Joined PRX: November 11, 2005

Fred Flaxman is the creator, writer, producer, editor and host of "Compact Discoveries," a weekly classical music public radio series heard on stations from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to St. Paul, Alaska.

Flaxman is an award-winning writer, public television and radio producer and executive. He most recently served as vice president for development of public broadcasting stations WXEL-TV-FM-DT, West Palm Beach, Florida.

His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, Baltimore Sun, Houston Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, Seattle Times, Palm Beach Post, Sacramento and Parenting magazines, among other publications. He is the recipient of a first-place award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Some of his work has been translated and published in Europe.

Flaxman is editor and publisher of "The Timeless Tales of Reginald Bretnor," a collection of 15 stories by the late nationally-published science fiction and fantasy author. Flaxman is working a book of his own: "Sixty Slices of Life... on Wry," a tongue-in-cheek memoir. He is also the author of many magazine and Internet articles on compact discs called "Compact Discoveries."

Flaxman was an occasional commentator for the nationally-syndicated public radio programs, "Marketplace" and "MonitorRadio." His commentaries were also heard throughout southern Oregon and northern California on Jefferson Public Radio's daily newsmagazine program.

Flaxman was vice president for national programming of WTTW/Chicago for six years. There he was in charge of "A Child's Christmas in Wales," which received nine international awards. He was also responsible for "Solti at 75: A Celebration," "In Search of Love" with Leo Buscaglia, and several other PBS specials and series. He also started the annual "Illinois Young Performers Competition" with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and he received an Emmy award as executive producer of "Messenger to Poland."

In 1978 Flaxman founded Public Broadcasting International, headquartered in Paris, France, which, over the years, produced several major specials for PBS: "From Paris with Love: An Evening of French Television;" "An Evening of Belgian Television;" "Made in Taiwan: TV from the Republic of China;" and "PrimeTime/Japan," starring Harry Anderson.

In 1970 Fred Flaxman was the founder and first manager of public radio station WETA-FM in Washington, D.C. He later served as a vice president of WETA-TV and as assistant general manager and director of programming and production for KUAT-TV, the public television station in Tucson, Arizona.

In 1991 Flaxman became general manager of Southern Oregon Public Television, Inc., a position he left in September, 1992, to devote himself to independent writing, broadcasting and publishing projects. From August 1998 until March 2006 he and his wife, Annick Story Flaxman of Dinard, France, lived in Palm Beach County, Florida. Then they moved to Weaverville, North Carolina, where they are now located. The Flaxmans have two grown children.

Raised in the New Jersey suburbs of New York City, Flaxman holds a B.A. with honors in journalism from the University of Michigan, an M.A. in political science from Stanford University, and a certificate in French language studies from the Sorbonne, University of Paris.