Nicejob Media

I am not Pink Lady & Jeff

2011-02-11T12:53:00.001-08:00

I am not Chris Lee

2011-02-11T12:52:00.001-08:00

The Public Radio Version of the Classic Meme

2011-01-13T15:27:00.001-08:00

Hitler Learns of Events at NPR from steve proffitt on Vimeo.

Not available at NPR.org

Virtual CES

2011-01-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

On the scene report from "Virtual CES", where we reveal some of the latest cutting edge gizmos you just won't see anywhere else.

MMXI

2011-01-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Languidity

2010-12-24T16:40:00.000-08:00

Not much news today. So here's a thoughtful, deliberate and unhurried discussion about the positive aspects of taking it slow.

Have a spicy holiday

2010-12-23T20:47:00.001-08:00

Syn Man Goes Hawaii

2010-12-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

Our ersatz human, almost life-like character, Syn Man, goes on a little adventure with POTUS.

Rare Figurative Artwork

2010-12-21T18:19:00.000-08:00

There's a guy named Mr Doob, who has created an interesting, even amazing drawing tools. It's called Harmony. Try it out.

I used his web-based drawing invention as a base, and then manipulated the images in Art Rage and Photoshop.

Fall Paintings

2010-12-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Answer Songs

2010-12-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

Well, not everything. But a fairly broad survey of this musical tradition, spanning the genres and generations, from Jay-Z and Katy Perry to Hank Thompson and Hank Ballard.

From The Madeleine Brand Show, 12/09/10.

We're Back!

2010-09-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

After a year and a half wandering in the wilderness of the devastated media landscape, we re-emerge, reunited. And it feels so good.
A new radio show, with my Day to Day colleague Madeleine Brand, who is as fresh, smart and sparkling as she's ever been. And then some.

We have a teeny staff. And ambitious plans. The pay is paltry, the commute is brutal and the hours suck. But other than that, it's great.

We call it TMBS. You'll know it as The Madeleine Brand Show.

We'll be on the air in Southern California soon, with plans for global domination. Oh, and podcasting too, of course, for all the world to see.

Is Rand Paul REALLY the son of David Lynch

2010-05-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

You be the judge. Click pic for full-size image.

Going All Google-y

2010-05-16T00:08:00.000-07:00

It's not an original idea, but it's inexpensive, and possibly effective. I've targeted a few people at organizations where I'd like to work. I've purchased Google Adwords, using their names as keywords. If you're one of those folks, I hope you'll respond to my ad, and pop me a note.

I Am Neither Brooks Nor Dunn

2010-04-19T00:18:00.000-07:00

(Click on photo to view large image.)

New World News Tonight

2010-02-27T22:51:00.000-08:00

An exclusive sneak peak at what ABC's World News Tonight will look like after the News Division completes its transition to a leaner and meaner "digital journalist-based" operation.

Hooray for...development?

2010-02-17T00:37:00.001-08:00

Preservationists were alarmed recently when they learned that the owner of a plot of land abutting the famed Hollywood sign in Los Angeles was planning to build structures above the edifice. Panic quickly spread, as conservationists imagined landmarks desecrated by enterprising enterprisers everywhere.

High Tech and Soul Patches

2010-01-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

My old Day to Day colleague Shereen Meraji asked me to go to the NAMM music show in Anaheim and do a story for All Things Considered, where she now works. And I was only happy to do so.
It's the biggest musical instrument show in the country - maybe the world. And it turns out that musical instruments, while not recession-proof, are pretty steady sellers in good times and in bad.
There is a lot of emphasis on technology, of course. The guy in the pic is playing something called an Eigenharp that costs six grand and can pretty much make any sound. But among the things that interested me - and didn't make it into the story - was a company that makes guitars specifically for girls. Daisy Rock makes instruments that are a little lighter in weight, have thinner necks, and come in lots of sparkly colors. It turns out that less than 10% of guitars are bought for or by women. Daisy Rock thinks one reason is that traditional guitars are too difficult for girls, who often have smaller hands, to wrap their fingers around. So, a business plan.
But at the end of the day, NAMM is like so many other trade shows. There's just so much stuff, so many booths with so many things, that it all just becomes a blur. I'm sure these shows serve a purpose, and that lots of business gets done there. But frankly, after about 3 hours, I couldn't wait to get outta there.
Here's the NPR story.

Why Be With Coco When You Can Be Coco

2010-01-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

Shock The Monkey

2010-01-01T23:17:00.000-08:00

A one minute wrap-up of the year, from a personal perspective.

Name That Spot: A Visual Puzzle

2009-12-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a series of little diversions I've created, ostensibly for my current employer. They're locations around Los Angeles - you have to guess where. Some are easy, even if you've never been to LA. Some are a bit more challenging.

Name That Spot #7
Answer

Name That Spot #6
Answer

Name That Spot #5
Answer

Name That Spot #4
Answer

Name That Spot #3
Answer

Name That Spot #2
Answer

Name That Spot #1
Answer

I Am Not Osama bin Laden

2009-09-05T20:28:00.001-07:00

I Am Not Donald Trump

2009-09-05T19:49:00.001-07:00

I Am Not Andy Warhol

2009-08-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

I Am Not T-Pain

2009-08-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

I Am Not Liz Taylor

2009-08-15T00:39:00.000-07:00

2009-07-25T21:31:00.001-07:00

Even Walter Cronkite Gets the Blues

2009-07-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

A tribute to the most trusted man in America.

A little country music parody

2009-05-19T18:15:00.002-07:00

The Purple Sage Hotel from steve proffitt on Vimeo.

Chief Symptom of Swine Flu: Insantity

2009-05-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

Viral Video: Conspiracy from steve proffitt on Vimeo.

Sex and Unemployment: Boom or Bust

2009-04-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

The current recession/depression/downturn/credit crunch/general unpleasantness is churning out new unemployed Americans like a Chinese box factory.

While official government figures peg the number at somewhere over 12 million, in truth, the total number of job seekers, jobless for a good while, marginally attached, discouraged and suicidal non-workers is probably more like 20 million.

So many people. So much time on their hands. Are they all out having sex, all the time? Or is their economic hardship softening their desire?

I don't have time to find two experts with sharply different opinions about this. So, as a public service - and because this is, after all, a blog - I'm here to argue from both sides of the bed.

Of course people are having more sex.

Even those Blackberried, Mac-toting Starbuckians occasionally look up from their Tazo® and notice other beings of their ilk. An opening line like, "I actually got a form letter response to a resume today," may lead to, if not romance, then at least an early afternoon of passion.

No one unemployed is having sex.

Sigmund Freud, the patron saint of Westsiders from coast to coast, noted that "work is central to one's existence." Actually I think he said, "to man's existence." And what woman, or man, wants to sleep with a man who has no status. Excuse me, Ms. or Mr., but do you really want to horizontal tango with a guy whose boss dumped him? And seems to be waiting for you to pick up the check. And thinks those are shoes?

I'm sorry, but you're just wrong.

Imagine, in your above example, that the pursued partner is also unemployed. Now the two have a shared experience. So much to talk about. This is exactly the sort of thing that leads to hanky-panky. Consider for instance, the job fair. As my friend John Henion, at unemploymentality.com has pointed out, this is the greatest meet market ever. You can walk in, introduce yourself to a dozen attractive people, and offer to exchange resumes. "You never know, I might hear about something." Boom. You walk out with little mini-histories of your possible mates, and detailed contacts for each. You can even check their references!

OK, maybe occasionally unemployed people have sex, but...

I have a suspicion people who don't have jobs don't bathe that often. Or shave. They probably don't wash their clothes that much, either. Or floss.

Not true!

Frankly, I find this sort of unemployment-racism to be truly sad. In fact, the unemployed are no less scrubbed and brushed then the rest of us. And they're probably more fit. The gyms are filled with the occupation-uninstalled. They hone their bodies, co-mingling in tight places, wearing skimpy clothes. I think even you can fill in the blanks from there.

I think we should make it illegal to have sex while collecting unemployment benefits.

Why should my tax dollars fund your debauchery? Even if you are having sex within a committed relationship, I don't want you having more fun than me, on my dime.

I don't know what to say.

I have to go now. Job fair.

Spring 09 Collection

2009-04-20T20:07:00.001-07:00

Spring 09 Collection: nicejob from steve proffitt on Vimeo.

Try clicking on the little four-arrow icon on the right to view full-screen.

Sorry, Jack

2009-04-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

So much for the conventional wisdom that liquor sales are recession proof. The company that owns two classic potent potables, Jack Daniels and Southern Comfort, says today it's cutting jobs, slashing merit pay and offering buyouts.

Louisville-based distiller Brown-Forman says it's cutting about 250 jobs in it's worldwide operations. That's about six percent of its workforce.

According to an article in the Louisville Courier-Journal, "all employees affected by the reduction in force will be offered severance pay, career counseling assistance, and other benefits."

Other benefits? A case or two of whiskey would be a nice parting gift.

Ode to Accountants

2009-04-15T11:37:00.001-07:00

Dear Ebidta: An Ode To Accountants from steve proffitt on Vimeo.

Louisiana: Only a whiff of recession, but lots of bad taste

2009-04-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend in Lafayette, Louisiana. The jobless rate there is among the lowest in the nation, at just under 4%. While the oil business is not booming like it was a couple of years ago, there are few signs of recession. Sure, the housing market is a little tight. But shoppers are out buying and the restaurants are packed.

There's a big development called River Ranch on one side of town. It features some fairly nice urban design - sort of a fake New Orleans, with residential, retail and office space nicely mixed. But then begins a sort of sprawl, and a host of truly dreadful mansions that one local resident called, "I just sold my company!" houses. One was so indescribably tasteless - it featured larger than life-size Greecian statues at the entry way - that an observer claimed to suffer from PTSD after seeing it.

What's more ironic is that across the river there is a development that appears to have been build in the 1950's and 60's, where the now-old moneyed class live. But back in the day, they were nouveau too. Yet these homes are beautiful architecture - post and beam, glass, classic. You wonder why their neighbors on the other bank didn't emulate them.

But new money, or old money, it's nice to know that people somewhere at least HAVE money.

El Centro de Unemployment

2009-04-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly Metropolitan Area Unemployment Survey today. Jobless rates were higher this February than last in every one of the 372 metro areas the survey tracks. That's not surprising.

The worst unemployment: El Centro, California with more than 24%. This town is in the heart of the Imperial Valley, east of San Diego. The BLS numbers track nicely with the job site, simplyhired.com's tracking. It shows the number of job listings in El Centro has declined by 27% since August 2007.
The metro area with the lowest jobless rate is curiously the place where I was born. According to the BLS, the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux district has an unemployment rate of 3.5%. At least those Cajuns have jobs.

No Recession Here

2009-03-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

I'm working for a few weeks (as the world's oldest temp on All Things Considered) in our nation's capitol. I can attest that the economy here is showing no signs of strain.

Walk (or drive) thru a commercial district in LA and you will see lots of empty stores, for rent signs and an abundance of parking places. Here in DC, no such distress. And the Metro, as the subway is known here, is packed tight each morning with workers, many who seem to still be wearing hairdos from the Johnson administration. I guess big government is big business.

Infographic O' the Day

2009-03-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

This little gem, from the AIG Investments Web site, illustrates the "rigor" employed by analysts and managers when selecting securities such as Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs).

"All of our Structured investments adhere to a thorough and disciplined approach to security selection, highlights of which includes:

Dedicated analyst coverage for all structured product sectors
Specialized sector portfolio managers with cross-sector experience
Consensus driven relative value decisions
Proactive idea generation"

This genius methodology, and all that proactive idea generation has resulted in perhaps a quarter trillion dollars in losses. Ah, guys, let's chill with the consensus driven relative value decisions, OK?

How Could You Be So Heartless?

2009-03-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

Taking a page from Kanye West ( I've included the link for clueless legislators) California's GOP Senators rejected a measure that would use federal stimulus funds to extend benefits for the state's unemployed workers.

Five Million on the Dole

2009-03-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

More than 650,ooo workers filed initial jobless claims in the week that ended March 7th, according to the latest figures released by the BLS. The four-week moving average of initial claims, which is considered a less volatile statistic, rose to its highest level in 26 years. That moving average is twice as high as it was a year ago.

The nexus of pain in all this is not Michigan, as one might expect. It's South Carolina. The state has the fastest growing unemployment rate in the nation, leaving it's unemployment compensation fund bankrupt. The state has borrowed more than $175 million from the Federal government to pay claims. According to the Columbia-based newspaper, The State, things could get much worse. They report, "John Rainey, chairman of the S.C. Board of Economic Advisors, said the state could run up nearly $1 billion in debt if the unemployment rate climbs higher."

No word yet whether Caitlin Upton, the famous former Miss South Carolina, who was last reported to be studying graphic design, is among the state's jobless.

8.1 or 14.6?

2009-03-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its unemployment survey numbers today, and you've seen the headline: 8.1%.

That number comes from the what the BLS calls their U3 measure of unemployment, which they describe as "the official unemployment rate."

However, the BLS also releases other numbers that count people differently. For instance, there is the U1, which estimates the percentage of workers unemployed for 15 weeks or longer. In February, that number was 3%.

At the broadest end of the scale is the U6. According to the Bureau, this includes, "Total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons." That percentage now stands at 14.8.

To put that in human terms, you have to calculate that percentage against the total civilian workforce, which is currently estimated at about 150 million people.

Using the U6 estimate, that computes to almost 22 million Americans.

The Expendables

2009-02-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

When I learned my governor was returning to the big screen in an upcoming action flick, I just had to make this fake trailer:

The Expendables from steve proffitt on Vimeo.

Grand Theft Oscar

2009-02-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

Last night, my NPR colleague Brian Unger and I got to go to the Oscars. Instead of press passes, we had actual tickets, which allowed us to stroll down the red carpet, hobnob with the stars, and eat really tasty hors d'oeuvres.

Get the full story here.

Two Billion Simoleans A Week?

2009-02-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

Let me begin with full disclosure: I was an art major.

The Labor Department announced today that more than five million Americans are currently receiving unemployment insurance compensation. So I did a quick napkin calculation.

Assume an average payout of $400 a week per claimant, and you get - check me on this - $2,000,000,000 a week.

I suppose it's better than the government spending that money on ICBM's, but that's a lotta dough.

Five Bad Places to be Looking for Work

2009-02-17T14:26:00.000-08:00

Manny's Dilemma

2009-02-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

Chart O' the Day

2009-02-16T21:14:00.000-08:00

O Brother How Unemployed Art Thou?

2009-02-12T22:43:00.000-08:00

O Brother How Unemployed Art Thou? from steve proffitt on Vimeo.

Scary Chart O' The Day

2009-02-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

Click on the chart for a larger view. Thanks to Barry Ritholtz at The Big Picture. Check out the discussion about this chart there.

"That Would Look Like The End Of The World"

2009-02-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

A sobering story from Time Magazine's Doug McIntyre:
"In January, the economy lost 600,000 jobs. There is no reason to think that the monthly number will be any smaller between now and the end of April. The biggest concern will be whether the near-term future looks so grim to managements that they will begin another substantial round of cuts as they look at their likely second quarter results. This would indicate that the total job loss for 2009 could move above six million. To economists, that would look like the end of the world."

Read the entire article.

Rockabye John Maynard Keynes

2009-02-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

Just Not Hiring

2009-02-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow the BLS will release it's hiring survey, which reflects how many actual jobs are open and available in this dismal economy. A survey by Gallup doesn't suggest the numbers will offer job seekers much hope.

Stand Up Economist

2009-02-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

Yoram Bauman translates the ten principles of economics.

Taking Some of the Bite Out of COBRA

2009-02-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

Last month we posted an item about the high cost of COBRA, the program that allows you to temporarily keep the health insurance you had at your last employer after you've lost your job. Both the House and Senate versions of the economic stimulus package contain a provision that will help recently laid off workers with those big COBRA bills.

The plan offers a subsidy, probably in the form of a tax credit, of about 65% of the cost of the COBRA coverage. In many cases that's more than the share your former employer may have paid of your health care costs.

Layoffs hit home

2009-02-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

Up Across the World

2009-01-28T06:34:00.001-08:00

In a worst-case scenario, the International Labor Office (ILO), a department of the UN, says as many as 50 million people could lose jobs. And the new ILO report estimates that that 1.4 billion people - fully 45% of the world's working population - will fall into extreme poverty, unable to earn more than $2 a day.

Up Across The Country

2009-01-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports today that unemployment rates are up over last month in every state in the union. And the District of Columbia. This is the first time the BLS has reported a universal increase in unemployment rates since they began this specific survey in 1976. The worst states right now, Michigan and Rhode Island. And the best shot for prospective job hunters - put on your hat and boots - Wyoming.

Unemployment = Employment

2009-01-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

The Indiana unemployment system is so swamped with claimants, it's hiring 100 workers to help with the backlog. Governor Mitch Daniels announced the plan to employ new unemployment workers. Here's the press release.

Job Opportunity: Some knocking required

2009-01-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

Census officials in North Dakota and other states say they are having a tough time finding enough workers to help with the 2010 census. According to an article in the Dickenson Press, North Dakota needs 3600 workers, and they are nowhere near reaching their goal.

Census workers are paid during training, and field workers make $11-14 per hour. Plus they get to record census data on a groovy handheld device that is complete with GPS. It's not clear whether the device also discourages aggressive dogs and provides protection from irritable citizens.

Unemploymentality

2009-01-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

We're doing a thing on my soon-to-be canceled radio show, Day to Day, called Help Wanted. We've asked listeners to write in and share their unemployment stories.

One of the letters we got was from a guy who started a very smart and really funny blog, Unemploymentality. I hope to have him on the show sometime next week.

Golden State: Nine Point Three

2009-01-23T09:39:00.000-08:00

Figures released today, a rainy day in Los Angeles, show the California unemployment rate in December was 9.3%. That's up just under a full percentage point from the previous month, and represents non-farm job losses totaling more than 78,000.

One sliver of sunshine: educational and health services added jobs in December. Otherwise, it was layoffs, RIFs and releases into the community.

Separated At Birth

2009-01-22T10:12:00.001-08:00

Mr. Potter and Dick Cheney

Jobless Claims Increase

2009-01-22T06:31:00.000-08:00

The Labor Dept. reports today that more workers than it expected are filing for unemployment insurance. The total number of claims rose about 62,000 for a total of some 589,000.

Where's the most pain? Here's an excerpt from a Labor Dept. data table:

PA	+13,848	Layoffs in the construction, trade, and service industries.
NC	+15,637	Layoffs in the textile, furniture, primary metals, fabricated metals, industrial machinery, electronic equipment , and electrical equipment industries.
FL	+20,658	Layoffs in the construction, trade, service, and manufacturing industries, and agriculture.
CA	+22,573	Layoffs in agriculture. All major industry categories posted increases.
MI	+34,639	Layoffs mainly in the automobile and manufacturing industries. Almost all industries posted increases.

None of this bodes well for the states' unemployment insurance trust funds.

Layoff Tracker

2009-01-21T16:42:00.000-08:00

This is the best and most comprehensive list of firings, down/right/smart-sizings and uninstallations I've found.

At Least HE's Getting Some Work

2009-01-21T10:20:00.000-08:00

My pal Brian Unger is featured in some commercials for BMW's new line of diesel cars.

Can't You Just Tell Me I'm Fired?

2009-01-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

Corporate America seems to have spent a great deal of time developing euphemisms and double-speak to describe the process of firing workers. The term "layoff" sounds very gentle. And there are the sickening series of tortured constructs : down-sizing, right-sizing, smart-sizing. "RIF" is the term used by many companies, for Reduction In Force (sounds like a new, gentler torture protocol.) Some of my favorites, collected from here and there:

Upskilled
Empowered to move elsewhere
Selected for discontinuance
Invited to pursue excellence elsewhere
Redeployed outside the company
Freed to find another home
Reshaped
Returned to the community
Involved in an involuntary attrition
Surplussed
Uninstalled

The Unemployment Office

2009-01-19T22:18:00.000-08:00

Classic Newhart

UI Trust Funds Going Bust

2009-01-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

A number of states are fast approaching the day when the funding in their Unemployment Insurance Trust accounts run dry. At least three states have already gone into overdraft. Michigan, Ohio and Indiana have obtained or are seeking loans from the federal goverment to cover their unemployment insurance payouts.

Here's a list of states, their fund balances, and my projection of when they will run out of funds based on current spending. This assumes no new money coming into the trust funds. The data is from The National Conference of State Legislators.

Will the Unemployed Save Starbucks?

2009-01-16T09:14:00.000-08:00

The ubiquitous java purveyor hit a rough patch in the recent past, closing some outlets and scaling back expansion plans. But, as the San Diego North County Times reports , for many job-seekers, Starbucks is an alternative to the unemployment office or the library. There's wireless internet access, a variety of caffeine-delivery devices, and lots of company for your misery.

Career Mapping

2009-01-15T21:54:00.000-08:00

Monster.com has a newly redesigned Web site, and a few new features, including something called Career Mapping, which shows you how you might get from say, car wash attendant to U-S House Majority Leader. Monster says the app uses data from actual people to suggest ways to get from A to Z in your career.

Well, this week on our soon-to-be-a-collectors-item radio show, Day to Day, we invited our unemployed listeners to send a a job pitch. We'll feature some of them on the air and, who knows, maybe we can actually help somebody get a job.

Anyway, my favorite letter came from a guy whose work history, though brief, would probably crash Monster's Career Mapping. I won't use his name to protect the innocent, but here's his path, so far:

Eagle Scout > Peace Corps > Zookeeper > Strip Club Manager

COBRA bites

2009-01-14T20:10:00.000-08:00

Health insurance may be one of the first things to go for a newly unemployed worker.

A study by the consumer health advocate, Families USA finds that, on average, COBRA payments for health insurance consume more than 80% of a workers unemployment insurance income.

The COBRA program allows a fired worker to retain the health insurance plan they had for 18 months after their termination. But the ex-employee has to pay the full cost of the premium. (Actually, they pay 102%.)

The study found the average monthly payout for unemployment insurance was $1278. The average COBRA premium payment to cover a family is $1069.

Job Seeker's Aphorism #23

2009-01-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

Remember, when you are looking for a job and you don't hear back from a prospective employer:
To you, a day seems like a week. To them a week seems like a day.

5 Reasons To Hire Steve Proffitt

2009-01-13T14:07:00.001-08:00

You need someone who can communicate for your organization in print, audio, video and on the Web. Maybe on mobile platforms, or within the 140 character limit of Twitter, too
You want to reach a sophisticated audience. The kind of people who might listen to NPR
You need someone to manage and mentor a group of creatives
You insist on working with someone who has a finely-honed sense of humor
You value loyalty

Here's my short resume, for your amusement

Part of the 7.2%

2009-01-13T11:52:00.001-08:00

U3 or Not U3
As I write this, I have joined the ranks of what is now the 7.2% of Americans who are unemployed. This widely-reported estimate comes from a US Bureau of Labor Statistics survey known as the U3, that many believe vastly under-counts the actual number of people who are out of work. Another BLS survey, known as the U6 (and yes, Bono, there is also a U2) estimates unemployment at a much higher rate, indicating that more than one out of every eight American workers have been idled.

Every Worker Tells A Story, Don't It
There is pain, sadness and often tragedy in every story of job loss. Mine has a good dose of irony, as well. Six years ago, I left the private sector to return to NPR, where I had cut my teeth as a young producer. I came, mostly, because my friend Alex Chadwick, had agreed to move to Los Angeles to serve as host of a new NPR program, Day to Day. But I also came because I had been working for an internet/technology consulting firm. While I had survived the massive layoffs that followed the 'Net collapse at the turn of the new century, I was looking for security. And nothing, history suggested, was more secure than a job at NPR.

It was great fun, back in 2003, working to develop a new NPR show and get it on the air. The network made the program its number one strategic initiative. Our first show aired on July 24, 2003 and soon we were being hailed as "the fastest growing new program in NPR history." We began to pick up listeners, and slowly we found our voice. The years rolled by, show after show, Day to Day.

Oops
Late in 2008, NPR management told its board of directors that it was projecting a $2 million budget shortfall for the coming year. The board accepted their budget plan. $2 million was an acceptable deficit for an almost $200 million company.

Less than two months later, management again met with the board. There had been a "change in the environment." Now that $2 million was more like, uh, $23 million. Cuts would need to be made. And they were.

One of those cuts was Day to Day. The 200 or so stations that broadcast it were told they'd need to come up with something new to fill that slot, and the staff was asked to continue producing the program until March 20, 2009. Then the staff, which consists of about 20 fulltime and temporary journalists, would be free to "spend more time with their family", or "pursue other opportunities".

Dead Show Talking

2009-01-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

In early December we began hearing the rumors. And the official word came on Dec 10. Day to Day was to be canceled. But, because so many stations carried the show, the network asked us to stay on, and to continue producing the program until March 20. In this desperate economic environment at least that meant we'd be employed, and insured, for an additional three months.

Now, anyone who has spent five minutes in commercial broadcasting, or in most any other business enterprise would find this surprising. Generally, you don't let people go on the air after you've canned them. But this is NPR.

Putting on a show each day, knowing we are doing so from death row, presents us with a variety of emotions. Some of us, like me, have been doing this for a very long time. Everyone on the staff is committed to creating great radio. And we are committed to each other.

And so, each morning we all arrive, some at 5am, most at 6, and we pull together a program. Not just a program, but a good one. Some of the best shows, I think, have been those that have happened since we learned we would soon be no more.

But certainly in the back of my head, and in the heads of my colleagues I think, there is the gnawing feeling that in honing a script or editing every last "uh" and "you know" out of an interview, we are just engaged in an elaborate act of denial. Productive. Disciplined. Rigorous. But an exercise in denial.