Patt Morrison for Monday, December 20, 2010

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Monday, December 20, 2010

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

 

1:06 – 1:30

OPEN

 

 

1:30 – 1:58:30

If you add up all of the fees paid to airlines can they be used as a floatation device?

Is it raining pennies from heaven?  It might need to be for consumers to keep up with all the new fees the airline industry is charging. Consumers have found themselves swiping their cards for food, cha ching, in-flight movies and television, cha ching, and most of all for baggage, CHA CHING!!! One customer had to pay $75 dollars for a bag that was 7 pounds over the limit and yet the fee for a second bag is $35.00.  The 20 biggest airline carriers have wracked up more than $900 million in baggage charges in the third quarter alone.  That represents a 23 percent increase from the same time last year. The airline industry has recently changed its business model from that of a one-time all inclusive fee based system to more of an a la carte approach charging customers for services which were at one time free or included in the cost of the ticket.  Consumer groups have petitioned both the Department of Transportation (DOT) and President Obama to make all those fees the industry is charging more transparent. Are all the fees good for the fledgling airline industry.  What have you had to pay and how much are you willing to pay to fly the friendly skies?

 

Guest:
Charlie Leocha, director, Consumer Travel Alliance, Inc.
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• He and a few other consumer groups send a letter to President Obama urging him to require the airline industry to be more transparent about the fees they charge consumers. The DOT is expected to release new regulations on this within the next three months.    

We strongly support Secretary LaHood's efforts to require airlines to make their fees fully and easily accessible to both consumers and intermediaries in the travel industry so that travelers can compare prices and know in advance how much their trips will cost.  Just as the Transportation Department has required of airlines full disclosure on other issues critical to consumers, it should require airlines to make all of their ancillary fee information, such as checked bag fees, easily accessible through online and offline travel agencies via the major reservations systems that power those ticketing systems. This will give consumers more information and better choices, allowing them to comparison shop among airlines by both cost and services offered to find the best air travel options.

 

• The Consumer Travel Alliance (CTA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to provide consumers an articulate and reasoned voice in decisions that affect travel consumers across all of travel’s spectrum. CTA’s staff gathers facts, analyzes issues, and disseminates that information to the public, the travel industry, regulators and policy makers.

 

 

 

2:06 – 2:30

When Gilmore Girls & Vampire Diaries show more sex than Playboy, is that a problem?

Our society walks a fine line when it comes to the sexualization of young girls on Television says Parents Television Council (PTC), a parent advocacy group that monitors television content.  According to PTC's new study of the top-25 programs for teens, underage girls were depicted in a sexual manner more often than the adults on the shows. And they note that in only 5% of those situations did the character ever express any negative reaction to the depiction.  PTC claims that their goal is to spark a national discussion about how teenage girls should be depicted on Television.  Their report warns that the broadcast programs show a willingness to "objectify and fetishize young girls" in such a way that "real teenagers are led to believe their sole value comes from their sexuality".  PTC notes that teenage girls are encouraged to look and act sexy before they understand what it means to be sexual.  Have the networks crossed a line? Is there too much teen sex on TV?

 

Guests:

Melissa Henson, director of communications and public education for the Parents Television Council
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• The Parents Television Council is a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. It was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media.

Karen Sternheimer, professor of sociology at USC specializing in media, youth, and culture
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2:30 – 2:39

OPEN

 

 

2:41 – 2:58:30

Award season series:  Animal Kingdom

No, this isn't the Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom; it's the critically acclaimed film 'Animal Kingdom' by writer-director David Michod.   If you aren't a crazy film buff you may have missed it on your way to the Social Network or Inception.   A few folks who didn't miss this drama about a less than upstanding family of bank robbers set in Australia ....The Sundance Film Festival gave it their jury prize and the American Film Institute (AFI) bestowed it with ten awards including best film, best direction, best screenplay, best lead actor and best lead actress.  Speaking of lead actress, Jackie Weaver who plays one of the most dysfunctional matriarch's ever on film has won the LA Critics award, a National Board of Review award, a San Francisco Critics award and was just nominated for a Golden Globe. The film received eighteen nominations at the Australian Film Institute--a record.  It won ten of them including best feature film and another best actress award for Jackie Weaver.  Did I mention that Patt is going to sit down with this scary lady and discuss the film and the possibility of one more nomination, an Oscar?   

 

Guest:

Jackie Weaver, lead actress, Animal Kingdom

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Jonathan Serviss

Producer, Patt Morrison Program

Southern California Public Radio

NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles

89.3 KPCC-FM | 89.1 KUOR-FM | 90.3 KPCV-FM

626.583.5171, office

415.497.2131, mobile

jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org

www.scpr.org