MetaFilter posts tagged with PublicRadio

Teenage Diaries Revisited

Slap*Happy — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:19:39 -0800

Teenage Diaries Revisited Beginning in 1996, Radio Diaries gave tape recorders to teenagers around the country to create audio diaries about their lives. NPR’s All Things Considered aired intimate portraits of five of these teens: Amanda, Juan, Frankie, Josh and Melissa. They're now in their 30s. Over this past year, the same group has been recording new stories about where life has led them for our series, Teenage Diaries Revisited. - The conversation at the end of the 2013 update on Josh is a complete gut-punch - it left me speechless and unable to breathe.

Down but not out.

Miko — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:46:51 -0800

After Forbes magazine declared Dayton, OH, one of America's " fastest dying cities," a group of local media makers created Reinvention Stories. The interactive film/multimedia experience rolls out this month in three acts.

He is a little person. He is an exotic dancer. He has a foot fetish. His name is Corn Pop.

I, Credulous — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:10:13 -0800

Some of the excellent audio stories/interviews from the first season of Strangers, the latest project from Lea Thau, creator of The Moth Podcast (mp3s): The Teacher who Couldn't Read (part 1 and part 2); Big Jim and Smokey Joe (NSFW - A Hollywood waitress, a former bomber pilot, and a retired railroad engineer from the Midwest take the trip of a lifetime); And Justice for All (A booker for court TV shares highs and lows from the merry-go-round of daytime justice) Submit your own stories for possible broadcast through the Story Central website. (The Moth previously)

Mister Sports, Mister Action, Mister Jim Ed Poole

mefireader — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:46:12 -0800

Tom Keith, sound effects wizard on A Prairie Home Companion and longtime host of MPR's Morning Show, has died.

What it sounds like

liketitanic — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:26:10 -0800

"Kohn" is an award-winning radio story produced by Andy Mills (a graduate of the Salt Institute) that was honored in the 2011 Third Coast/Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition. The story, which features the musicians of Hudson Branch/Dogs on Tour, tells what happens when someone hears his own voice for the first time and finds that it's not what he expected. (And a Radiolab short based on the story explains why what we hear in our heads isn't always what the world hears from our mouths.) In a similar vein, another Third Coast winner, Seizure's Lament, tells the story of a radio producer who wanted to know what her seizures look like to other people.

How Radiolab is made

garlic — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:42:52 -0800

Ira Glass talks about how RadioLab is made, and why it's so different from everything else.

WTF has totally sold out to The Man. Totally.

item — Tue, 17 May 2011 20:53:19 -0800

"For about six months now, Sound of Young America editor Nick White and I (Jesse Thorn) have been working on a secret project. Now, the secret can be revealed... please welcome WTF with Marc Maron, the public radio series!" "We've taken the hundreds of episodes of the WTF podcast and boiled them down to what we think is ten hours of exceptionally compelling radio. We've chosen the best stories and the best guests and made a ten-episode public radio series."

Neil Gaiman and the Invisible Hand

running order squabble fest — Fri, 06 May 2011 08:38:45 -0800

Neil Gaiman: "A pencil-necked weasel who stole $45,000 from the State of Minnesota". Minnesota House majority leader Matt Dean was moved to fury at the discovery that writer, comic book celebrity and Minnesota transplant Neil Gaiman received this sum for a speaking engagement at a Stillwater, MN high school. Dean's outburst occurred in the context of discussions over the Minnesota House Legacy Funding Division, which assigns money to various public causes in Minnesota, and a move by the Division's panel chair, Rep. Dean Urdahl, to remove recommendations from the Legacy fund allocations, compelling organizations to compete directly for funding. This would potentially discomfit Minnesota's public TV and radio services, which currently receive funding from the the Legacy Funding Division. Public funding for arts and cultural heritage projects came under the microscope of the new Republican majority, and Gaiman's apparently exorbitant speaking fee was cited as an exemplar of wasted public money. Those wishing to determine if it was worth the dollah can listen to it here. Gaiman's first response explained the thinking behind his deliberately high speaking rates. His second talks about the role of "pencil-necked weasel" as a piece of political language, and queries Republican objections to the invisible hand of the market. Dean later apologised on Minnesota Public Radio for the language of his plaint, although not the message, claiming that his mother had been angry at his terminology and told him not to be a name-caller. Matt Dean is 45 years old.

"My brain seems to work okay, but how would I know?"

zarq — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:13:10 -0800

My Above-Average Stroke. From November 2010, Garrison Keillor writing about the stroke he suffered in 2009. Keillor's narrative ends on page 5. Pages 6 and 7 are "The Young Man's Stroke" which reviews possible triggers of strokes in men under 45. Single page version (this link tries to trigger a print queue)

Infographic Apotheosis

l33tpolicywonk — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 07:46:23 -0800

99% Invisible is a quick hit public radio show about design by producer Roman Mars. The show recently kicked off its second season with a look at the periodic table (the "infographic apotheosis"), but season one includes episodes on maps, designing human habitats in space, city flags, semi-private public space, blind architect Chris Downey and more. Mars also works on REMIX Radio. You may have seen his incredible story on the logistical appeal of a one-way human trip to Mars on Boing Boing.

Political Philosophy Every Thanksgiving, 4th of July and Easter

l33tpolicywonk — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:07:59 -0800

KCRW's Left, Right and Center is usually your standard political talking head show - except on holidays, when the public radio show becomes a platform for conservative Tony Blankley, center-left Democrat Robert Scheer and liberal blogger Arianna Huffington to mount a philosophical debate on the basis of law, politics and culture. Most recently, Blankley and Scheer debated why the US is so deeply polarized. Past debates of this nature have included a look back at 2009, raising the question of America's ungovernability, thoughts on the economic crisis, the future of capitalism, what patriotism means, and The Meta Show, wherein the panelists decide what big ideas they should talk about on the show. Each can be streamed or downloaded as an MP3.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Jonathan Goldstein!

l33tpolicywonk — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:59:04 -0800

If you enjoy Jonathan Goldstein's contributions to This American Life or his recent book Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible! you'll probably enjoy the quirky, self-depricating comedy of his newly podcast (previously) CBC show WireTap, now in its sixth season. Downloadable highlights (all MP3) include: Visiting Hours (featuring Jordan Jesse Go!'s Jordan Morris), My Impostor (in which Goldstein confronts someone twittering as a funnier version of him), Radical Honesty (featuring frequent TAL contributor Starlee Kine's visit to a cult), Fake It Until You Make It (in which a magazine fact checker tries to sex up Goldstein's vanilla personality), The Answering Machine (in which Goldstein's friend Howard replaces Goldstein with a soundboard), We Are Not Supermen (in which Rob Cordry reads Goldstein's story about Lois Lane's next boyfriend) and 26 Minutes 30 Seconds (in which Goldstein hires one Rap Master Maurice to shame those who have hurt him, in rap form).

Chapter a Day.

sarabeth — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:05:12 -0800

There's just something about being read to out loud, even if it's over the radio. Wisconsin Public Radio presents Chapter a Day, in which listeners are treated to daily doses of literature (both fiction and non-fiction). The program presents one book at a time, giving listeners the chance to follow stories from beginning to end over a period of weeks.

Hearing Spooky Voices

not_on_display — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:56:18 -0800

Hearing Voices [prev, prev] has a devilishly viscera-soaked Halloween broadcast: Bloody Hell: The First Half is Bloody. The Second Half We Go to Hell. So, turn the lights out, press play, and grab your favorite token of comfort. (It won't help.) The only warning I will give you is that I can't find the volume control knob, so be prepared to adjust your own set accordingly. Happy Halloween!

The Next Man On The Moon Will Be Chinese!

jtajta — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:17:33 -0800

Inspired by the staccato brilliance of political bitch-fest The McLaughlin Group, rocker Andrew W.K. has composed a song (direct mp3) based on a particularly scattered exchange. Here he is explaining the process on the public radio show "Fair Game." The song has already sponsored a video tribute. Transcript of the original exchange (you can hear it played in the radio segment): MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Question: Does Romney’s endorsement seal the deal? Is McCain now the inevitable Republican nominee? I ask you, Pat. MR. BUCHANAN: John, absent celestial intervention, I think he’s going to get the nomination. MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Absent what? MR. BUCHANAN: Celestial intervention. MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Well, it happens, Pat. May he rest in peace, Paul Wellstone. John Heinz was killed in an airplane crash. MR. BUCHANAN: Well, let’s not speculate on it. MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Death comes in the night on cats’ paws, Pat. You never know. MR. BUCHANAN: On little cats’ feet. That’s the fog, John, that comes in on little cats’ feet. Mr. MCLAUGHLIN: I changed it to cat - Sandberg be damned. And the lyrics to Andrew's song: If it happens, Pat… If it happens, Pat… If it happens, Pat, may he rest in peace Death comes in the night on little cats’ feet! If it happens, Pat, may he rest in peace Death comes in the night on little cats’ feet! on little cats’ feet, on little cats’ feet! on little cats’ feet, on little cats’ feet! The next man on the moon will be Chinese! The next man on the moon will be Chinese! The next man on the moon will be Chinese! The next man on the moon will be Chinese!

Ideas in the Air

Miko — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:13:46 -0800

To The Best Of Our Knowledge is one of the most wide-ranging and literate public radio shows in the US, a two-hour "radio salon" featuring leisurely exploration of weekly themes like No Smoking, Identity Crisis, Weekend, and The Mind, Music, and Math. Host Jim Fleming approaches these big ideas through the works of authors - journalists of all stripes, memoirists, poets, fiction writers, essayists. Five years' worth of shows are available on audio archives; you can also search the impressive list of authors by name, or subscribe to the podcast. To the best of my knowledge, episodes from the show have been linked in relevant post topics, and the show has been mentioned in comments, but has not yet been the subject of its own post. Of course I could be wrong; I often am.

Glenn Mitchell passes away

Doohickie — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 11:07:31 -0800

Glenn Mitchell passes away. If you don't live in the Dallas area or listen to KERA "on the sly," as Glenn used to say, you have no idea who Glenn Mitchell was. If he had lived a few months longer, you would have heard him on XM Radio starting in early 2006. Possibly the best interviewer of our age. He left us far to early. Check out the forum to see what he meant to his listeners. Rest in peace, Glenn.

The Show Must Go On

Miko — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 08:24:53 -0800

After the Storm Sometime this weekend, you may be able to hear one of the best expressions of New Orleans’ role in music and culture available in any mass media. It's American Routes, a weekly show carried on many US public radio affiliates. Programmed and hosted by folklorist and UNO professor of folklore and culture Nick Spitzer, the show normally broadcasts from a studio in the heart of the French Quarter, but has found a temporary home on a Creole/Cajun French/English public radio station in Lafayette. Spitzer told the NYT that he began planning the music for this week’s show as he was fleeing the flooding city in his car, playing Fats Domino’s “Walking to New Orleans." This week’s show highlights New Orleans’ recovery from disasters past, emphasizing the city’s role as the greatest single wellspring of American music. The Crescent City, after all, has either birthed or nurtured everything from jazz, R & B, cajun and the related black-influenced zydeco, soul, blues, gospel, and rock and roll.) With an encyclopedic knowledge of American vernacular music, an utterly democratic spirit, and an unmistakeable respect and love for American musical forms and the people who create them, Spitzer has stepped forward several times this week to serve as a compassionate and optimistic spokesman for the irrepressible creative spirit of a suffering city and a culture in diaspora.

The future of Public Radio?

FlamingBore — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 22:07:32 -0800

Public Radio Exchange: Part of the future of Public Radio? I heard part of this great interview with husband and wife authors Michael Chabon & Ayelet Waldman on NPR today and had to find the transcript, or preferably the audio of it. Thank you PRX!

Ready To Learn?

eatyourlunch — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 08:49:05 -0800

House Appropriations panel eliminates ALL public funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS Ready To Learn. From this morning's Cynopsis:Kids e-newsletter: "In our nation's capital yesterday, a House Appropriations subcommittee voted to approve a new bill that will see budgets sliced for both public TV and radio. Specifically in the line of fire in the kid TV universe is the elimination of the full $23m in funding for Public TV's Ready to Learn initiative. Ready to Learn provides some funds for PBS series including, Sesame Street, Between the Lions, Arthur, Reading Rainbow, Clifford the Big Red Dog and could have Buster sending smoke signals instead of postcards. [...] Though the President proposed a small budget reduction for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting this past winter, yesterday's subcommittee vote would also eliminate all government monetary funds intended for the CPB over the course of the next two years, beginning with a $100m decrease in funding to $300m for next year." Perhaps this will free up some money for No Child Left Behind?

Behind the curtain of public radio

calwatch — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 22:49:55 -0800

It's All Pledge Drives Considered. This is Coordinated Fundraising Week, where stations pull Ken Jennings out of a hat and go for all the gimmicks in the book, while your favorite shows subtly change formats. All this, by the way, mainly to reach the so-called "Cheap 90" percent of people that listen but don't contribute. Because we couldn't do it without you!

F-Worded on the Radio

wendell — Fri, 05 Mar 2004 09:07:01 -0800

Screw Howard Stern. But Save Sandra Tsing Loh!
The radio culture wars have claimed an unlikely victim, and an unlikely victimizer (America's favorite NPR station, KCRW).

The Audio Kitchen

pedantic — Mon, 23 Feb 2004 14:32:35 -0800

The Audio Kitchen. Music, spoken word, conversations, phone messages and anything else recorded — played on a radio program. Most of the material is found in thrift stores and flea markets. [RealAudio required]

Next up: I'm a Senator and I can't keep my clothes on!

mathowie — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 10:56:56 -0800

The popular radio show, This American Life, has an upcoming series devoted to Jerry Springer's previous life in politics. Along with the radio piece, an entire website has been launched to try and convince Springer to re-enter politics and "revitalize the Democratic Party." Is Springer the new Arnold of the left?

Ack, I missed All Things Considered

Mick — Tue, 28 Oct 2003 09:31:00 -0800

PublicRadioFan.com An extensive customizable list of (almost) all public radio stations that offer streaming audio and what they have playing now and in the future.