Day 1 of the Iditarod is tomorrow. One of the qualifying races was held a few weeks ago, is the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, named for the son of a Chippewa chief who delivered mail by dog sled along Lake Superior’s rugged North Shore in the late 19th century. Launched in 1981, the Beargrease draws world-class sled dog teams from around the globe. The Beargrease is the longest, and most challenging, of sled dog events in the lower 48: almost 400 miles and 4000 spectators, starting in Duluth, Minnesota on the last weekend of January. Field-recordist Curt Olson gathered the sounds of the dogs, the mushers and the fans, “Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon” (7:00 mp3):
Marvin Granger:
• formerly of MPR stations (he gave a young GarrisonK his first radio job);
• first GM of Spokane Public Radio;
• former GM of WBFO-Buffalo (where Terry Gross got her start);
• former GM of WDET-Detrioit;
• for two decades GM of Yellowstone Public Radio, whose signal now saturates more territory than any other pubradio net in the nation.
Yes, that Marvin Granger tells me his last day in public radio is this Friday, the day of his call-in show Your Opinion, Please — Friday Feb 29 6:30-7:00 pm MT (which streams so anyone anywhere can listen & call 800.441.2941… hint, hint.)
A couple excerpted quotes from Marvin’s career; about pubradio, he told Spokane Magazine:
“We can play music which is ‘culturally important but commercially weak’ in nature, such as chamber music and contemporary experimental music. It’s one of the few places creative people gain exposure.”
And his early participation in the debate over the value of Arbitron is discussed in the report (pdf) “Guys in Suits with Charts: Audience Research in U.S. Public Radio.” His opinion: PDs’ concerns for radio ratings “collided with the art of programming commercial radio.”
MG has been a boon to our broadcast buddy Chrysti the Wordsmith; a friend to our little local college station KGLT – even tho we share the same dial as his station; and an adviser to us at HV (he won’t be entirely off-air: later this year he’ll be hosting HV’s Winter Solstice hour).
Marvin, we all wave you a hearty and appreciative aloha. If just half of us in this biz contribute half as much as you did, pubradio will soar.
The New York Times profiles Jersey City’s WFMU in “Put the Radio On”.”
“Hands down, WFMU is the greatest radio station on the planet.” –Jim Jarmusch
“This is the kind of place that shouldn’t exist but somehow does.” –WFMU DJ Tom Scharpling
There’s some priceless airchecks (left column of the NYT article), including “How to Be a WFMU Disc Jockey,” “Death-Defying Radio Stunts: Harassing Toll Booth Attendants” and this many Louie-Louie mashup from “Music to Spazz by” (5:32 mp3):
“Basketball is a wonderful thing for a community because it is a warm place where everyone can go and it isn’t a church or a bar.” - Phil Jackson
Apathy was thick as I approached the theater for a screening of Class C. Five minutes in, I was completely converted. Class C, a documentary film produced by Bozemanite Mark Zetler, follows 5 Montana Class C girls basketball teams as they make their way to the State tournament. Instantly engaging and entertaining, it’s a beautifully crafted story about Montana and basketball; an interview with coaching legend and Montana native Phil Jackson is deftly intertwined. Go out of your way to see it!
Free screening at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings on February 23rd at 8pm.
Airs on MontanaPBS:
Wednesday February 27th at 8pm
Monday March 3rd at 7pm More on Class C
This week’s HV cast is for President’s Day-
Excerpts from:
• Calvin Coolidge, Inaugural Address, Wednesday, March 4, 1925.
(No inaugural recording exists of Herbert Hoover.)
• Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address, Saturday, March 4, 1933.
• Harry S. Truman, Inaugural Address, Thursday, January 20, 1949.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower, First Inaugural Address, Tuesday, January 20, 1953.
• John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Friday, January 20, 1961.
• Lyndon B. Johnson, Inaugural Address, Wednesday, January 20, 1965.
• Richard M. Nixon, Second Inaugural Address, Saturday, January 20, 1973.
• Gerald Ford, Remarks On Taking The Oath Of Office, Friday Aug. 9, 1974.
• Jimmy Carter, Inaugural Address, Thursday, January 20, 1977.
• Ronald Reagan, Second Inaugural Address, Monday, January 21, 1985.
• George H. W. Bush, Inaugural Address, Friday, January 20, 1989.
• Bill Clinton, First Inaugural Address, Thursday, January 20, 1993.
• George W. Bush, Inaugural Address, Saturday, January 20, 2001.
A trombone takes fire, ice, wood, and greased steel balls to become a musical instrument. Filmed at the S.E. Shires company, from Discovery’s Science Channel series, “How It’s Made - Trombones:”
The Public Radio Exchange has long been an audio indie’s direct conduit to station airwaves. Hundreds of stations have bought thousands of pieces for local broadcast. Now PRX provides the same possibility, for national distributors like Audible and us, Hearing Voices: “New Ways To Distribute Your Work on PRX.”
HV has already purchased about a dozen pieces from producers via PRX’s new distro deal. If you’re a producer who wants us to hear your work: join PRX, upload audio, and send us your URL.
Day 1 of the Iditarod is tomorrow. One of the qualifying races was held a few weeks ago, is the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, named for the son of a Chippewa chief who delivered mail by dog sled along Lake Superior’s rugged North Shore in the late 19th century. Launched in 1981, the Beargrease draws world-class sled dog teams from around the globe. The Beargrease is the longest, and most challenging, of sled dog events in the lower 48: almost 400 miles and 4000 spectators, starting in Duluth, Minnesota on the last weekend of January. Field-recordist Curt Olson gathered the sounds of the dogs, the mushers and the fans, “Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon” (7:00 mp3):
This week’s 
The Public Radio Exchange has long been an audio indie’s direct conduit to station airwaves. Hundreds of stations have bought thousands of pieces for local broadcast. Now PRX provides the same possibility, for national distributors like Audible and us, Hearing Voices: “
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