A conversation with Frank Tavares, the former “voice of NPR”

                                    
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think of the word support

support for NPR comes from you probably think of the voice of my guest today

today on focus Jim meadows in French difference in the voice of underwriting

writing announcements NPR news programs for more than three decades step

stepping down for the position is successor but have such big shoes to fill

00:00:30

InFocus LP talking Frank about the job you sleeping but also about the other job

still keeping busy Springs college professor Teaches classes

electronic media and Frank Tavares the writer published his first book

book of short stories all the same virus today on Fox

how program continues after the news

welcome to focus on Jim Meadows if you hear someone’s voice everyday you Michael

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convince yourself that you know them well my Kehlata public radio listeners Eifert Frank d’Ivoire

devaris voice everyday for years but I’m just finding out about a princess

since I didn’t know that he’s Dr Frank Tavares with a PhD in communication from the

University of Texas at Austin are there is a communications professor at 7 Connecticut

State University of New Haven or that he’s a writer who just published his first short

short story collection the man who built boxes and other stories are they spend his young

younger years in Illinois stop going to college and working in commercial

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social radio before heading out to fame and fortune I know all that now

that’s just the resume Frank Tavares welcome to focus Jim it’s a pleasure to be with you

I want to hear more about the fame and fortune park iPhone we were at the party

part by now well you know like many of us who are whiter than

and I work in public broadcasting will always just a little insecure

even know somebody else might say oh you know you’re really doing well we we always

don’t know I don’t think so now you know

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hope you’re doing a lot of views now because all those you’ve been the voice the underwriting voice

voice of NPR news for many years you are now leaving the position gas have have ur

view on the first of all I surprise my all the attention

very much so um because my job was to be kind

invisible in the corner at the end of all the news programs in newscast

and just to tell people who was responsible for finding them

and the idea behind it was to have this a real separation from the contact

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content of the program so I’ve always describe my work with NP RI

after I left my full time position without my number of years ago as being up

referral to the programming and it does the price me when I meet people and I talk

talk with M or if I’m in a different than you doing something that’s more academically

McCleary of related and the subject comes up and end

and I’ll do what a couple of associate salary for the magic line support rent

friend pyaar come from NPR and the reaction is always

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surprising well I’m we we want we want to mention

this is your chance to talk to the voice of NPR news underwriting

if you would like it if you have a question of 4 for Frank Tavares give us a call at 1

1 800 2229 455 toll free 1 800 222

22 wyll you can also email us at will dash talk and

illinois.edu and you can find us on Facebook and Twitter at focus

580 are you completely done with your underwriting work

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work if you done your last session no not yet as a matter of fact tomorrow morning

will be heading in for one of these humongous half day recording session

the runaround 4 hours and those are funding credits that will be free

2 weeks and 3 weeks and and so I think

I think what the plan is is that Sabrina who will be the new findings

credit Boise 10 pyaar will start with a newscast probably about

about 2 weeks into November and then also the online credit

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credit central take over the larger credit at the end of the different MPR News program

programs probably by the end of the month so my voice will probably surety

the airwaves with her into the beginning of December and

chilled take over all of them which will be a pretty exciting away

and of course I will miss it all kinds of aspects of it because im used to like

do you like mini I am also with a listen to Public Radio in a supporter of Public Radio

video so I’m used to hearing that that voice at the end of the program

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will be to be a little funny at first but like the rest of the NPR listen

sure I’ll get used to it also and we should know just so that use the so she’s not a a face

faceless anonymous voice Sabrina what is your last name well I don’t have

but I will

the breaks she comes to us I think im as I

as I recall it not Metairie over the phone yet

but she comes from a professional voice over work and she’s an actress at so I can see

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she’s going to bring on a little different tones to the earth to the funding credits

can you still in the past okay it’s not always a bad thing

i5 pulled up in Israeli citizen facts saprina of 45

yes I do that I do that and um and does

she will be the first on staff announcer specifically on staff as an announcer

Iraq when we first started doing the funding credits

in the format that we’re all familiar with now this was back in the early 1980s

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any idea there Jim was to to create this

call of the firewall between the content of the programming the underwriting for programming

at the time I was full time MPR I posted several different

the program documentary programme and I actually did one of the

programming Department executive producer of the programming went out food at the park

apartment but I was not a newsboys and one of the things we

decided and felt strongly about it we did not want a new voice

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doing the underwriting credits so I was at neutral boy and

and that’s how it began Wendy player was the producer of the

funding credits at the very beginning all the way up until the beginning of the

October is a matter of fact and then when I left my full time position

PR and moved up from Washington DC to New Haven

Connecticut which is where I live now and I started to

I would go back to DC once a month for one of these long half day

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dates action in between out with this is one of the local NPR station in Connecticut

Connecticut for going to the New York euro in about 15 yrs ago

the number to buy said no that’s just silly me up at home and I now voice them

stem or have been voicing them from home recorded in DC

what I said I’m from the front of the mic up here in Connecticut

interesting concept for YouTube

when we have conceived funding credits

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new sex things exist but I can’t because I University

the professor I have some flexibility in my time during the day so I can run home

record something that might be on the year later on today or tomorrow morning at happened yesterday

matter of fact we record last night about death

a dozen and a half of funding credits one of which eye is on

fresh air today and over the weekend so its been kind of exciting

so the idea I thinking the change with to have somebody full time

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in the building so it would make those of emergencies in quick turnaround

eBay easier than a pin in the past so I’m assuming that Sabrina far he’s not going to

not going to be a far away and difficulty reaching the acceptance schedule occasions

call that is the status of hope and feel all so the other piece of the stew with

to which is unusual is that she’s not just a boy from the funding credits

combining the position of the announcer with that of the

the producers social be producing the funding credits and editing them

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in a single position instead of having a position

what time does my cell phone doing it

ways to the realization season the way that you do things

what you know I was was was wondering this is awesome I guess the closest that you get 21 in PA

MPR to advertising companies are there people who are paying NPR money

money and being recognized in this way so you have to be pretty pretty specific

difficile about how you say things apsolute and one of the things that I

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what I think most listeners don’t the real life because it’s handled a little differently than it is the local state

statins the local stations like wyll you have a little more lyrics

things to say how long have to be at the national level the funding

credit people hear that are not there are some dark in the program itself is called

Jason seaso you hear StoryCorps and then you hear after that

after that support for three quarter from roblox and so the timing on nose

can be a little bit longer but on the news cast credits all of those are 10 and a half

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half second the credits did you hear in groupings of three or four at the end of

end of all things considered or some of the other programs are 37 and a half

half second the ones on fresh air if they contain a particular

opening there’s no limit on the link to cause pressure always want your credits with music

musica de soleil can back time regardless of length Diana

dream of a program on their 36 and a half seconds

all these little time post that have to be very very specific that have sex

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2nd really does make a difference and the other piece of that to is by the time the credits

how to get to me when I’m sitting in front of me on these pages of acceptable XL

Belk spreadsheets the producer and I cannot change anything

if there’s a question about something being medically correct pronunciation

which is something that were really careful about

we don’t change if we have to make a phone call with top down and make sure the disco

this is intentional before we go on so uh uh

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it’s really interesting when you look at that the way it does it come together

there really careful about it what talking to Franklin pharmacy is the voice for a1

a1 longer of NPR news underwriting announcements on guest today on Fox

focus and if you have questions for a for francophone call or send us an email

mail at 1 800 22 29455 that’s 1 800 222

222 wyll you can email us it will dash talk

Illinois .edu online for we have Craig from Park Forest

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bars with a question for Franklin morning urine focus icraig according to both of us

pleasure to talk to both of you up to question the shirt walkup of questions

what was do people think your touch I feel a little bit

I do people recognize you buy your voice I remember

Terry Gross very light effect people turn around like if you are the back

back to the elevator asking a girl out that for 50 people

Harry like people do that to you the first ball Kragen wanted

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let you know that it’s really quite a pleasure hearing you use my name in the same

same sentence with Barry White

every once in awhile it happens most folks unless they been on the NPR

website were in my day job what I have no idea what I look like

because I’m a quarter golden autumn a semi working in PR

usually have no contact with every once in a while I’ll be at a meeting or reception and I’ll be talking

talking with someone and it starts with am

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UCMJ you look familiar they cut across the visually audio and

I have this possible look about them and I look around to make sure I’m not going to win

Dallas myself for anybody else and ask him you sleep well do you bleed

listen to NPR depending on how they answer will depend on whether or not to give up

ohyes iss pyaar

lean in and out use that support for and its so funny

funny Craig because it soon as I’m about 45 words and you can see the recognition

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and still I have to confess that even after

after all these years it still surprises me and its sub

don’t get me wrong I love it but its it’s like wow

Wow if reforms that I’m still involved in public radio and

and still a part of that but I like to call the fabric of Public Radio

so long and short question it yeah hahahahaha

I got one more question to get anything to her over the years

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should be done anything to train your voice to raise your voice just natural to have to do things

things to do to make your voice what its

not really I’m one of these fellas started

Indian accidentally in in my radio work & M

I actually love telling the story because sooner or later this particular person is going to hear me talk

talk and will contact me and I’ll be able to Thinker this is a high school

skull friend remember how in high school in your senior year when you get the yearbook

00:15:05

espinoza last a couple of days of class getting everybody to find them right

so this one girl Pauline and blacking out last night 15

here I don’t remember but I remember

we want to close friends we had a couple of classes together over the years and she

something in my um yearbook along the lines of

good luck with voice like yours you should be on radio never ever ever thought of that

before and I look at it I said that’s nice to flash forward through the summer

00:15:40

the four freshmen in college and a date they set up on the beach

the stables at the Capitol is a shins and usually at the gym where they have a lot of Forth

North basin you go through is freshman you’re looking to see the types of things might

ob interest you and here’s to campus radio station this is in Wheaton Illinois

just north of you guys a mile and a half

remember this and I walk past a table and I stop and I think up

Polina well and I went back and I talked with M&Ms how to get every profession

00:16:15

professional position that I’ve had since then has been involved in communication

Asian in broadcasting in public radio in a few years before I discovered Public Radio app

after that so I have fallen to think whatever you are you

so when I started now this way

this was sometimes I like to joke with people and say can you guess where I’m from

and I won’t be unfair to either gender Craig right now and ask you to play that little

little games for my own personal shame on me for you bring it up

00:16:50

the reality of it is is that I’m from a town south of Boston New Bedford Massachusetts

Massachusetts cornbread so I had that New England economy

access and still when I’m tired

beer some of the words deals with back if I still say idear idea

I have a great idea that I have to work

get that away from my first challenge was to this was a time when

Everybody Friday have that neutral quote unquote accent

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regional accents were not welcome or appreciated in most places

the country so my first challenge was to work really hard to lose

who’s the accent by taking everything I did on a college radio station to Lakewood rec

recognize it because honestly the guys that I was listening to end

do any gal that I was listening to when I was on campus they were the one from the Midwest

Midwest to have the access not me once I recognize this and I started working on on losing

losing it up but the in terms of specific training uh no never never

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never did that happens is is after you work for while reading copy work

or announcing you learn how to control your boyfriend yes the way I am I

I read the funding credits is differently than the way I am talking with you now

where the way I teach class or were the way I buy cheer when the Boston

the World Series

what is a pleasure talking cats really wonderful to get to here

the man behind the voice that for for somebody yourself it’s a pleasure talking to a good luck WI

00:18:35

good luck with the rest of your life Craig so much for calling in

really appreciate it thank you Craig 802 2294

1455 or online at wyfl.net

dash talk at you pick things up quickly

weather is something that we on

and I might be this is already spoken to you about this is week if you eat with giving you copy

copy forum a local underwriter the scheduled to air during focused

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is today and I was just wondering if we could I have if we could I do that little message

message now support for focus comes from bodywork associates

its fashion a licensed massage therapy to Champaign Urbana since

19822 locations including inside activities in recreation

North Memorial Stadium on the north of most people get to do it take to

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00:19:45

we gotta do it take free locations including inside activities

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and on Windsor Road in Champaign more information is at Body Works associate

SOC its .com you see some of the challenge is not to old

all done in one take what you telling me off and it is after ive read and

anime familiar with a credit now when I got this credit I did practice in about a half a dozen times

absolutely perfect but one of the

00:20:20

what is the delights is that what we do is recorded and so if there is something

editing that needs to be done it is the reality of it is so that with most

most of them they really are all one take and and later

the program it feel like to get in one take okay well maybe we can

waving gif Body Works associate another chance in the second half merry go your own way

across the window from ER board operator Jason Croft who is among other

other things one of the underwriting voices of wyll of the liver

00:20:55

the expression on his face is you were reading with prices

will Jason and I are part of the same Berry Select Club

hit that that that that that small Legion of under writer announcers

Hugo I was wondering why you started

you started working as an as an underwriting announcer was was in the 1980

teen18 yes it was some time remembering it is being a 1982 in heat

separating the credits out to do this little

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obsession after the program what’s up with over and

at the beginning they were I’m remembering that the lengths were a little bit

different than they are now and then we finally standardized it was left in 30s

30 Seconds for years and years and then because you’re simply what

room to include most of them have free credits for dependents

credit and up we found out it was actually

actually a period where I was reading them faster and faster and faster

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and it was just a challenge to get everything in that

28 and a half second switch is what we were running up that Matt Schaub

back in the beginning or for about 10 years and and so they

things to do lengthening the funding credits because it has an implication for the length

the program itself so everybody had to agree that we would back off

at certain times in the program I now it would end 10 seconds earlier that had

so the longer funding credits could fit in there the timing of these things

00:22:40

things to him is really the category of more than you ever wanted to know

but the timing of these things is Israel

crucial except for the pressure Credit switch as I say something

sometimes the links makes no difference because they end

and with music on your knees so they can’t add on item and its not a problem but the other

what the others regardless of what the wall length of each of the credits are they have to fit in

little donut hole with n that have second and if you’re a little too short

00:23:15

at some stations the Automation will um uh uh

will read it is dead air if there a little too long Automation will

equipto Alaska this is NPT pipe of things and eso

so I have to be very precise about that now when I get them on my little Excel spreadsheet I have

have the length of the entire wall credit and a cat

you stop me but I just gotta go into my eyes glaze over

beat the beat the full length of the credits at the individual credits I have

00:23:50

I have been hundredth of a second so I’m looking at a sample here now

there is this credit is 28 point 35 seconds lawn in its entirety

with the word time not including support for NPR comes from

not including this is NPR at the end and I have the same

individual times for the credits when I read these things I have in my head

different little time post as I’m going through I know I need to be looking at the sky

is credit I see the first one this one is 8.10 the second one is 10 even the third

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is really a little easier point 25 for the end

between the two of them so much in broadcasting

casting means not use to the work that you do but you don’t even like sitcom

everything has to be timed out perfectly cause everything’s stuck in a slide

slot and it’s like we’re all driven by this Indianola this and invisible tyrant

Wendover telling us to to to be on time yes and end up

hopefully it’s almost always transparent to the listener

00:25:00

that’s what were hoping for that when you go to break during at the end

at the end of the first a segment of focus people will internalized

I want to listen to you on a regular basis still internalized it’s about this time after

after the hour so they can go to make a quick Corunna the refrigerator or check your email

but they shouldn’t be aware necessarily unless

unless you’ve got somebody on like me quiz rambling I have to say

I’m sorry but we’re going to eat out hopefully it’s its relatively transparent

00:25:35

going to the brakes but I know you’re sitting here watching that clock countdown

count up to that first break right now what we have a little time before the break so I’m going to take

how to take a call in line for sale from Decatur the morning on focus hello fil A

hello and I’d like to Ascot Frank something along the lines of what I go back

few decades just as heat is the accepted he’s been far more successful and I

I have been but we both seen on the rise and fall of silhouette of tech

what of technical things and the oncoming a digital recording that sort of thing on the

00:26:10

the program Zedd at the display icons like a scissors while dressed

the Restless can remember the time we actually did use scissors really dude mean cuts

razor blades in ya life like y8

do you have any opinions in general about things like the difference between like a tour

how to get people getting fights over we all we have to feel to be microphones are the old

gold ribbon microphones or have you noticed any are really innovations

Asians or anything what is far is the new stuff but what am I

00:26:45

what what if my teenage son is a musician guitarist

will talk about this and its that I thought that he would release

really take a strong stand about that I’ve got to get a tube amp

what happens to have you also has a non Tube app to and I

he doesn’t to make a case for this one has a warmer sound that one

he makes a case for well this one takes a little longer to warm up somebody use the

instead um but most of the time I hear the discussions from people who

00:27:20

people who are in music because they are there is if your ears are tune ups

what you can hear a little difference between something that’s recorded digitally and something

recorded analog for many things it makes no difference it all I think the most

the most of the stuff that I do its its its relevant the most important thing

things for voice over recording that I do besides the funding credits

how much but when I do it’s the quality of the microphone more than anything else and that

what ever recorded on whether it’s a go to alarm systems for the New World

00:27:55

systems that whoever is the operator operating it knows how to use all of it

it’s a little luck of features that knows how to make sure that things are sounding the bass

what are the things that I’ve come to appreciate feel about the new technology is that it’s just

so much faster than it used to be

takes awhile to get used to it I like you I mean I was up what I would do

do literally tape editing where you would slice with a razor blade max

the ends together and put a little piece of this side of placing tape on it

00:28:30

pretty fast doing now that I got to the point where I could edit probably you could too

I’m at the double speed or sometimes even faster than that

no way to leave breast with nowhere to sleep before or after breakfast

and so it was very natural for me I want some of my students when you’re working with

digitally and up for them it was a learning curve

for me when I started messing with digital editing audio editing and for them its

its just fine but it is so much quicker and you can play with a lot of different

00:29:05

different possibilities also so bad it outside

downside that makes everybody everybody now is access to that

what comes bundled many computers can download for free program to downtown

down side and this is the same with my video friends also is everybody thinks because they know how to

how to cut and move things around every good at it and the reality of it is

really does take this work everybody’s got

what is going to the pinion now big is used to be a mystery notes

00:29:40

listen to everybody’s got the opinions and they see their work on YouTube they see them

showing up on podcast in so everybody has a voice to and I think that support

important get up and I think that’s really change the way I see it

my students all the time changed the way we interact with each other and its substrate

strange bility not to be silent and be locked out of different discussion

but then when you want to talk about their still still still is such a thing as professional quality when you’re listening

listening to something that’s been put together for a public radio station

00:30:15

or something that’s going to show up on broadcast work table television there is a little different

difference in quality yes I’m slowly filling

thank you in the best what do you say thank you very much

thank you for your call let’s go ahead and take a little break right now I’ll be back with more

Frank Tavares the voice of NPR news underwriting this is focused WI

is welcome back to focus on wyll mg Meadows

medicine will be speaking more with friend of ours after this brief musical interlude

00:30:50

food from the group capital cities

support for capital cities comes from lazy boy



National Public Radio

tube Daniel Day Lewis

00:31:25

sunset

Amazon

I’m going to face down there before we have to do some editing on that song thats capital cities

with special guest Frank Tavares and also I don’t know if we here im in this portion

portion of the recording of Andhra Andree 3000 Falcons

what does are two names you would never ever think Jem think you would read

00:32:00

in the same sentence right I was not expecting it I know the name of

name of the name of the song is Farrah Fawcett hair with subtle capital cities version of

of my favorite things the day you go and the idea behind that was

was up your listing some of the the the cool stuff thats out there

and they stay started with this they started with National Public Radio

so I have to use like that starts like that when you come

contact about that it was it was interesting it was over the other the winter

00:32:35

the winner this past year and I got an email from their age

agent who said that the this a particular group la base to group

Groupon at the time they didn’t have the National play that they had with their last CD

CD on with this particular cut appears and I’m so I have not heard

how to rid of them before and why did my own personal betting spend a little time on the Google

Google listening to what they were doing and and and and the agent in Africa

first phone call said that they have an idea that they like to use my boy

00:33:10

voice in one of the songs that they will putting together for the new CD

CD and at what I consider doing that so after I didn’t realize

crank group setting up uh you always have to be careful

and I listen to some of the stuff that they are released and I really

enjoyed it a one of my sons have with not familiar with him but he listen to

listen to a little bit like the music so I figured alright if I can get a little more

more street cred with my teenage boys that’s not going to hurt and up

00:33:45

that I met with the M the to lead of the

the capital cities group little time on the phone what they wanted to do

and then they say they sent me a copy of it with my voice pulled from different

different views and from a couple of the funding credits so we could hear what the voice

sounded like with music in the background and a little bit further along they

scented with one of them doing a sample listing of cool stuff

stop and then they sent me a script and I did several different versions of them

00:34:20

different breeds with 3 different breeds for each word Reach phrase

I just before they release the National to copy of the finished thing I remember sitting and listening

thinking pretty cool sf ferry

Perry County piece of music does however include a phrase in the car is that will make

making a possible to play the radio PCs lift yes and you and I wish

I wish the now I’m not being a writer IAAI

appreciate other people fart and I cannot second guess why they make a decision

00:34:55

but there is a piece of me that we stand on two versions of that so it

it would have changed at a one-word the temple and pacing and everything could have been

could have been the same but that would have made it up totally arable another broadcast media

like I say that’s their decision well it’s something

Ninette something you think of when you’re in the business that something I wanted to ask you about Frank about

the years when you are at in PR not as an announcer but I

as as as as a producer yes and it was either what’s

00:35:30

what’s special audience is it was the program that I had was the Department of State

specialized audience programs which I have not existed for a number of years important

what is the reason for that is one of our mandates was to

do what we were doing so well that we disappeared because our mandate

date was to provide a way for divorce voices to show

who show up on the national level in public broadcasting so our

for a purpose was to develop programs about

00:36:05

Catholic minority about women the elderly

children’s programming NPR used to produce a national level for short period of time

time children’s program in and buy legal programming we had

we had several programs in in Spanish for a number of years that were produced by NPR

NPR in distributed to what station is the weigh in for

The Voice is actually that you still hear on NPR because they would come in through a

threw up and sometimes out of one of our documentary programmes to 1040

00:36:40

News Feed some of these pieces quit then be

DAP did into one of the main stream NPR vehicles and so I feel pretty

pretty proud of the work if you did back then threw the 80’s primarily a number

number of wood wedding programs that we did and topics and

I guess the telling part of it is is that we didn’t put ourselves out of business witches real

is really good I thought of something about the proud of you in my early days NPR

is that ice on a different city of people working in this business that ice

00:37:15

that I simply did not see on the commercial side. And even though we were

we were perfect and even though there’s always room for improvement after still is

is Wii world where are they trying to make things happen and some time

sometimes it showed up at the local station 3 clearly in terms of what we were doing and others

other times you still have cranky people would always complain if you want some cases

too much but its something that I am I like to see that

that that that I’m really proud of you know if i from from the voice can you mention it

00:37:50

1980 program names I buy was St Louis Public Radio 1980 sells wanted to visit

is anything that I could happen with the documentary series

I really like the best with what I have our we call to license and

that I think of last a few years after I left my full time

old time position there with a different host and then we had another one

actually showed up in 2 different versions call crossroads that was an hour long

documentary 3 Series we did and we would do a variety of things

00:38:25

things around up I used to be fat in a week

Black History Month we would do old documentary program

program talk program music programs all types of things around me suck these

special issues and I remember even in one of the presidential

central elections we’re and on what is the satellite channels we did everything in Spanish

before a lot of other a private network commercial network for doing the same

Spanish language election coverage from NPR studios in Washington DC

00:39:00

PC to a number of stations around the country and I don’t know if we with IP

we probably were not supposed to do that I really don’t remember but I remember feeling this is

this is this is pretty neat and most people want it that that’s interesting special

especially in old is the mayor of certain amount of pressure the must have existed from

from people making the argument well NPR’s been successful at serving

serving in a serving a certain second of the audience just have to do is

who is served does is served at second more intensely so we get more of them or the

00:39:35

more the time yes and dumb and knows were many of

discussions and I remember it 1.1 looking at carriage

how many stations are carrying a program MN how many

list of that station are listening to and one of the things that when you look at just the number

the number for great Greek is that you have

you had a safe trip Lee well if you’re  leaving a program that

has very high listener ship at a particular moment to go to a program

00:40:10

Graham dad and ask for a really target

very different subgroup of your listeners is it worth the cost of

losing the listeners from the more successful program to be

ba ba say that was also stripping this particular group now we’re talking

talking to a couple of decades ago when you really didn’t have alternatives you didn’t

didn’t have a station website you didn’t have podcasts for sometimes

really hard decision for stations to make on a local level so some of the

00:40:45

the programming that came out of my particular shop would not necessarily show up in

open in Poulan Pro primetime broadcast lot because the cost

what would be too high in terms of losing your regular listen to stay with you up on weekends related

evening to remember being in one meeting one time will I actually said this

which with back and I’m thinking about being a realist

I said there are times when I believe that I could just make a set copies of our program

program and mail them individually to the to the listeners and we would say

00:41:20

what save money do that because with some of the programs we knew

when do the numbers with 12 what part of that was well okay

that’s a decision you make in terms of what your mission what are you trying to do and then part being as well

is well can you get these voices into the larger programs for these Point

point of view and in some cases the answer to that is it going to be very difficult

other place is the answer to that is yes we can and then everybody wins

result what this is focus MGM Meadows still time to get your questions

00:41:55

Cummington for authors scholar and NPR news underwriting announcer Frank Tavares

the number is 1 800 222 94551 802

222 wyll email addresses will dash transit Illinois dot

my.edu and Frank I’m wondering how you look at it now in of course your teacher

Communications in college even though you’re not working in the industry the same way you still get it

think about it I see also you’re on the board of a journal that the data

that looks at the media business with all the changes in electronic media over the past

00:42:30

past decade a decade and a half do some of the challenges

which is how have how are the challenges changed if you look at the job that you had in the 1980s

ladies with that play out differently now well I think you have

have in something positive way I think people that are interested in having the voices for

torrid have so many more channels available to the good news

the bad news so German franc decide that they water freeze at a certain point

if you and we know that maybe we don’t get on one of the major news

00:43:05

programs on public radio for we don’t get on what is the major commercial

news programs or even in one of the major markets on a particular

take a radio station but we can still produce it and we can still find audience even if we do

as a podcast internet radio station whatever they’re just

just so many more opportunities that’s the blessing part of it the Christmas part of it is the audience is so much

is so much more fragmented did it use to be I am so much smaller

I am the danger of course and this is something to talk about the sum of our glasses

00:43:40

primary organizational communication but we get into discussions about a variety of different

things which is only natural when you have curious and

are young people who are getting ready to go into the workplace is it what is this

what are the things that them that you were out is are you always only going to be

going to be talking to other people who think like you do and

N&S something that that doesn’t mean I think it’s important for us

radeo Boyce’s an opinion and the Weezy these days

00:44:15

Statesboro to find no matter what strange little corner

corner of f*** off any particular area no matter what strain Japan we might have

we can find other people to think like off and then we believe that everybody thinks like

that’s not true why worry about that and that’s all as a result of the technology

Knology but I’m not absolutely in any way shape or form opposed to

the changes in terms of Technology I think we just have to look at the implications of demand

M & M and make a decision based on what’s possible in

00:44:50

and the band what may not be possible and how long have you been writing fix

infection  well I’m one of those I’ve got a little leagues

examples of fiction that I rotate my personal are archived all the way back to high school

skull and probably earlier very bad it will never see the light of day

started reading and writing professionally my entire life

and there was a period in which I was in advertising department

nc in Fresno California for a couple of years and I’ve got a lot of c**

00:45:25

commercial work over the years at work in commercial radio and and a producer

radio and television spots a boat in the ad agency in the end

indepence the soul so I learned I’d like to tell people gym

that advertise in cockney the power of words and then when I

what I discovered public radio that taught me how to use the power

what is a good police had an even after

writing my area of a focus academically

00:46:00

when I was working on my PhD is a is Orson Welles and a particular radio

doing after he left radio series called the lights off carry Lyme

based on the character from The Third Man i550 to couple of episodes of all yeah yeah

yeah and I had access at University of Texas they had the complete series

series and some of the master tapes that had been store their body

the owners of the series in another one so with beautiful I had all of its original

it was just a wonderful thing for a researcher wishes

00:46:35

which is what I was at the time I know that apparently some of the summit

what’s that series written by wells in the sum of the word recycled in NY to his later

movies yes and some of the episode that were identified

is being written by wealth without risk another

is this what I wrote an article recently that appeared in the Sun

radio audio media which is published by the broadcaster

Association which is affiliated with the National Association of Broadcasters

00:47:10

the pure space to get around Washington and one of the things that stick

it’s fun in the arm the producer of the radio 3 going back to the fifth

the 50’s who died just a couple of years ago and I had the opportunity to talk with him

several times about his experience with wells work with

project but he told me this one marvelous story will Wells the one day

one day he says he’s in his office and get to knock on the door he was actually a hotel room

knock on the door and stomach shows up I’m forgetting his name but you my

00:47:45

you might recognize it because he went on to be successful in films in film production

andy says I wrote the 6 episodes for Mr Wells

well paid me and he was there to be paid

soap the producer of the name to Harry Alton Towers paid this guy because he knew

exactly what happened and I went back to weld up and these

6 episode that you told me you had a written he said that he is a written anything wells porn

just a moment it looked at him and said well they really went very good

00:48:20

something to be a question earlier

RC here we go back to your stories and I should you should know these eyes

Jesus stories with you been up coming out in literary magazines over the past few years

yeah and you collect them in a book which is now out from bacon press box

best books on Washington DC the men who built boxes and other stories I do want to say

what to say we only have a couple of minutes left I just read the title story and

nothing is ever literally said to chill down my spine but this one team

00:48:55

can close and it’s not because it’s scary art how are fine is just so sad

sad and you just do a very skillful job of gradually review

revealing everything behind the main character well I’m sitting here

sitting here with very big smile on my face because I love hearing your reaction for that

and and how it touch to a particular way and I hope you have

can you have some of the same experiences as you have a chance with for some of the other stories in there

because this is something that was a writer you you what are the things that I

00:49:30

dive it take me awhile to learn how to do this when you didn’t ask me how long I

writing fiction seriously it’s probably been since the mid 90’s MN

Appleton long form in the short story form and one of the things that it took me awhile

have faith in my own writing for people to to help me

understand that I could and and you write the way you write the characters revealed

cells that and the other plot

plots sometimes unfold more than others and you just let it be

00:50:05

bien sometimes you don’t understand exactly the meaning of how it’s going to affect somebody else

what you hope at the very least I sure the stories with other people I’m hoping to Dallas

least enjoy meeting somebody else and and exploring somebody else’s experience

going through appreciate you saying that and that is really all the time

time we have now on focus I’m afraid I’ll have to forgo the does the second chance

consensus Redinger underwriting announcement thank you thank you very much for the volume dryer

earlier the program I thought it was pretty good for the weekend we can get it back

00:50:40

is it back together I’m sure there you go Frank virus communication professor

fiction writer Public Broadcasting consultant soon the former voice of underwriting an ounce

add NPR NPR news Frank I’m sorry that to me one

hearing your voice so often but it’s been great to talk to you talk to you today in focus

its been my pleasure thank you for asking me to many additional thought you have about today’s

today’s program on our website that it will dot illinois.edu /

slash focus Today Show is produced by Lindsey moon Jason Crowther South Dakota

00:51:15

director salary Lesk is our internet help me with production in research

Monday in focus my guess we’ll be retired Army captain luey’s Carlos Montalban in his book

until Tuesday does how a service dog help to recover from post traumatic stress

medic stress disorder and other wounds suffered in the Iraq war plus the first

first segment in our series produced by Urbana you need a highschool students

presenting the voices of central Illinois veterans from World War 2 20

Iraq and Afghanistan that’s on Mondays program this is focus on wyll

00:51:50