New English Radio Show in Panama
(Costa Rica Pages) I’m sort of amazed radio still exists. With all the new-fangled technology sending information via Bluetooth and portable DVD players the size of playing cards, it seems odd that an invention designed in the 1800’s, with the horse and carriage, would still play an active roll in our day to day lives, virtually the same as when it was first conceived.
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I remember partaking in a radio contest back in elementary school in which the local jam station offered an entire free catered wedding to the first newly wed couple to show at the studio. The problem was, it was snowing that night and no one was on the roads, which left the door wide open for my father who was driving a group of us back from indoor soccer practice.
“Oh, it looks like we’ve got some contestants here Joe” I remember the DJ, I think her name was Janet, saying. “Looks like one lucky couple is going to have their entire wedding catered by 97.5, the leader in hip hop and R&B.”
In our late-model station wagon, my dad circled the empty parking lot several times, the rest of us giggling in the back seat as we listened to the confused DJs reflect over the situation.
“For some reason Joe, they seem to just be driving in circles.”
“Hey lovers!” she yelled out the window of the station into the cold New Jersey air. “Give it a rest already and come get your prize!”
Imagine their surprise seeing five small soccer players unload from the car and dance in circles in the parking lot as if doing team warm-up calisthenics, then hop back in the car and drive away. We laughed about that one for months.
Thankfully, Panama has a new radio show with contests I can call in to. The show is called The Living Room and it’s on 92.1 FM on weekday mornings from 8AM to 10AM. The show features a number of useful pieces for foreigners living in Panama (as well as Panamanians looking for new buzz), beyond being only one of two English-speaking stations period. (You can catch it online at www.921power.com). They even reveal chapters from the newly released Panama Real Estate Report.
The host is DJ Nikki who says the word babe a lot. “Thanks for callin’ in babe” she’ll say. Or “I love you babe, kisses and hugs.” While I’m sure she doesn’t know all of her listeners well enough to call them babe, it does come off as friendly and sociable. She interjects her various riffs and interviews on real estate, culture, nightlife and such with good music selections and occasionally has funny callers who get embarrassed about being on air. The beautiful DJ Nikki is originally from Panama but speaks wonderful English.
The Living Room is my favorite new show in Panama: one that I’ll listen to occasionally when my Celine Dion CDs need to cool off. It’s gaining in listenership by the week and next thing you know, they’ll be offering fully-planned weddings to the first pair of lovers to walk through the door.
