Public Radio Music Day

[ghost of miles]

Via NPR (of course!):

Local stations across the country celebrate Public Radio Music Day

Grateful that the public radio station which I work at and listen to gave me the chance to start Night Lights and take over our weekday afternoon jazz show.  What commercial station would afford me the opportunity to play the "Pursuance" passage from the new live recording of A Love Supreme this afternoon, as I'm planning to do?  Or devote an entire two-hour programming block to paying tribute to a beloved local jazz musician and educator?  I'd be the first to admit that, broadly speaking, public radio music programming isn't always all that it should be or as good as it should be... but it's also a place where you can hear Lazaro Vega and Ken Dryden, for starters, or Kevin Whitehead reviewing Albert Ayler releases on Fresh Air, or Felix Contreras, Nate Chinen, and Christian McBride honoring living jazz artists as well as those who've just passed on Morning Edition and All Things Considered.  (And sure, I'm being a propagandist here, but it's propaganda in which I truly believe.   Maybe that makes me an "advocate.")  Anyway--big, big thanks and gratitude to everybody who listens and supports public radio and public radio music programming in one way or another.  Planning to do my best over the next few years to help justify that support!

[HutchFan]

Keep up the good work!   

 

[Ken Dryden]

Thanks for including me in your post about public radio.

I always treasured my programming freedom during both the first run of Timeless Jazz on WUTC (10/1987 through 12/2002) and the current period (since February 2019), something that is only possible on a public radio station. I also appreciate those who make an effort to support the station with gifts, as during my nearly 26 years there as development director (10/3/89 to 6/30/15) I heard from far too many people who whined about cancelled programs or demanded that we carry certain programs without giving a dime.

In many university settings, there are faculty and stuff who push to drop any funding of their public radio station, though few of them realized that it is often the first contact for people in the community who are not university alumni nor have children attending the college. Some of those public radio gifts have the potential to open doors for other gifts, including scholarships and bequests.