North Gate Radio

This week Eric Simons straps on his jock-strap and heads to the ice rink to report on an over-40 mens hockey league. Drew Himmelstein investigates the life of twenty somethings without health insurance. And, April Dembosky hangs with card sharks who are hustling their way to the World Series of Poker.

Plus, Josh Chin does a live interview with Bob Butler, our faculty advisor. Butler just got back from the Shared Heritage Festival in Brazil. Anchor Angelica Marin talks to Amy Stewart, author of Flower Confidential about the global flower trade.

Today’s program was produced by Sudhin Thanawala. The assistant producer was John Peabody. Our studio engineers were Charla Bear and Amy Jeffries, and our faculty advisor is Bob Butler.

Reporter’s Choice April 27, 2007

April 27th, 2007
Categories: Podcasts . Author: ngm . Comments: No Comments

With Earth Day coming up, our reporters caught up with people celebrating the great outdoors.

Eric Simons reports about the challenges the Coast Guard faces in helping boaters navigate the Bay. Abigail Curtis learns that drum circles are about more than just music. John Peabody talks to an urban farmer. Our faculty advisor Bob Butler reports on a meeting of Native Americans and indigenous peoples in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Anchor Josh Chin interviews the founder of “Critical Manners,” a group that encourages biking with manners. Anchor April Dembosky talks to the co-founder of Method, a company promoting the use of natural cleaning products.

Drew Himmelstein reports on the UC Berkeley community’s reaction to the Virginia Tech massacre.
With the campaign season heating up, Zachary Slobig talks to kids learning the virtues of civic participation.

Today’s program was produced by Angelica Marin. The assistant producer was Sudhin Thanawala. Our studio engineers were Charla Bear and Amy Jeffries, and our faculty advisor is Bob Butler.

Earth Day Celebration April 19, 2007

April 20th, 2007
Categories: Podcasts . Author: ngm . Comments: 1 Comment

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In this week’s Northgate Radio, we take a closer look at Bay Area art scenes. From “underground” music at bart stations to flying trapeze artists, our reporters show us how diverse art, can really be.

Host Abigail Curtis speaks to young filmaker Laura Dunn about her first feature-length documentary, “The Unforseen.”

Live Reporter Sudhin Thanawala goes out and gets student reaction to Don Imus recent racists and sexist comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team.

Reporter Josh Chin reports on the artists at the Albany Landfill, known as “The Bulb.”

Reporter Eric Simons reports on the artistic and physically strenuous expression of West Oakland’s Trapeze Artists.

Reporter Angélica Marín explores the spoken word art scene, which boomed in the 1990s, and is still just as popular in the Bay Area.

Host John Peabody speaks to Jay Sweet from music consulting group, “Sweet and Dogget,” about EMI’s decision to sell universally playable music through iTunes.

Reporter April Dembosky reports on musicians who make a living entertaining bart passengers underground.

April 13th, 2007
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This week, we sent our reporters out to learn everything they could about funerals, autopsies, ghosts, and cemeteries–in a word, death–and the people who make a living off of mortality.

Angelica Marin reports live on the reaction of Cal students to the Federal Communication Commission’s decision to reaffirm its ban on cell phones in airplanes.

John Peabody talks to a man who runs a multi-million dollar business cleaning up murder scenes.

Anchor Josh Chin interviews a grave plot broker who helps people buy and sell second-hand graves.

Eric Simons reports from the Alameda County morgue on how coroners investigate suspicious deaths.

Sudhin Thanawala brings us the story of pet cemeteries and the lengths people will go to commemorate their beloved companions.

Anchor Zachary Slobig interviews Mark Harris, the author of “Grave Matters.” about the growing practice of green burials.

Abigail Curtis reports on the haunted history of gold country and the entrepreneurship of local business owners who promote the area’s famed ghosts.

Today’s program was produced by Head Grave Digger April Dembosky. The Assistant Bone Crusher was Drew Himmelstein. Our Kitty Cremators were Charla Baer and Amy Jeffries, and our Cemetary Supervisor was Bob Butler.

For Whom the Bell Tolls - April 2, 2007

April 2nd, 2007
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This week, reporters celebrate the approach of spring break by bringing listeners outside.

John Peabody waits in the rain outside a reality television audition in Daly City, talking with women who want to be the next Top Model.

Angelica Marin climbs to the top of the legendary lighthouse on Alcatraz Island, and explains why other tourists may soon be able to visit, too.

Drew Himmelstein goes beyond the Bay Area’s network of hiking and biking trails to explore the new “water trail” for boaters.

Anchor Sudhin Thanawala interviews UC Berkeley research scientist, Dr. Michael Wilson, about harmful toxins in the environment and in common household products like cleaners and toys.

April Dembosky visits Berkeley Iceland, the landmark ice skating rink scheduled to close for good on March 31st, to chronicle the rink’s final days.

Anchor Abigail Curtis talks to commercial fisherman, Mike Hudson, and gets him to sing a tune from his debut CD, “Wild Salmon Don’t Get the Blues.”

This week’s show was produced by Eric Simons. The assistant producer was April Dembosky. Studio engineers were Charla Bear and Amy “Double AJ” Jeffries, and the faculty advisor is Bob Butler.

North Gate Radio March 22, 2007

March 22nd, 2007
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This week on the show, Zachary Slobig reports from Stephen Hawking’s sold-out Berkeley lecture, while April Dembosky catches up with the Cal women’s basketball team as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament.

Feature reporter Abigail Curtis takes a look at a crisis for Berkeley book-lovers, and finds some gloomy, and some optimistic, projections.

Anchor Angelica Marin chats with National Radio-Television News Directors Association president Barbara Cochran about a week of events to promote open government.

Sudhin Thanawala reports on the Intertribal Friendship House, an Oakland institution that community members recently rallied to save.

Reporter Drew Himmelstein takes us to San Francisco, where she explains why a Christian church is displaying a menorah in its window.

Host Josh Chin talks with Berkeley Unitarian Universalist minister Bill Hamilton-Holway about Congressman Pete Stark’s recent announcement that he’s a nonbeliever — and asks what it means to be a church-going nontheist.

And reporter John Peabody talks with local DJs about the upcoming release of Los Angeles hip-hop artist/producer J. Dilla’s long-awaited posthumous album, “Rough Draft,” and the legacy the artist left behind.

This week’s show was produced by Fulvio Paolocci. The assistant producer was Eric Simons. Studio engineers were Charla Bear and Secret Agent Amy “Double AJ” Jeffries, and the faculty advisor is Bob Butler.

North Gate Radio March 8, 2007

March 15th, 2007
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This week on the show, our reporters hit the streets of the East Bay in search of the wide range of activities you can do with pavement underfoot, from swinging swords to peddling popsicles.

In Oakland, reporter John Peabody braves thunder and hail to watch the glass fly with a man who calls himself the city’s best recycler.

Host April Dembosky talks with UC Irvine political science professor Claire Kim about tension between Asian Americans and African Americans in the wake of a column in San Francisco publication AsianWeek titled “Why I Hate Blacks.”

Zachary Slobig reports from the secret parking lot where a group of proletariat polo players hit the pavement for a friendly, high-scoring game of bike polo, while explaining why they prefer wheels to horseshoes.

Reporter Angelica Marin walks along with the paleteros — ice cream sellers — of Oakland, and finds these hard-working immigrant vendors are sometimes targets of violence.

Josh Chin dodges wooden sword swipes underneath the Rockridge BART station with a king named Uther, and reports on a chivalrous form of modern combat.

And host Eric Simons sits down with Lawrence Hall of Science deputy director Susan Gregory, who chats about the influence of Ernest Lawrence, and what it’s like to hold a Nobel Prize.

This week’s show was produced by Abigail Curtis, and the assistant producer was Fulvio Paolocci. Charla Bear and Amy Jeffries were the studio engineers and Bob Butler is the faculty advisor. Theme music by Raw Deluxe. (Website: rawdeluxemusic.com)

North Gate Radio March 8, 2007

March 9th, 2007
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This week’s show is all about culinary combat and food and cooking trends in the Bay Area.

Our host Drew Himmelstein talks to culinary expert Shirley Fong-Torres about the Chinese Year of the Pig.

Reporter Zach Slobig finds that the Berkeley Bowl grocery store is home to shopping cart rage along with its huge array of fruit and vegetables.

April Dembosky reports on kitchens where busy professionals -and homemakers - pay to assemble meals that they will heat up at home later.

Eric Simons learns about another type of community kitchen in Berkeley, where the members are urged to consume rich foods such as beef heart patties and lard-laden broth as part of an unusual diet.

Reporter Sudhin Thanawala eavesdrops on couples who cook together, learning that tensions can simmer alongside the soups in home kitchens.

And anchor John Peabody quizzes national-known nutritionist Marion Nestle about the college diet and new trends in Girl Scout cookies.

This week’s show was produced by Josh Chin and Abigail Curtis was the assistant producer. Charla Bear and Amy Jeffries were the studio engineers and Bob Butler is the faculty advisor. Theme music by Raw Deluxe. (Website: rawdeluxemusic.com)

North Gate Radio March 1, 2007

March 2nd, 2007
Categories: Podcasts . Author: ngm . Comments: 1 Comment

Producer: Kate Golden

Associate Producer: Lin Gu

Studio engineer: Charla Bear

Program advisor: George Lewinski

Music: The Ibogaine Blues; by the Sunshine Boys, Austin, Texas

@A production of Graduate School of Journalism, UC Berkeleyclick here to listen

December 12th, 2006
Categories: Podcasts . Author: ngm . Comments: No Comments

Click here to listenClick here to listenClick here to listenFeature Stories:
“Aspiring Harpist” by Kate Golden
“Award Winning Writer” with Lin Gu
“Up and Coming: Kenyan Freedom of Speech” by Edwin Okong’o
“Outsider Art” by Novella Carpenter
“Portrait of a Photographer” with Charli Penn
“Lady DJ’s” by Nicole Dawley

Anchors: Charli Penn and Lin Gu
Producer: Jaime Pinedo
Assistant Producer: Joseph De Avila
Studio Engineer: Charla Bear
Faculty Advisor: George Lewinski
Theme Music: Raw Deluxe

December 11th, 2006
Categories: Podcasts . Author: ngm . Comments: No Comments