NONCOMMvention FEATURES INTERVIEW WITH BOB FORREST • NFCB & PRNDI CONFERENCE PREVIEWS

One of the things I like the most about the Triple A NONCOMMvention is, besides the fun, that they focus on real issues of personal and industry concern.  There is no better example than the guest for Dan Reed’s NON-COMMversation: Bob Forrest.

Bob Forrest

Forrest is a rock music living legend, by his own choice. Forrest is the lead singer for Thelonious Monster and The Bicycle Thief.  He is a close associate of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Forrest was also one of the last people to see a friend, actor River Phoenix, alive the night Phoenix died of a drug overdose.  Forrest himself survived several near-death experiences before he found a way to defeat his addiction.

Then Forrest went beyond his own recovery to offer help for others. In 2010, Forrest began hosting a weekly radio show, All Up In The Interweb, on LA’s Indie1031.com. He is a longtime collaborator with Dr. Drew Pinsky, appearing on Celebrity Rehab and Sober House. Forrest has helped countless musicians dealing with alcoholism and drug addiction get sober and find their purpose.

Forrest is the subject of the documentary Bob and the Monster, an electrifying chronicle of the LA rock scene of the 1980s and ’90s. The documentary was released to theaters in March 2011 and on DVDreleased in September 2013.

Marketplace did a terrific story about him called Bob Forrest's long comeback in 2015 [link].

Dan Reed’s NON-COMMversation with Bob Forrest is scheduled for Thursday (5/19) from 1:15-2:10 p.m.

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40^th ANNUAL NFCB COMMUNITY RADIO CONFERENCE

The National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) is holding its 2016 conference June 8 – 11 in Denver. This is the first NFCB national conference since Sally Kane became CEO of NFCB.  Last year Kane & company held regional gatherings that, by all accounts, were very successful.

This year’s Community Radio Conference offers five “tracks” of breakout sessions: Administration, Development, Programming, Operations and “Media Makers.”

Malkia Cyril

The keynote speaker is Malkia Cyril, Executive Director of The Center for Media Justice that specializes in media rights, access, and representation.

There will be summits for Rural, Latino and LPFM station folks. AIR (Association of Independents in Radio) is presenting a Maker’s Intensive and Livingston & Associates are presenting a Governance Intensive session.

SAMPLE THE “ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH”




NFCB has arranged for a limited number of attendees to learn first-hand about Colorado’s legal marijuana industry. A four-hour magic bus tour on Saturday afternoon visits an edibles manufacturing facility, a product warehouse and a dispensary along. Included is a Q&A with a local journalist who covers the industry. The cost to participate is $75 per person. Pre-registration is requested.

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PUBLIC RADIO NEWS DIRECTORS (PRNDI) CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON TRAINING & INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

 This may be the final “PRNDI” conference because the organization will likely change its name to the Association of Public Media Journalists at a Board meeting following the conference.  We reported on the name change last January [link].

Conference sessions include Doing Great Local Talk Shows, Covering Communities in Crisis, Social Media Ethics, Diversity in the Newsroom, NPR’s Program Clocks: What Have We Learned So Far and The Future of Public Radio. The conference concludes with the presentation of the annual PRNDI Awards.