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Re: click and clack
At 09:03 AM 6/26/2002, SteveOrdinetz wrote:
>Dan Strassberg wrote:
>>Thanks to Jane Christo's crusade against similar deals,
>>it appears, though, that Tom and Ray are the last people who will ever
>>harness the obvious possibilities for synergy between public and private
>>broadcasting. Jane has snuffed out the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that
>>has been eminently successful in bringing creative radio to an audience that
>>instinctively rejects commercial radio. Both Public Radio and the listening
>>public are the losers.
>
>
>Nothing is forever. Jane isn't forever. I've never met her, but she
>sounds like she tends to step on a lot of toes. Eventually that comes
>back to bite you.
Jane isn't what I'd call "old", but she's hardly young either. I'd say
she's around my parents age (mid 50's), possibly a little older. However,
I doubt she'll retire until forced, either by internal staff (extremely
unlikely), BU staff (fairly unlikely), or failing health (that's what it'll
take)...so I'd say barring an act of God Jane will be top dawg at WBUR for
another 15 to 20 years at least.
But it does raise an interesting point, if Jane DID decide to leave WBUR
tomorrow, who would take her place? I've been gone from there for a few
years now but last time I checked there wasn't anyone near the top with the
iron will to maintain the dictatorship that Jane has. Not
surprising...anyone with that power would be fired b/c they'd be a threat
to her.
I'm sure it will be an interesting month of "cleaning house" when Jane
finally does leave...I imagine it's like that at a lot of stations, actually...
On the original point, WBUR has clumsily attempted to bridge the gap
between commercial and non-comm with the day-late-dollar-short "Public
Radio Store", which I'm pretty sure is doing horribly...at best maybe it's
barely breaking even. On-line "all-in-one" stores didn't do well during
the dot-com heydey, and they ain't doing well now. But they've really
wasted some golden opportunities to cash in on the branding of their other
shows (Connection, OnPoint, Only a Game and, to a lessor degree, Here & Now)
____________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read aread@speakeasy.net
FriedBagels.com Technical Consulting
www.friedbagels.com AOL-IM: ReadAaron
"I'm weird, but around here it's barely noticeable."