Wednesday, October 15, 2008

End of an era

Well, I'm not the first and I'm afraid I won't be the last, but I'm now a victim of the economy. Although I focus this blog on my crime fiction (and occasional book reviews), for the last 12 years I've also written a weekly column for the Boston Globe about radio. But after next week's column, I will do so no longer. The paper is being "redesigned," i.e., made smaller, and my column has been eliminated.

Wait a minute. Writing about radio? Yes, the column – called "Radio Tracks" – let me write about everything from a beloved old-school soul and R&B music show on a tiny college station ("Captain Al's R&B Jukebox" on on WMBR), radio historians (like this week's on Donna Halper, my penultimate column), Howard Stern, Don Imus, and the ups and downs of a fledgling medium known as Internet radio. And ratings. Those quarterly Arbitron ratings. Okay, so I won't miss explaining AQH – average quarter hour – to both readers and, inevitably, the copy desk.

Anyway, there hasn't been all that much overlap between my column and my fiction life (though some folks who know me recognize some of Theda's misadventures). But some of you do, so here's my chance to say farewell! I'll run a link to my last column whenever it runs (originally on Thursdays, now often held till Saturday). Thanks for tuning in!

4 comments:

Hank Phillippi Ryan said...

Clea--now that's just--weird. I rely on your radio column, and have for so many years! It'll be fun to see what wonderful thing happens as a result. Something terrific always comes out of change. Right?

Clea Simon said...

So we hope, Hank! So we hope! We'll see next week, when the column is behind me - and thanks for the kind words!

Caroline said...

Clea, that sucks. But I cannot imagine that someone else will not snap you and the column upm either in print or online!

pattinase (abbott) said...

Will there be anything left in newspaper soon?
I envison 3-4 national papers, with a small insert for my area very soon. It's very sad.