technology and the laws that regulate how people use them. It airs Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time in New York City on the community radio station WBAI 99.5 FM. It is also simulcasted online via streaming MP3, rebroadcast on various other radio stations,[2] and has been made available as a podcast (since long before that term was coined).
History
Premiere
Off the Hook was first aired on Thursday, October 7, 1988. It was originally set to debut Friday, August 12, 1988, but there was a fire on the radio transmitter floor of the Empire State Building, forcing the radio show to be broadcast at a later date.[3]
Notable events
Some notable events in the program's history include:
- On November 30, 1999, journalist Amy Goodman reported live from the World Trade Organization protests, while being repeatedly approached by police and tear-gassed.
- As an April Fool's Day prank in 2008, the crew faked a hack on Barack Obama's campaign website.[4]
- As an April Fool's Day prank in 2009, the show staged a mock shutdown and takeover of WBAI by a new country station. Rather than the show's intro, the hour was opened with an apparent station sign-off followed by the introduction of "New Yorks new radio station", playing a "10,000 song marathon" to cellebrate the birth of "Country 99.5".[5][6] For 17 minutes WBAI broadcast to the Greater New York area as a country station.[6]
Show format
After a quick presentation of the panelist(s) or on-air guest(s), the radio show normally starts with a report and discussion of the previous week's most interesting hacker, technology, and activist related news. Sometimes, it also features an interview with external guests.
Listener contribution
At the end of the hour-long radio program, the host might read some of the received listener e-mails and/or open the remainder of the show for listener phone calls if there's time.
Listener calls varry from people commenting and asking questions about previously discussed topics to reporting their own news. Calls are taken in an unfiltered fashion, with callers being selected at random and immediately put on-air. The show does not utilize a producer to screen for 'valid' calls before bringing them on-air. This, however, means it is not uncommon to occationly hear a caller off topic or seeking help for a computer-related problem, possibly mistaking Off the Hook to be the subsequent radio program on WBAI, called Personal Computer Show.[7]
Since the show has an international audience, due to its streamed web presence and coverage of topics often of international interest, callers come from many countries in addition to the US.
Conclusion
On November 13, 2012, it was announced that "Off the Hook" is possibly facing conclusion due to increasing frustration amongst the "2600" staff with WBAI, as well as difficulty accessing the studio and its resources due to Hurricane Sandy.[8] The final episode was broadcast on 2012 October 24, shortly before the Hurricane hit New York City.[9]
Personalities
Many individuals, from across the hacker, activist, computer security, etc. communities, have played active roles in or appeared on the show over the years.
Emmanuel Goldstein has regularlly hosted the show since its inception.
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| Past regular panelists: | ||
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See also
- 2600
- Gonzo journalism
- Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) conference
- Hacker (programmer subculture)
- Hactivism
- Phreaking
References
- ^ "Radio show focuses on hacking". Associated Press. June 14, 1997. [dead link]
- ^ "2600 Off The Hook". Feb 1, 1997.
- ^ Off the Hook show notes - October 7, 1988
- ^ "Barack Obama's website was not hacked". CNET. 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ Graziano, Michael. "WBAI Gone Country". bsd-box.net/~mikeg/blog/. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ a b "Off The Hook April 2009". The 2009 Off The Hook audio archive. 2600. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ WBAI Program Schedule Overview. Retrieved July 2009.
- ^ AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR LISTENERS FROM THE STAFF OF "OFF THE HOOK", Posted 13 Nov 2012 05:07:34 UTC. Retrieved November 2012.
- ^ 2600 | Off the Hook October 2012, retrieved 2012 November 18.
External links
- Off the Hook official site
- Show page at WBAI