Mike Janssen

Mike Janssen Served as Scanning The Dial's original co-authors from Mar, 2008 to Jan, 2010 and is a freelance writer, editor and media educator based in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. He has written extensively about radio, mostly for Current, the trade newspaper about public broadcasting, where his articles have appeared since 1999. He has also worked in public radio as a reporter at WFDD-FM in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he began his career in journalism and filed pieces for NPR. Mike's work in radio expanded to include outreach and advocacy in 2007, when he worked with the Future of Music Coalition to recruit applicants for noncommercial radio stations. He has since embarked on writing a series of articles about radio hopefuls for FMC's blog. Mike also writes regularly for Retail Traffic magazine and teaches workshops about writing, podcasting and radio journalism. In his spare time he enjoys vegetarian food, the outdoors, reading, movies and traveling. You can learn more about Mike and find links to more of his writing and reporting at mikejanssen.net.

New call letters for Portland station

April 27, 2009 by Mike Janssen

The blog of the Public Radio Program Directors has helpfully pointed out that Portland’s classical public radio station, KBPS, has changed its call letters to KQAC. The name of the nonprofit running the station is now All Classical Public Media Inc., rather than KBPS Public Radio Foundation.

Gleanings from a community radio conference

April 22, 2009 by Mike Janssen

Thanks to Mona Seghatoleslami, an announcer and producer at West Virginia Public Broadcasting, for contributing this post about what to listen to from this year’s National Federation of Community Broadcasters conference. — Mike

The National Federation of Community Broadcasters held its conference earlier this month in Portland. It’s now posted information from conference sessions online. For some presentations, recordings are available; for others, only handouts or slides are posted.

I’ve listened to a couple of sessions that might interest classical radio broadcasters. The keynote by Kim Klein, “War, Locusts, Famine and Your Community Radio Station: You Can Raise Money in Times of Crisis,” included good perspectives on fundraising.

Another reason radio matters

April 21, 2009 by Mike Janssen

In case you need the encouragement, here’s more testament to why radio matters. Composer Arvo Pärt credits his start in music to his country’s classical radio programming. When I was ten years old I was able to hear good classical music in Rakvere mainly in the broadcasts of YLE [the Finnish Broadcasting Company]. I listened to all of the concerts and music programmes, and I wanted to start composing. Full article in the Helsingin Sanomat. So keep up the good work — another Arvo Pärt might be listening. (Or, if you don’t … Continue Reading

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Music choosers: Tell us your methods!

April 17, 2009 by Mike Janssen

I’d like to get some discussion going about a topic I’m interested in, in part due to my new volunteer gig as a host of a music show.

I’d like the music choosers of radio to talk about how they wield that responsibility. You work at a radio station. You have some control over what music goes out on your air. How do you decide what to play?

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