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Ya Know''
NPR's Michael Feldman broadcasts live
Ann Arbor's Hill Auditorium.
Michael Feldman:
"Garrison Keillor meets
Grouch. o Mws."
SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to The Jewish News
sk Wisconsin radio personality Michael
Feldman "whad' ya know?" and he's
likely to answer "a lot about Michigan."
Feldman, described as a "Garrison
Keillor meets Groucho Marx" by People magazine,
has been studying state newspapers to prepare for a
Dec. 12 broadcast from Ann Arbor's Hill Auditori-
um, where he will add a lot of local color to his
"Whad' Ya Know?" two-hour weekly program.
A mix of comedy, quizzes, interviews and jazz,
the show is heard by more than 1 million public
radio listeners tuned into 300 affiliate stations
across America and Europe.
"We go out about eight times a year to do these
kinds of broadcasts," said Feldman, 49, who just
returned from Virgina. "We've found our audiences
differ quite a bit regionally, with people in the Mid-
west more circumspect than other listeners."
Regular elements of every program include a fun
quiz, offbeat interview, live jazz performances by
pianist John Thulin and bassist Jeff Eckels and ban-
ter with sidekick Jim Packard. Feldman opens each
broadcast with "All the News That Isn't," a brief
monologue filled with political and social satire.
Other segments include "Thanks for the
Memos," actual memos from actual listeners; "The
Place to Be," a live interview with someone in a
place Feldman might go; and "Town of the Week,"
a surprise call to a resident in a small city.
"I like the immediacy of radio," said Feldman, who
made his broadcast debut in 1965, when a winning
entry in an essay contest earned him an appearance on
a Milwaukee program. "It allows for spontaneity,
bypasses the visual and goes right to the cerebral."
After earning a bachelor's degree in English from
the University of Wisconsin, Feldman spent eight
years teaching. He used the classroom to work on a
free-flow, off-the-cuff style of communication.
A volunteer DJ spot led to his own show, "The
Breakfast Special," which was aired live from a
small restaurant. Feldman moved to Wisconsin
Public Radio in 1985 and began "Whad' Ya
Know?" a show that attracted critical acclaim and a
loyal audience.
Feldman wrote three books based on show con-
tent — the autobiographical Whad' Ya Know?
(1991), the trivia collection Whad' Ya Knowledge
(1993) and his correspondence collection Thanks
for the Memos (1995).
talk about being Jewish all the time," Feld-
man said. "My attitude and outlook are Jewish. I
think the No. 1 defining characteristic of Jewish
humor is irony, and I have that."
Michael Feldman will host his radio show between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor. The live broadcast is over
Michigan Radio, the public radio stations of the University of Michigan — WUOM 91.7 FM, WVGR Grand Rapids 104.1 FM and WFUM Flint 91.1
FM. The Ann Arbor festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. with a pre-broadcast warmup by the cast. Tickers are $15-$24/$10-$19 for students. (734) 764-0450.