RADIO ICON JOE FRANK RETURNS TO KCRW
Peabody Winner Produces Special Episode of KCRW Program UnFictional
SANTA MONICA, CA, July 19, 2012 – KCRW (89.9FM and KCRW.com) is pleased to announce American radio icon Joe Frank will return to KCRW to produce a special episode of UnFictional. Over the years, his work inspired millions from Ira Glass to David Sedaris and he is the recipient of many prestigious awards including an Emmy and Peabody Award. As a former producer at the station for sixteen years, Frank created several radio programs beginning with Joe Frank: Work In Progress.
“I’m excited to be returning to KCRW as a part of the outstanding public radio series UnFictional. During the last few months I’ve become a fan and look forward to each engaging, diverse and illuminating broadcast,” says Joe Frank.
Known for his ability to engage others through storytelling, Frank is an ideal fit for the UnFictional series. His monologues and radio dramas are known to be philosophical, often times funny and sometimes dark. ‘Dreamers’, the title of his upcoming episode, embraces all of these elements as it addresses questions regarding time and mortality.
“‘Dreamers’ includes stories about a family’s tragic visit to Palestine, a man who attends a dinner party after learning he might be dying, and a contemplation of different perspectives on time,” explains Frank.
“I’m thrilled to be able to present new work from Joe Frank on my program UnFictional. Joe is one of the true public radio pioneers and without his incredible work, programs like mine wouldn’t exist,” says UnFictional Producer Bob Carlson. “Frank’s early programs introduced me to the power and possibilities of modern radio storytelling. Listening to one of his stories is a mesmerizing and disorienting experience. If you’ve never heard one before, you’re in for a trip.”
The episode will air LIVE this Friday at 7:30pm PST on 89.9 FM (in Southern California) or www.kcrw.com and again on Tuesday, July 24 at 2:30pm. The episode will also be available this Friday, July 20 at www.kcrw.com/unfictional to download, stream and podcast for non-Angelenos and for those who cannot tune in live.
UnFictional, part of the KCRW Independent Producer Project, features captivating stories of real life told by writers and performers. It is a showplace for documentaries created by the most talented producers and storytellers from Los Angeles and around the country. For more information on UnFictional please visit www.kcrw.com/unfictional
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CONTACT:
Alyssa King – KCRW
(310) 314-4627
alyssa.king@kcrw.org
About KCRW
KCRW 89.9FM, licensed to Santa Monica College, is an NPR affiliate based in Southern California. The Santa Monica-based nonprofit represents cutting edge radio at its best, presenting an eclectic mix of independent music, news, talk and arts programming. The terrestrial signal serves Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties, as well as parts of San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, and Santa Barbara Counties and the greater Palm Springs area. KCRW’s programming is internationally renowned and available worldwide via KCRW.com, including three streaming channels, 27 podcasts and archives of our locally-produced programs and live band performances. Hear KCRW music online, all the time, on the ALL music stream Eclectic24.
About UnFictional
UnFictional is a program of storytellers and documentaries that cover the ground between the sophisticated and the profane. Audiences will hear captivating stories of real life told by writers and performers with a talent for tales that will suck you in. The program also features documentaries created by the most talented producers from around the country. UnFictional is one part of the Independent Producer Project, an initiative to cultivate and support the work of independent radio producers and other writers and artists. The idea is to create a clearinghouse of creativity both online and on the air.
About Joe Frank and KCRW
Working at KCRW from 1986 to 2002, Joe Frank created four distinctive series, “Work in Progress,” “In The Dark,” “Somewhere Out There,” and “The Other Side.” At KCRW, Frank was honored with the Peabody Award, broadcasting’s highest honor, and he went on to develop works for stage, television and film, in addition to publishing two books. He subsequently received an Emmy Award for “Joe Frank Storyteller” on PBS and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Third Coast International Audio Festival. He is also a Guggenheim fellow.
