Robert Skoglund is a Maine humorist known as The Hhumble Farmer and had a nice little radio show on Maine Public Radio playing 'Old Fashioned' music. He was terminated earlier this summer for violating Maine Public Radio's neutrality guidelines. Delightfully, Mr Skoglund was criticizing Hitler and Fascists placing Maine Public Radio's Vice President Charles Beck in a rather silly position, but the point was made that Maine Public Radio already had a political commentary public affairs block.
Mr. Skoglund, being a man of great integrity, refused to sign new guidelines which on air staff must apparently sign promising not to promote their political or commercial agendas.
Although I'm disappointed by it, I think I can understand Maine Public Radio's position. Ken Tomlinson, a conservative former member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting practically went to war with public broadcasting over what he perceived as its liberal bias. I don't think anyone is fooled into thinking Maine Public Radio is particularly neutral. I think it responds to its audience like any commerical venture would. It has underwriters and and board it has to serve as well as respond to public pressures. A few years ago it tried to decrease its opera and classical music offerings only to reverse itself when its bottom line was threatened. Maine Public Radio maintains that Sara Willis and Toby Leboutillier do not talk politics on their music shows. But Robert Skoglund was what he was and his 'rants' as he calls them was an essential part of his show.
I know this is a rambling screed and not part of what The Thing of the Moment does, but what it DOES do is recognize New Media.
Which brings me to my point ("Aaahh..finally", you say...)
TheHhumble Farmer lives on! You can't silence the New Media!
Go to his website and you can download his music and rant filled podcasts for your listening enjoyment and enlightenment. You can also see, much better than I explained, his travails with public radio, he accepts Paypal donations, and has a Bed and Breakfast that he runs with his wife Marsha, the almost perfect woman.
I ran into Skoglunds a few years ago at an Ice Cream stand in Trenton and went up because I had always wanted to meet them. I mentioned, off the cuff, that I particularly enjoyed a story he told concerning the Wyeth's, a stuck truck, and a series of Christmas cards. He grinned and insist I tell it back to him.
If I ever run into Mr. Skoglund again, I'm only going to say 'Hi' next time.
Click here to see a rather fiesty give and take between the Maine Web Report and Lou Morin of Maine Public Radio on the matter.
An earlier Christian Science Monitor Story.
Story on Boston.com
Mr. Skoglund, being a man of great integrity, refused to sign new guidelines which on air staff must apparently sign promising not to promote their political or commercial agendas.
Although I'm disappointed by it, I think I can understand Maine Public Radio's position. Ken Tomlinson, a conservative former member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting practically went to war with public broadcasting over what he perceived as its liberal bias. I don't think anyone is fooled into thinking Maine Public Radio is particularly neutral. I think it responds to its audience like any commerical venture would. It has underwriters and and board it has to serve as well as respond to public pressures. A few years ago it tried to decrease its opera and classical music offerings only to reverse itself when its bottom line was threatened. Maine Public Radio maintains that Sara Willis and Toby Leboutillier do not talk politics on their music shows. But Robert Skoglund was what he was and his 'rants' as he calls them was an essential part of his show.
I know this is a rambling screed and not part of what The Thing of the Moment does, but what it DOES do is recognize New Media.
Which brings me to my point ("Aaahh..finally", you say...)
The
Go to his website and you can download his music and rant filled podcasts for your listening enjoyment and enlightenment. You can also see, much better than I explained, his travails with public radio, he accepts Paypal donations, and has a Bed and Breakfast that he runs with his wife Marsha, the almost perfect woman.
I ran into Skoglunds a few years ago at an Ice Cream stand in Trenton and went up because I had always wanted to meet them. I mentioned, off the cuff, that I particularly enjoyed a story he told concerning the Wyeth's, a stuck truck, and a series of Christmas cards. He grinned and insist I tell it back to him.
If I ever run into Mr. Skoglund again, I'm only going to say 'Hi' next time.
Click here to see a rather fiesty give and take between the Maine Web Report and Lou Morin of Maine Public Radio on the matter.
An earlier Christian Science Monitor Story.
Story on Boston.com
Interesting story. I'm not sure what it has to do with "coin operated" but I enjoyed the story none-the-less.
ReplyDeleteI like the photo of the coin operated horse. Looks retro--perhaps you took it with an old camera?
Thanks for commenting on my blog.
Robert