The Former Joe Show

On Friday, July 28, Joe Teehan’s noon to one “Get-Naked-Friday” will be Bellingham progressive radio’s “Farewell-Friday” because KBAI-Progressive AM 930 or Cascade Radio Group, or Saga, or somebody, has shut down “The Joe Show.” I’m not ready for the back story. I’m too busy mourning for the constant feeling of loss, the constant having to use “former” as a prefix to other valued things, like the EPA, the Interior Department, the Department of Education, indeed, the presidency of the United States of America. Now I will have to say, “the former Joe Show.” Is it a bit less weighty than the others? Yeah, but it feels just as heavy, because “The Joe Show” was (past tense-really? PAST tense?) here; it was now; it was every day; it was relevant and needed, and funny, and reasonable, articulate, and intelligent, and all right—intersectional; and now that I’ve said that, it was nonviolent too. Joe focused kindly on his guests, but if his differing view was needed, he made his points by simply telling about things he’s learned, and how he learned them. I swear his ego is utterly subdued.

Joe Teehan has offered Whatcom County and Northwest Washington the best in progressive radio talk-show broadcasting for many years. Not surprisingly, considering his genuine mid-West trombone player humility, I couldn’t find the exact number on his various internet pages. But every single week day Joe’s personality and values have shined through his radio interviews, and his news broadcasts too. When values shine, we can see them, know them, benefit from them by feeling their reflection. I believe he valued mutual respect, fairness, critical thinking, humor, and—since he really was a music major grad and trombone player—harmony.

Don’t think Joe wasn’t accomplished at handling dissonance. I said above that Joe begged to differ by way of telling stories. Since his KBAI interviews were meant to help others tell their stories, I learned how Joe handles the art of differing by listening to an interview with Joe, conducted by a down-on-progressives libertarian guy who hosted his own show. The host was cordial, but if the idea was to cure Joe of his progressiveness by means of historical facts and logic, the libertarian had a bad day. The nicest bad day he’d ever had.

Everything changes, sure. Joe’s a top talent; he’s a proven master at challenge; something good will happen.

But this isn’t about him; it’s about me. After Friday the 28th of July and the last Joe Show, and Monday high noon rolls around, what am I supposed to do?