Radio Survivor

Seattle Radio Theatre's 2008 Performance

Radio passion takes a variety of forms. Some people love the artifacts and become avid collectors of vintage equipment, promotional materials, and publications. Some are scholars, meticulously curating radio’s history. And others seek out present-day radio gems in order to remind people that radio is still relevant.

Seattle Radio Theatre founder Feliks Banel’s enthusiasm for radio spans across several of these categories.

While he was the deputy director of the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle (MOHAI) he started a tradition of live holiday radio plays. Over the years these radio dramas have included performances of both original and vintage scripts. Last week the 2009 production featured a live performance of It’s a Wonderful Life (you can listen to the podcast here or take a look at a video of that performance here).

It’s exciting to see that Seattle Radio Theatre is keeping live radio drama alive. According to the program notes for this year’s production,

“As far as Seattle Radio Theatre producers can tell, we are the only regularly-scheduled live radio drama in the United States (if you consider once a year ‘regular’). While there are many groups recording radio programs in-studio and ‘live to tape’ before a live audience, Seattle Radio Theatre is the only one that has done it every year live on the radio before a live audience for what will be a eighth year in 2009.”

In addition to his work with Seattle Radio Theatre, Feliks also writes about radio for his blog I Still Love Radio and for the website Crosscut.com. In his email interview with me he talks not only about radio drama and his own radio past; but also shares with me his insights about the role that radio has played in Christmas traditions in America, with “shared holiday moments” facilitated over the airwaves. I love this idea and it reminds me of the fun I had last Christmas Eve watching the WGN Yule Log while listening to their accompanying soundtrack of classic radio dramas.

Thanks to Feliks Banel for taking the time to chat with me by email about his love for radio. Although he was a bit nervous about the “Radio Obsessive” label, I hope that he embraces this honor, as he’s doing important work to help keep radio alive. (more…)

TV Coverage of Michael Jackson's Radio Airplay

I’ve been combing through the web trying to get a handle on how radio has responded to the death of Michael Jackson on Thursday. There’s much anecdotal evidence to suggest that radio listenership was up, as fans sought out his music and news about his death from the radio. However, as listeners turned on their radios and TVs (and the Internet) to hear the sounds and see the images of the pop icon at his best, not all stations were able to deliver great programming from the outset. As Matthew pointed out on Thursday, many commercial stations with automated programming weren’t in a position to provide Jackson-themed music and commentary as the news broke.

However, an article in the Boston Globe today, “Live Radio Takes the Lead: Canned Programs are Set Aside as DJs and Fans Celebrate Michael Jackson,” points out that the Boston airwaves did have some success in terms of satisfying fans. According to the piece: (more…)