New Year, New Schedule

January 2, 2007

For the Program Director of a radio station, the on air schedule is an instrument of expression and creativity. From the right balance of musical selections for each time of day, to the right host or national program in each time slot, putting together a schedule that’s aesthetically pleasing and serves listeners well is demanding. It’s also a matter of considerable pride and pleasure for me here at WDAV. That’s why I deliberated carefully before deciding to switch places with Jennifer Foster on our schedule. Jennifer is a wonderful presence on the air, and her knowledge about classical music, combined with the obvious pleasure she derives from it, have made her an ideal host for the middle of the weekdays here on WDAV. But Jennifer is also a gifted producer and interviewer, as her popular Main Street Sessions and occasional arts features have proven. And that kind of work takes a lot of time and energy. That’s how we came up with the idea to swap air shifts. The evening shift is less time consuming for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that it’s completely pre-recorded (more on the reasons for that some other time). So Jennifer can prepare the evening’s music at her convenience and at her pace, which will free her up to interview and record more local musicians and visiting artists. That’s important to us here at WDAV, because we want to be able to offer something more than a music library to our listeners, as important as that is. After all, with all of the technologies emerging these days, simply “spinning discs” doesn’t really seem to be enough for a music service anymore. As for me? Well, I’ve loved the idea of being a deejay ever since I was a kid and used to practice doing breaks on an old cassette recorder in my bedroom. And as a sometime stage actor, the thrill of doing something live has always been part of the fun for me. Frankly, I’ve missed it. So I’m looking forward to getting back on the air mid days on WDAV. And hopefully our loyal listeners will find in me an old friend and familiar voice they’ll feel comfortable with as we enjoy the music together.