America Abroad After Castro: America and Cuba

America Abroad's programs are not experimental, not technically inspiring and have no groundbreaking narrative storytelling. They're just old fashioned, straightforward, solid journalism. "After…
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Reality Break, Show 404: Music of Monty Python

Series producer Richard Frolich and I clearly share a taste in comedy and he's self-effacing enough to refer to his series on Python as "inadequate". Sadly, it is. Once upon a time, syndicated…
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Viva La Controversy!

Voices of Our World has taken on the admirable task of giving voice to those figures considered too incendiary by the mainstream media. I first saw the British spitfire George Galloway speak at the…
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Freeing the Press, Episode 1: Lucie Morillon, Reporters Without Borders

The Common Language Project does the articulate Lucie Morillon a disservice by distributing what is essentially a very long, raw, telephone quality interview on the very important topic of the…
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Being Number One: Costs and Alternatives to Empire

An intelligent program with many interesting speakers taking on one of the great questions of our day in an erudite and articulate manner. A shame no one will actually listen to it. This is because…
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CL 2006 Paul Solman "1900-2000 America's century,2000 Chinese Millennium."

Broadcast what is essentially nothing more than a lecture on the public airwaves and expect listeners not to rush immediately to change the dial? It can happen if the content and, more importantly,…
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Return to Sarajevo, Part One

Return to Sarajevo bears all of the best characteristics of BBC documentaries, excellent writing, solid journalism and gravitas. It also avoids some of the BBC's pitfalls. Instead of quick and sloppy…
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Burj el-Shemali Refugee Camp

Stefan Christoff's half hour report on the plight of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon does little to create sympathy for the denizens of Burj el-Shemali. No listener is interested in a poorly read,…
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Andy Statman's Journey

5 Stars if you're a fan of Klezmer clarinet or bluegrass mandolin. Jon Kalish has produced an expertly knitted, rich, tersely woven and well presented journey into the heart of the virtuoso musician…
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Hush

What is the place of experimental soundscapes on public radio? Is there an audience for it on the open ether? Ideally, there should be, but frankly, I doubt we'll be hearing it on drivetime anytime…
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World Tour Radio presents Mining, Miners, and Music

Haunting nostalgic miner music, good production and (overly) earnest intentions cannot save this program from massive run on essays and deeply stilited presentation. There are no spontaneous moments…
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Maui Water Struggles

Just prior to editing and scripting a new piece, all journalists, PDs and reporters should ask themselves "Why should the listener care about this?". With this in mind, almost any subject can be…
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CL 2006 Clifford Gaddy "Russia's economy: prospects and constraints".

I like a good lecture given by a strong and authoritative speaker. I even like to listen to lectures on the radio, on my ipod and in the car. I also know that I am weird. The overwhelming majority of…
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War, Earth and the Soul: The Warrior's Path of Redemption

Atmospheric, highly produced, thoughtful program that, considering its topic of post traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam vets, is timely too. It's not easy listening by any means. The tone, music…
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Blues & Beyond #013: John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme"

If you're a jazz lover and a Coltrane fan in particular, you will groove as two jazz initiates rif verbal-like to the genius that is "A Love Supreme" note by note. And this, unfortunately, is also…
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