Manal Kara playing Muna.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
What happened
Last week I was informed by Chicago Public Radio that I was 'laid' off due to money problems. The job I held was a producer and host for their new web based radio called Vocalo.org since March 2007.
Anyway I will not get into all the details of what happened. I came to work and was called into a room and told I was fired. My co-workers are all shocked and so am I. You can listen to the work I did there for the past year and half here. I'm doing well and active on my new feature but looking for work and money. The news made the news...
Layoffs at WBEZ, Vocalo by Michael Miner
Rumored since Wednesday, layoffs whittled the ranks of Chicago Public Radio's two stations Friday. WBEZ lost nine staffers, including 848 producer Shawn Campbell, arts reporter Gianofer Fields, and Web designer Josh Andrews. At Vocalo, on-air hosts Darlene Jackson and Usama Alshaibi were let go.
The prelude to the layoffs was a tempestuous board meeting Tuesday attended by several WBEZ staffers. I wasn't there, but I got a report that CEO Torey Malatia alarmed the WBEZ contingent by describing public radio as a "house on fire burning to the ground" and calling Vocalo the "fire escape." This wasn't anything new -- as online media become more and more intrigued by the public radio model of not-for-profit status + grants + subscribers, Malatia has declared the radio version of this model -- with its dependence on periodic pledge drives -- ultimately unsustainable.
At WBEZ, staffers dream of rounding up the reportorial cream dumped by Chicago's staggering print media and turning the station into a spectacular news operation. Malatia dreams of reinventing public radio's business model. So far, he's had CPR's board behind him. The alienated, diminishing WBEZ staff is stewing in its juices.
UPDATE: Malatia, CFO Donna Moore, and board chairman Tony Weisman talked to the WBEZ staff at midday Friday. I'm told they made these gloomy points:
Individual contributions during the October pledge drive were down about $30 a pledge. There's a $1.5 million shortfall shaping up for the current fiscal year, which ends in June. Senior staff are taking a salary cut for the balance of the fiscal year. The Third Coast Audio Festival and Sound Opinions are at risk. "I'm horrified. This is a kind of out-of-body experience," said Malatia, warning that the financial crisis devastating print media could become the future of Chicago Public Radio.
Anyway I will not get into all the details of what happened. I came to work and was called into a room and told I was fired. My co-workers are all shocked and so am I. You can listen to the work I did there for the past year and half here. I'm doing well and active on my new feature but looking for work and money. The news made the news...
Layoffs at WBEZ, Vocalo by Michael Miner
Rumored since Wednesday, layoffs whittled the ranks of Chicago Public Radio's two stations Friday. WBEZ lost nine staffers, including 848 producer Shawn Campbell, arts reporter Gianofer Fields, and Web designer Josh Andrews. At Vocalo, on-air hosts Darlene Jackson and Usama Alshaibi were let go.
The prelude to the layoffs was a tempestuous board meeting Tuesday attended by several WBEZ staffers. I wasn't there, but I got a report that CEO Torey Malatia alarmed the WBEZ contingent by describing public radio as a "house on fire burning to the ground" and calling Vocalo the "fire escape." This wasn't anything new -- as online media become more and more intrigued by the public radio model of not-for-profit status + grants + subscribers, Malatia has declared the radio version of this model -- with its dependence on periodic pledge drives -- ultimately unsustainable.
At WBEZ, staffers dream of rounding up the reportorial cream dumped by Chicago's staggering print media and turning the station into a spectacular news operation. Malatia dreams of reinventing public radio's business model. So far, he's had CPR's board behind him. The alienated, diminishing WBEZ staff is stewing in its juices.
UPDATE: Malatia, CFO Donna Moore, and board chairman Tony Weisman talked to the WBEZ staff at midday Friday. I'm told they made these gloomy points:
Individual contributions during the October pledge drive were down about $30 a pledge. There's a $1.5 million shortfall shaping up for the current fiscal year, which ends in June. Senior staff are taking a salary cut for the balance of the fiscal year. The Third Coast Audio Festival and Sound Opinions are at risk. "I'm horrified. This is a kind of out-of-body experience," said Malatia, warning that the financial crisis devastating print media could become the future of Chicago Public Radio.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Studs Terkel and I
Studs died yesterday on Halloween. He was 96 years old and a dear friend of mine. He was someone I had tremendous respect and admiration for.
I had first met Studs when I started working at the Chicago History Museum back in 1998. I was in charge of preserving and digitizing his audio recordings from over 50 years at WFMT in Chicago. They were 1/4" tape reels of one hour of interviews he did with regular folks and artist that he invited to his show. Of course he is mainly famous for his extraordinary books. He interviewed me for his 2004 book called Hope Dies Last. You can read the chapter on immigrants that I am in: here.
I worked closely with him. He used to take me out to lunch all the time and talk and laugh with me. When the USA invaded Iraq in 2003 I wanted to go back and make a documentary about my birth home Studs encouraged me and insisted I do it. So with some help from Studs I returned in 2004 and made the most important film of my life: Nice Bombs.
Studs even introduced the film along with Christie Hefner at the premier at the Music Box in Chicago in 2006.
I miss him. I have all this video footage of us hanging out and talking. He was a mentor and an inspiration to me. He taught me to listen and to care and be curious about our fellow humans in this short life we have. Goodbye Studs.
I had first met Studs when I started working at the Chicago History Museum back in 1998. I was in charge of preserving and digitizing his audio recordings from over 50 years at WFMT in Chicago. They were 1/4" tape reels of one hour of interviews he did with regular folks and artist that he invited to his show. Of course he is mainly famous for his extraordinary books. He interviewed me for his 2004 book called Hope Dies Last. You can read the chapter on immigrants that I am in: here.
I worked closely with him. He used to take me out to lunch all the time and talk and laugh with me. When the USA invaded Iraq in 2003 I wanted to go back and make a documentary about my birth home Studs encouraged me and insisted I do it. So with some help from Studs I returned in 2004 and made the most important film of my life: Nice Bombs.
Studs even introduced the film along with Christie Hefner at the premier at the Music Box in Chicago in 2006.
I miss him. I have all this video footage of us hanging out and talking. He was a mentor and an inspiration to me. He taught me to listen and to care and be curious about our fellow humans in this short life we have. Goodbye Studs.
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