I learned that you can't hurry a Newfoundlander when he wants to tell a story; just sit back and listen! One day the topic was highway speeding and apprehension by the constabulary. A few stories were told, some with horrid results, some comical. Then an older chap called with his beef: he had not been speeding. In fact, he proudly said that he was driving cautiously and prudently, well below the speed limit. Host George gleaned that it was at about half the posted speed limit. He was apprehended for driving too slow, and he was indignant! "Me and the missus was leaving Goobies…" His long-winded tale told of passing certain landmarks, vehicles that passed him, comments made by himself or the missus, and so on. George tried to hurry him by jumping ahead with a comment like "and when you got to your destination, what happened?" Mister was not to be hurried. Instead, he reprimanded: "You're not listening. I'll start again. Me and the missus was leaving Goobies…" George was heard to mutter "oh no," but clammed up for the rest of the tale which, by the way, was not dramatic.

In the rest of Canada we are somewhat passive about political information-we get it in the form of press releases, newspaper articles, short clips on the radio or TV. Many don't trust the media or don't believe the politicians, so tend to disregard the information. Not so in Newfoundland and Labrador. VOCM reaches a wide portion of the isolated communities, often before news is broadcast on TV or radio, and usually a day or so before the most current newspaper is delivered locally. In this province, callers don't just react to matters of interest, they help to shape public policy and accept or reject political action.

When I was living in the tent in Labrador the matter of denominational education was high on almost everyone's interest chart. Night after night it was guaranteed that there would be an opinion expressed about whether the churches or government would have the right to organize and administer education in the province. There were a few rules for the callers-no swearing, no slander, and no promotion of any one religious group. One evening an early caller's remark spurred a flurry of calls with heated comments about one side or the other. A bit into the two-hour program a calm, reasonable gentleman called saying, "Dis is not good for da kids. Dere's fights in the home, fights in the school, fights on the street, and fights in the schoolyard. Dis has gotta stop now."