Dear Laura Walker and the rest of WNYC

I will not be contributing any more money to your generally worthy cause until The Takeaway is taken away. The Takeaway is painfully awful to the point of being downright insulting to any intelligent human who strives to be informed and up on the news of the day (i.e. the typical public radio listener and supporter). John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji may be fine people (in fact, I've enjoyed John's work in the past), but they are terrible hosts and abysmal interviewers. Their inane banter in the morning serves no purpose other than to get me out of bed sooner. I used to enjoy my slow starts... easing into the morning with the radio on for 15-20 minutes, the news of the day seeping into my brain by osmosis. But now, as soon as the radio-alarm goes off, I hit the OFF button and jump out of bed so that I don't risk hearing even a minute of the drivel that is The Takeaway. Sometimes I forget to switch from 820 AM to 93.9 FM on the shower radio and the same show I shot out of bed to avoid just an hour earlier is back, torturing me with its annoying sound effects and pointless chatter.

The entire show is confusing and unfocused, It's an aural assault of sound-effects and nonsensical noise. If I wanted this kind of radio in the morning, I'd already be listening to the Morning Zoo or some other commercial garbage. I listen to WNYC - and contribute not-insignificant amounts of money to WNYC - to avoid the trash that's elsewhere on the dial. WNYC, to me, is about Morning Edition, Brian Lehrer, To The Point (which you foolishly displaced), On the Media, All Things Considered, Leonard Lopate, and the rest of the best. The Takeaway is the antithesis of everything WNYC, and public radio in general, stands for!

The last time I was this furious with WNYC's programming was back when The Satellite Sisters ruined my weekends. As much as I hated them, I'd gladly take them back if you would please take away The Takeaway.