Tag Archives: NPR

The Magic City through NPR’s lens

NPR & 90.3 WBHM logosBirmingham, AL and the surrounding metro area have received a great deal of attention in recent months on NPR. Area member stations, specifically WBHM, helped make many people aware of what happened here and throughout the state of Alabama and continue to share information about the recovery efforts currently underway.

NPR Music recently did a piece on Gip’s Place in Bessemer, calling it “a dream” and making several local fans of the music venue happy about its getting national attention. The local blues spot had been the focus of several local pieces recently including one in B-Metro Magazine last year.

Most notably, the NPR series The State of the Re:Union (created by Al Letson as an entry in the Public Radio Talent Quest back in 2007) recently visited Alabama’s Magic City to take a look at how things are going – and perhaps to break through a few perceptions as well. The episode is currently available for download from the series’ website. The site also has short documentaries filmed during the visit, like this piece about – you guessed it – Gip’s Place.

Good news, Birmingham

If you haven’t had an opportunity to check out national traditional media outlets in recent weeks, you’ve missed several chances to watch or listen to some pieces looking at some of the great things taking place in Birmingham, AL.

A couple of weeks ago, Deontée Gordon, senior account executive for Infomedia, showed folks from CNN three of his favorite places as part of the network’s “My City, My Secret” series (that’s the video clip available to your left).

This weekend, people probably experienced another “driveway moment” as NPR’s State of the Re:Union played excerpts of their recent visit to Alabama’s Magic City as part of an upcoming episode during both episodes of Weekend Edition. The segments took a closer look at Red Mountain Park, soon to be one of the region’s largest parks, and at the good work being done by our friends at Scrollworks.

Incidentally the episode highlighting Birmingham, AL is one of five being prepared for the 2011 Spring season and currently previewed on their website. Videos of the segments shared this weekend have also been posted on the site.

Dan Sartain = NPR Song of the Day

dan sartain. fishplums/FlickrBirmingham’s rockabilly export Dan Sartain has landed the fun distinction of having a track off of his latest album, “Dan Sartain Lives” – “Walk Among the Cobras IV” picked as NPR’s Song of the Day for December 22.

The accompanying piece refers to Sartain as “an old-fashioned kind of cool” channeling  “the raw quality of surf rock.” Sartain did an interview with J.R. Taylor for a story in Black & White earlier this year, talking primarily about how much success he’s enjoying internationally, perhaps also hinting at what he hopes people actually get from the work he’s already put out there.

If you’ve made it this far down the page, you’ve got to head over to NPR and take a listen to the track off of what NME considers one of the most underrated albums of the year.

Photo: dan sartain. fishplums/Flickr

Steve’s last day is Oct. 3

It won’t exactly be the same when you hear Steve Chiotakis‘ voice on the radio after October 3 – mainly because he’ll be ending his reports saying “Marketplace” instead of “WBHM.”

The local host of NPR’s Morning Edition (serving as a companion to many drivers during their commutes) and reporter for our local public radio station is leaving Birmingham to become a reporter for the Marketplace Morning Report, produced out of Los Angeles. The folks at 90.3 FM have an announcement about his departure up on their site. Plus, you may want to check out Steve’s personal site (the first link) in case you’re looking to buy…

Langford profiled on NPR

We figured that many people may not have heard the NPR profile of Birmingham’s mayor filed by WBHM’s own Tanya Ott. It aired during Saturday’s broadcast of All Things Considered and takes a look at how the ride’s going so far. It definitely not the first time he’s been the focus of national media; he’s also been interviewed recently by the CBS Evening News about his four day work week program.

Sweet music for some local NPR fans

WBHM logoThat may be the sound of local public radio fans enjoying the sound of NPR programming becoming more noticeable on Birmingham’s Alabama Public Radio station WBHM 90.3 FM. The station has announced that due to the Classical Public Radio Network‘s planned closure before the end of the year, they will be introducing three new shows from NPR to our local programming schedule.

The three new shows, The Diane Rehm Show, Here and Now, and Talk of the Nation.will begin broadcasting locally on Monday, March 31.

The radio station’s website has additional information about the changes being made, coincidentally during their spring pledge drive.