Author Archive for Jack Allen
A self-proclaimed dreamer, raconteur, rapscallion and radio guy, Jack got his start in radio, a second career, in 1992 at WMRA in Harrisonburg, Virginia. His first career was displaying art in an upstate NY gallery. The second career involves pushing art through speakers. He wears the mantle of "listener advocate" proudly. The broadcasting ethers have carried him through stints in St. Paul and Austin. He can now be found leading the amazing team at All Classical Public Media, KQAC in Portland, Oregon.
Classical Birth Knell in Houston
Looks like Houston will get a full-time Classical station fairly soon, not though without some consternation and birth pains. According to a University of Houston news release, the University of Houston’s Board of Regents voted to buy Rice University’s student-run radio station, 50,000 watt KTRU for $9.5-million, If approved by the Feds it would end [...]
Rocket Science
How hard is it to successfully program a classical music radio station? Are there any tried and true formulas? Does what worked yesterday, still work today? Tomorrow?
Tough Being a Stand Alone Classical Station (Anywhere).
Stations are still not out of the woods. Not In Chicago or in any city for that matter. Revenue realities are coming into focus, but what about expense realities? We’re in fiscal-year-end mop up mode with a mini-June drive here in Portland, closing a revenue gap. It will indeed be interesting to watch as KING [...]
In Search of Chopin
Back in 1992, I spent 3 days in Warsaw, not really thinking much about Poland or Chopin, but intent on wrangling a visa to get into Russia. It wasn’t easy at the time. Warsaw was the back door. Those 3 days turned out to be life-changing for me. Yes, Chopin just happened to be my [...]
CQ, this is your son. Come back?
Remember the 1997 film, Contact directed by Robert Zemeckis? I was reminded of the film upon watching the new series Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking airing on the Discovery Channel. His now already famous quote, “If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out [...]
The Rising Tide
A dear old friend of mine, long since gone, used to say when offered ice with her whiskey, “No thanks, that stuff sunk the Titanic, I’ll keep it neat.” She was a Belfast gal from way back.
Acts of God
Given overall economic hardships, dwindling government funding for the arts, a distracted and over-stimulated audience, community malaise, dizzying media environment, must we in the arts also factor in “acts of god” when considering our long-term planning?
Caution: Sports Analogy
We’ve talked before in this blog about a subsistence existence, pertaining to a common financial mindset at many stations in public radio. I’m pretty convinced that there also exists a similar mindset when it comes to excellence and excelling.
Cash for Clunkers
Many stations have successfully implemented vehicle donation programs. But, did you see this in the news? Out of this world cash for clunker…
Dreaming Our Future
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”
choggie kendall wrote:
W. Price wrote:
August Dyer wrote:
ray lee wrote:
Richard Mitnick wrote:
Kimberly Powell wrote:
Robert Aubry Davis wrote: