November 16–23, 2000

on media

This Fresh American Life

Is that your final answer? Fresh Air host Terry Gross will be interviewed by Ira Glass this Saturday.

Fresh Air host Terry Gross will be answering questions rather than asking them this Saturday night, Nov. 18. And her interviewer will be another public radio favorite, Ira Glass, host and producer of This American Life.

The interview is part of a WHYY-91 FM celebration marking the 25th anniversary of Fresh Air with Terry Gross — a popular weekday news magazine that explores topics ranging from music and film to politics. A live audience can sit in on the interrogation at the University of Pennsylvania, and ticket proceeds will be used to convert archived copies of Fresh Air to digital tape. That project is expected to cost at least $500,000.

While most nationally syndicated talk shows are broadcast out of New York or Washington, Gross says there are advantages to doing a show out of Philadelphia.

"It’s nice to not be in D.C. because that city is so political-centric," she says. "And I like not being in the media capital of the world because you can set your own agenda without having to look over your shoulder as much. We’re just here, in our little offices on Independence Mall."

Each week, Gross has countless books to read, films to watch, CDs to absorb and world issues to follow in preparation for the show. So, despite living and working in Center City, Gross says she has a difficult time finding time to keep up with local politics and culture. "It’s embarrassing because I know people who work at the Inquirer and Daily News, whose writing I admire," Gross says. "But I run into them and have no idea what they’re working on."

The busy radio host says she can’t squeeze in more than the New York Times each morning. As a result of her heavy workload, Gross says she sometimes feels "out of touch with the city I live in."

"I read more about Serbia than I do City Hall," she says. "It’s strange not knowing what’s going on in your own backyard."

Fresh Air is heard on 330 National Public Radio stations, and ranks among the top five public radio programs in the nation. But with more and more talk radio shows cluttering the airwaves, Gross acknowledges that snagging the hottest guests and coming up with original topics is competitive.

"The times when it is really baffling are when all the media are covering the same event, like the OJ Simpson trial or this presidential election," she says. "Every camera and every talk show is focused on the same stage, yet you feel obliged to cover it because everyone is interested."

More challenging, Gross says, is finding ways to ensure the show sounds up to date by the time it airs. Even though Fresh Air is recorded and edited in the morning, some stations don’t air it until afternoon or evening.

"The story you put on has to last throughout the day," she notes.

Gross is looking forward to being in the hot seat with Glass this weekend, pointing out that their styles are similar but distinct.

"We both go for what’s genuine. We both want people to speak as informally and off-guard as they would in real life situations, not as though they are in a studio and in front of a mike," she says.

The big difference between Fresh Air and This American Life, Gross says, is that Glass’s program is frequently more scripted. "Ira is an excellent writer and he’s more likely to tell a story himself…I tend to be off-stage a little more."

And this partially plays into Gross’ decision to stick with radio, rather than go for the supposed glamour of television.

"The times I’ve done TV, I’ve spent more time shopping than preparing for the interview," says the petite host who sometimes buys clothes at GAP Kids. "Although I grew up during a time when if you really wanted a big audience, you went to TV. Now TV is so fragmented — there are hundreds of stations — but everyone who likes the NPR style listens to the network."

Gross grew up in Brooklyn and attended the State University of New York in Buffalo. Soon after graduation, in 1975, she came to Philadelphia to host Fresh Air. Back then, the show was a local interview program. NPR began distributing it nationally in 1985.

After 25 years of producing Fresh Air out of Philadelphia, Gross says she is "really grateful" to all the listeners who have enabled her to make a home in this city and that she loves living here. But when it comes to the places where she enjoys eating and hanging out, Gross prefers not to broadcast that information.

"You never want to give your favorite spots away," she says.

—Gwen Shaffer

Terry Gross and Ira Glass will talk Sat., Nov. 18 at Penn’s Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce St. A buffet supper will be served at 6 p.m. and the interview begins at 8 p.m. Limited tickets are available for $150 (including the meal), and $25 (for the interview alone). For more information call 215-351-2077.