A Closing Announcement

This is a difficult post to write.


This week’s programs of “The View From The Phlipside” will be the final ones.  The same goes for the podcast.


This is a decision I have agonized over for months now.  The underlying reason is simple.  I have been “under-employed” for over two years now.  That means that while I have a job (several actually), I am earning a much lower rate than might be expected for a person of my education and experience.  There are two things in short supply here at the International Broadcast Center-time and money.


Working several jobs means there is less free time to pursue personal hobbies and projects.  My rough estimate of the process to create these shows is a full hour for each program.  A three minute show takes an hour from researching the story, writing, editing, recording, mixing and exporting the final audio file.  There’s another hour minimum in creating the podcast.  Four hours, every week, with a deadline.  If I had a single, regular job it wouldn’t be an issue.  Heck it wasn’t an issue for nine of the ten years of the programs run.  But I’m working 10 hour days, with the occasional 12 hour day thrown in for excitement.  If I’m also trying to be a good husband, father, friend and take care of myself both mentally and physically, that’s four hours I just don’t have any more.  Especially at the current price.


The program has always been a labor of love.  I never earned a dime from it.  It has never had a sponsor or an underwriter.  At the moment, I don’t have the time to spend on something that isn’t helping support my family.


If you’re a long time listener, you know this isn’t the first time I’ve said goodbye.  When we moved to Richmond, VA five years ago I stepped away from the program.  I wanted to dedicate my attention and energy to the new job.  A year later WRFA-LP approached me and asked if I was interested in bringing the program back.  I had settled in and felt comfortable adding the time into my schedule.  I’m not sure that will happen again.  After ten years, I’m not sure I have the drive to keep doing this.  Many weeks it feels like I’ve working stories I’ve already covered.  Seriously, how many more “Facebook is sooooo screwed up!” stories do any of us want to hear?  A decade of work is no small feat.  Overall, I’m proud of the stories that I brought to my audience.  Other than following my stroke, I have missed few deadlines.  Lost my voice a couple times, a couple technical issues.  That’s it over a ten year span.  Three stories a week, week in and week out.


I can’t say enough good about my long time partners and friends at WRFA-LP.  From Dennis Drew, who was the person who suggested I go back on the airwaves doing pretty much whatever I wanted, to my friend and mentor Steve Shulman, the station has always been supportive and encouraging.  Jamestown has a jewel there, run by people with a passion for the project.  It has been my honor to be a small part of that story.


I’ve mentioned before my personal and professional involvement with the Episcopal church.  And I have worked in radio for almost thirty years.  So at this moment I think of a few words that bridge those two worlds.  They come from the letter to the Ephesians in the New Testament.  Pete Seeger turned them into a song, and the Byrds turned it into a hit.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every <span class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-ASV-17361a" data-link="[a]” style=”background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: “Helvetica Neue”, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;”>[a]purpose under heaven…

I think the time has come to put this program to bed.   The blog will continue, although it may slow down for a time while I figure my new schedule out.  I don’t rule out that the program may come back in some form, a full length podcast maybe.  But that will happen down the road somewhere.  Thanks for riding along.