New Hampshire Public Television is contracting some business services out to Boston’s WGBH, but says its independence and local focus will remain. …
As of July 1, WGBH took over some accounting functions that were previously done in-house, Lessner said. She said the people handling those functions found other employment.
“Because we are similar businesses, it makes sense to use their services for that,” [manager of communications Grace] Lessner said.
Effective the same date, NHPTV is no longer a wholly owned subsidiary of the University System of New Hampshire, but an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. …
She said neighboring public televisions have common behind-the-scenes functions, including underwriting, membership departments, engineering and master control, and broadcasting.
“We are looking at ways to collaborate so we can take advantage of that overlap and are not duplicating efforts,” Lessner said. “So those conversations are still underway.”
Eric Jackson hosted his last weeknight show on WGBH-FM (89.7) Thursday night, and thanks to local saxophonist Ken Field, he went out with a funeral.
Field, who hosts a show on WMBR-FM (88.1), led a New Orleans-style funeral outside the WGBH building in Brighton to protest the station’s recent cuts in jazz coverage.
Jackson, a jazz radio host in Boston for 30 years, will now be on the air on weekends only. WGBH cut Steve Schwartz’s Friday program from the schedule altogether.
Since Boston considers itself a brainy town, WGBH’s desire to be a champion in high-end talk is understandable. But its decision to cut the airtime of Jackson and Schwartz diminishes Boston’s prime-time jazz programming — and makes the airwaves less cosmopolitan relative to other big cities. Jazz, as trumpeter Wynton Marsalis said, “is music that really deals with what it means to be an American.” Thankfully, Eric Jackson is not completely disappearing from the airwaves. But in de-emphasizing jazz, WGBH diminished its soul.
Jazz programming on WGBH-FM being scaled back, a blow to local jazz fans
To the consternation of loyal listeners, WGBH-FM (89.7) is dropping jazz programming on weeknights, moving longtime host Eric Jackson to weekend duties only, and eliminating Steve Schwartz’s Friday show.
The changes, some of which take effect July 2, come amid an expansion of National Public Radio programming on WGBH, including additional broadcasts of “Marketplace” and extending “Morning Edition” to four hours per weekday.
Long-time WBZ NewsRadio 1030 AM personality Lovell Dyett has died after a long illness, the station announced on its website today. He was 77… In addition to WBZ NewsRadio, Dyett worked at WBZ-TV, WGBH-TV, and the former WNAC-TV, WBZ said.
“A natural leader, trusted friend, and mentor, Dyett will be greatly missed by not only those who knew him personally, but also by those whose lives he touched over the airwaves of WBZ,” the station said in the posting…
“In Boston we did not have a person of color of his intellectual depth and quality of broadcasting who could captivate an audience from 9 o’clock until 12 midnight every Saturday night,” said Bruce Wall, pastor of Global Ministries Christian Church in Dorchester. “Not only the black community in Boston, but the white community, too; people in Boston all loved to listen to Lovell Dyett because he could address any issue across the board.”
What goes around, goes around, goes around / Comes all the way back around?
Bill Cosel
50 years ago, August 1962: As a BU Scholar newbie at WGBH, my first production experience was camera at Tanglewood when Charles Munch gave his farewell concert as Music Director of the BSO, performing Beethoven’s Ninth.
Nervous and thrilled, I’ll admit that experience played a seminal part in my decision to spend my life working for Public Television.
Now, fifty years later, I’ve been asked to direct a Tanglewood 75th Anniversary program on July 14, 2012, for Great Performances, WNET, to be seen early August on PBS.
Soloists include YoYo Ma, Emmanuel Ax, Anne- Sophie Mutter, James Taylor, Peter Serkin.
What a rush, 50 years later.
Final Evening at Pops taping at Symphony Hall after a 35-year run on PBS, June 10, 2004. Standing and blocking Kristin Chenoweth (born July 24, 1968) with choreographer Kathleen Marshall.
Eric Jackson hosted his last weeknight show on WGBH-FM (89.7) Thursday night, and thanks to local saxophonist Ken Field, he went out with a funeral.
NHPTV partners with WGBH, breaks with UNH
From the Union Leader — 7/15/2012