CARROLL GETS NEW VEHICLE

posted to Rappaport's Notebook by Robert Rappaport

The Arizona Daily Star reports this morning that Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll has switched vehicles, but it left out an important point.

The paper says Carroll made the switch to trade in his gas-guzzler for a hybrid SUV, which gets better gas mileage. What the Star failed to do was reference it's earlier article (by the same writer) that one of Carroll's troubled aides crashed his 2006 pickup last month causing a couple of thousand dollars in damage to the vehicle. I think that was a major oversight.

Read the most recent article
Read the earlier article

UAPRESENTS CONTINUES ITS RECOVERY

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

In the latest Tucson Weekly, you’ll find in the Mailbag section a noble defense of yours truly by a reader I swear I do not know. More pertinent to the self-aggrandizing, self-promoting nature of this blog is my own contribution, checking in with UApresents:

After accumulating a $1 million deficit in 2006, campus impresario UApresents has finished its second consecutive positive fiscal year with more than a $90,000 surplus and a 12 percent uptick in advance-ticket sales. Part of the turnaround can be attributed to shedding some staff members over the past couple of years, and part is linked to more aggressive fundraising within the community (ticket sales now are expected to cover only 55 percent of costs, as opposed to as much as 85 percent in the past). The rest of the turnaround is due to refocused programming: more attractions with immediate name recognition that are relatively inexpensive to engage. Keep expenses down; maintain ticket prices and fundraising at a healthy level; add some state funding; and if all goes well, the result is a balanced budget.

The rest of the story awaits you here.

FOXY

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

Yesterday I stayed home in the morning to fend off a cold, but I had to rally sufficiently to attend an afternoon meeting with Jim Williams, the new executive director of the Fox Tucson Theatre. We’re trying to work out a co-production with the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, of which I’m the vice-president. As of this morning it looks like that show might not happen because of a sudden change of itinerary of the touring ensemble we were going to present, but talking with Jim and his staff was an interesting experience. This project was first discussed toward the end of the tenure of Williams’ predecessor, Herb Stratford, when it was all very informal with a “Hey, kids, let’s put on a show in the barn” atmosphere. Not with Williams.

With his thinning gray hair and ponytail, he looks like an old hippie, but don’t be deceived by the bohemian appearance (which, after all, you really need if you’re working downtown). The first thing he wanted was a detailed budget and revenue projection (which, after all, you really need if you’re a serious manager). The Fox is a glorious art-deco 1930 movie palace, sparkling under a $13 million renovation, but since it reopened in 2005 it has struggled to break even. The place needs to do better than that: Once it starts turning a profit, it has to begin repaying a $5.6 million city loan that allowed the Fox to complete its renovation. If there’s no payment by 2011, the Fox will have to come up with $1.5, or else. I suspect “or else” means the city will take over the non-profit organization and its lovely theater.

So Williams has some hard work ahead of him. Based on the single hour I’ve spent with him, I’d say he has the right mindset for the job.

FOLLOWING UP YESTERDAY

posted to Rappaport's Notebook by Robert Rappaport

If you read yesterday's blog, the dust hasn't quite settled on the recent KUAZ programming change, so I'll throw you a bone.

I've received some comments about WBUR's "Here & Now" leaving the KUAZ schedule. The show is not gone, it's just off our airwaves. You can still listen to the show online, but you'll need the rather-antiquated RealPlayer to do so.

Of course, we want you to listen to OUR station, but most of the shows we carry are live and archived online elsewhere. You can figure out the rest of the links.

I can't really tell you the last time I listened to an entire program on the radio. It's much simpler to listen at your leisure or when you have more time to concentrate. The same goes for watching TV.

We at AZPM are keenly aware of the above and don't want to lose listener/viewer share, which is one reason we have an On Demand section for our stuff.

CATCHING UP ON FEEDBACK

posted to Rappaport's Notebook by Robert Rappaport

After returning from a more than two-week vacation without checking email, my inbox is full of your comments.

The topic is all the same...The Diane Rehm Show, which KUAZ began carrying August 4th. I've always heard this show is either "love it or hate it" and your comments pretty much echo that sentiment. Here are just a few comments to my blog entry of July 24th.

AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH. The Diane Rehm show is thoroughly detestable. If I wanted to listen to it, I would tune to KJZZ. To think that her drivel is replacing the 9:00 hour of Morning Edition. Once again, APM (both TV and Radio) are trying desperately to give me reasons to reduce or eliminate my membership contribution. Not that I feel strongly about this. - David W.

_That’s a great announcement. Those of us who have satellite radio have been able to listen to Diane’s program each morning, but now all of Tucson will have the opportunity, too. Good move on the part of the programmers at AZ Public Media. - Bob. K _

I listen to Diane's show during my frequent trips to SLC and have often wondered why she was not on KUAZ. Her program is outstanding and I'm sure that she will be embraced by southern AZ. Thanks for making this change. I like Here and Now, but Diane's show is worth the loss. - James K.

What has happened to Here and Now? - Aviva

By the way, "Here and Now" went the way of the dodo. Also, we generally refer to our broadcast facilities as AZPM. APM belongs to someone else.

ANTHEMS

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

Alex Marshall of The Guardian girded his loins and listened to the national anthem of every country represented at the Olympics right now. He detests most of ’em, and with good reason (musical reasons, which he explains; he doesn’t comment much on the lyrics). Marshall doesn’t mention the anthem of his own land (somehow simultaneously stirring and stuffy), nor that of American (a truly horrid abomination, derived from an old English drinking song and suitable for singing only when one is drunk). But he does list some that meet his approval, with links to YouTube performances. These don’t always present the anthems to their best advantage—a couple are synthesizer jobs, and several are played by pop bands in concert—but they’ll give you an idea of what’s possible when a composer thinks outside the box step. Of those listed, my favorites are the anthems of Nepal and Bangladesh.