KQED Public Radio's Forum with Michael Krasny Celebrates 15 Years of Thoughtful Talk This February.

News/Business Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 3, 2003

Host Krasny Logs Ten Years Behind the "Forum" Microphone; Celebration

Will Culminate in a Live Anniversary Broadcast on February 13

KQED Public Radio's Forum will celebrate two anniversaries this February, the 15th of Forum and the 10th of Michael Krasny as host of the popular program. The festivities will culminate in a special broadcast in front of a live audience on Thursday, February 13, 2003, from 9-11 a.m. The public affairs program, which began airing in the fall of 1987, has been heralded as an intellectual on-air oasis that challenges and entertains its ever-growing audience. Forum reaches an impressive 50,000 listeners per quarter hour each broadcast day, and boasts a who's who of guests in the arenas of politics, entertainment, the arts, literature, science and education.

In the decade since Krasny first joined KQED, the program has attracted respected artists, intellectuals, performers, politicians and scientists. Many of the leading newsmakers and cultural icons of our time have been interviewed on the program, including former President Jimmy Carter, Cesar Chavez, Hillary Clinton, Spike Lee, Rosa Parks, Robert Redford, Salman Rushdie, Gloria Steinem, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and many more accomplished figures.

Guests scheduled to participate in the February 13 anniversary broadcast include journalist and producer Lowell Bergman, journalist and author Cynthia Gorney, author and film critic Mick LaSalle, dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Orville Schell and film producer Saul Zaentz. The anniversary special will be streamed and archived online -- as are all Forum programs -- at KQED.org.

"Forum's long-term success is a testament to the intelligence and appreciation of our listeners," said Jo Anne Wallace, vice-president and general manager of KQED Public Radio. "Michael Krasny and Forum have truly created a unique and illuminating on-air community in the Bay Area and throughout Northern California."

"My thrill at the diverse exchange of ideas and the level of discourse on Forum never diminishes," added Krasny. "After all this time on air, we're constantly exploring new ideas in the arts, culture, health, business and technology. It's a daily adventure I take with my guests and listeners -- alongside the most stimulating and reliable staff I could imagine."

Forum's connection to the community grows with the development of new stories and programs. With Krasny's devotion to literature in mind, Forum recently launched a new radio book club, California Reading, designed to engage Northern Californians in discussions of books that explore the state in which they live. California Reading airs on the last Monday of each month from 10-11 a.m.

Forum host Michael Krasny holds a doctoral degree in literature and is an accomplished lecturer, scholar, and critic. Since 1970, he has been a professor of English at San Francisco State University. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Society of Professional Journalists' James Madison Freedom of Information Award, The SY Agnon Gold Medal for Intellectual Distinction, The Eugene Block Award for Human Rights Journalism, The Inclusiveness in Media Award from The National Conference for Community and Justice, and a Koret Foundation Fellowship.

Forum is a live public affairs program broadcast in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout Northern California on 88.5 FM, and nationwide via Sirius Satellite Radio. Angie Coiro has been the host of Friday Forum since late 2001. Forum is produced by Hermione Gee, Robin Gianattassio-Malle and Dan Zoll. Executive producer is Raul Ramirez.

Funds for the production of Forum are provided by the members of KQED Public Radio, the Claude and Louise Rosenberg, Jr. Family Foundation, The Bernard Osher Foundation and the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund.

KQED operates KQED Public Television 9, the nation's most-watched public television station, and Digital Television 9, Northern California's only public television digital signal; KQED Public Radio 88.5 FM, the most-listened-to public radio station in the nation; KQED.org, which harnesses the power of the Internet to bring KQED to communities across the Web; and KQED Education Network, which brings the impact of KQED to thousands of teachers, students, parents and media professionals through workshops, seminars and resources.