Even though he's in his late 40s, on-air personality Ira Glass is known for the fresh and innovative - youthful, even - energy he brings to the airwaves. The founder, host and producer of Chicago Public Radio's "This American Life," Glass' storytelling has earned him some of his industry's top honors.
David Benders, the programming director at WBFO - Buffalo's National Public Radio affiliate, broadcasting from Allen Hall on South Campus - attributes Glass' success to his unique style compared to most producers.
"He did a lot of creative work for NPR when he was with NPR," Benders said; Glass started his career at the age of 19 as an intern before going on to work on several of the network's shows, both behind the scenes and on the air. "The Buffalo audience has been very receptive of 'This American Life'."
Broken down into several "acts," "This American Life" tells a small collection of feature stories on one theme in a given episode. According to the show's Web site (www.thislife.org), this week's theme is "Stories that take place on the edge of civilization, just out of sight."
"We're really proud to run the show," Benders said. "The program is clearly attractive, and tackles some issues that wouldn't be tackled otherwise... the hope is that (it) would be more attractive to a younger demographic than the usual public radio (show)."
Added Benders, "when asked, the younger (listeners) are going to name 'This American Life' their favorite show, not 'Morning Edition'."
Glass presents "Radio Stories & Other Stories" Saturday night at 8 p.m. at the CFE Mainstage Theatre. Tickets are $20 general, $15 for students. WBFO airs "This American Life" Friday nights at 7 p.m. and again on Saturdays at 4 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
