WKSU's Mark Urycki alerted us to a piece in yesterday's New York Times about the vital entertainment scene just blocks from the site of this year's PRPD Public Radio Programming Conference..
WKSU's Mark Urycki alerted us to a piece in yesterday's New York Times about the vital entertainment scene just blocks from the site of this year's PRPD Public Radio Programming Conference.
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, WNYC's Radio Rookies will broadcast “Growing Up, Getting By”, the first ever special created by young people in the program that teaches radio skills. Host Marianne McCune, who started the program, will revisit some of the stories that Rookies worked on, and follow up with some to see what they have done since being in the program.McCune started the program as a summer radio and photography workshop with a group of kids in Harlem. The stories were a hit, so WNYC management took a risk and gave the go-ahead for more workshops. Since then, we’ve been making our way across New York City’s five boroughs–working with dozens of teens willing to devote themselves and their time to an old-school medium. After the multi-month production process and after their stories air, we stay in touch with most of the Rookies for years, via email, text, and telephone, at reunions and, of course, on Facebook.

I'm at the PRDMC in San Diego at the CPB awards luncheon... Ira Glass is receiving the annual Edward R. Murrow Award.
"...radio is in a particularly good position in media these days, because of its intimacy"
"as other journalism becomes more endangered, the fact that we have healthy audiences and abusiness model that still works... it makes it that much more important what we are doing."
"Its time to be more ambitious... we need to stay bold... we need great new shows... our mission is innovation..."
"There needs to be a place in this country where the people are doing broadcasting not for the money, but because there are things that need to be said..."
There is a new power grid in town and this one has nothing to do with delivering electricity to you home or your radio station.
"There's value and virtue in having people in different parts of the country. We are interested to see how this actually changes our show."They [NPR execs] are really embracing the idea of having the show sound like it's coming from the West and doing something different. I am excited about that.
We note with sorrow the passing of legendary WFMT broadcaster Norm Pellegrini at the age 79. He joined the station and became program director in 1953, holding the position until 1996. In a Facebook posting, WFMT Executive VP for Radio, Steve Robinson, wrote:No one in WFMT’s 58 year history had more influence on WFMT’s sound, style and programming than Norm Pellegrini and he shaped that sound every day for the nearly 45 years he worked as our program director. Over the decades, many have admired and praised WFMT’s programming for its diversity, richness, breadth and integrity. All of those elements, and so much more, are Norm’s legacy and we honor him today and every day by our devotion to maintaining the standards he set so high. He will be missed.
WFMT will pay tribute to his memory throughout the day today. Anyone wishing to share a memory, recollection or comment about Norm can do so via email to: comments@wfmt.com or by phone at (773) 279-2174.
Kim Grehn is leaving Connecticut Public Broadcasting. As of July12, his position as VP/Station Manager for WNPR has been eliminated.I'll miss working with a very talented staff that helped transform the station from dual format to a news and information service. WNPR's transition resulted in audience growth, increased membership and increased revenue from underwriters even in our current economy. The growth is evidence of WNPR's increased value as a community service.