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Jun 23, 2012

NET's Rod Bates to retire in March 2013

Veteran public broadcaster Rod Bates, who has led Nebraska Educational Telecommunications for 16 years, will retire in March 2013, reports the Lincoln Journal Star. Bates told the NET staff on Friday (June 22).

The newspaper notes that Bates is only the second leader in the statewide network's 58-year history. He took over from founding General Manager Jack G. McBride retired in 1996.

“I don’t think the place has ever been in any better shape than it is now,” Bates said. “It’s time to bring somebody new in now.”

Bates is highly active within the pubcasting system, having served on boards for PBS, the Association of Public Television Stations, the Organization of State Broadcasting Executives, the National Educational Telecommunications Association and Native American Public Telecommunications.

WGBH-FM's jazz revamp prompts Facebook protest

WGBH-FM is revamping its jazz programming, dropping content on weeknights, moving longtime weeknight host Eric Jackson to weekends and killing off a show, according to the Boston Globe. Steve Schwartz, whose Jazz on WGBH on Fridays is ending, told the newspaper the moves could have a negative impact on WGBH membership, because WGBH Jazz Club members have access to studio concerts that may no longer be produced.

"For jazz fans," reports the Boston Phoenix, "the hit that really hurts is the crimping of Jackson, who has been broadcasting at WGBH since 1981 and is a fixture of the local scene."

The Facebook "Save Eric in the Evening Group" already has more than 2,000 members.

Fatal plane crash lops off top of W.V. pubcasting antenna

The crash of a small plane Friday morning (June 22) killed the pilot and damaged one of West Virginia Public Broadcasting's radio towers. Broadcasting Director Bill Acker told The Associated Press that the top of the antenna is gone. The accident occurred in Monongalia County, in north-central West Virginia, according to local MetroNews.