Two G.I.'s holed up in a house during Tet -- the pivotal battle of the Vietnam War -- go in different directions, choices that will impact the rest of their lives. A remix of a piece I produced in 2009. Aired Nov. 2011 on KCRW's "Unfictional."
Who's The "Rich" in SoundRich?
- Rich Halten can't get radio out of his blood. Got hooked as a DJ at 16. In and out of the biz over a career including public TV and advertising. Today
he's a boomer who prefers the challenge of radio over tamer pursuits like kickboxing and bungee jumping.
October 14, 2011
March 27, 2011
Splash
The Sunshine Skyway bridge spans the mouth of Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida. It carries thousands of cars everyday. It's also become one of the top ten places to end your life. This is the story of the many who jumped, one lucky guy who survived, and how broken bones and a collapsed lung made him a new man. First aired in May 2011 on KCRW's "Unfictional," later on various other stations, PRX's Public Radio Remix and Transom.org.
July 08, 2010
Viva España!
What's it sound like when a whole country goes loco? We dived into the madness at Madrid's Plaza de España the night Spain beat Germany to advance to the World Cup Championship. Grab a vuvuzuela and join the celebration. (This is a SFX montage from a report I produced for Deutsche Welle).
October 02, 2009
When the Spam hit the fan in Nam: One battle, two stories of survival
In war, there are winners and losers -- sometimes on the same side. This is the story of two GI broadcasters setting up an Armed Forces radio station during the Viet Nam War, who suddenly found themselves fighting the pivotal battle of that 14-year conflict. Both were wounded, both survived, but one lived through a five-year nightmare before finally coming home.
July 23, 2009
"Don't Stop Believin'": A sound collage exploring the often painful depths of fan loyalty
After a full century of futility since their last World Series (in 1908), Chicago Cub fans keep coming back for more. More disappointment and tears, that is. So here's a salute to Chicago's Lovable Losers -- to the team that won't quit and the faithful who won't let them. Even after a loss -- when these comments were recorded -- they're a study in diehard loyalty. Produced by invitation of the Third Coast Festival for a series on things that are unique to the Windy City.
March 20, 2009
A silver lining for 5.2 million Americans with Alzheimers
If you're a lost or abducted child, thankfully there's Amber Alert. But if you're one of 5.2 million American with Alzheimers, good luck getting home should you wander away. Until now, that is.
Many states are having success with a system similar to Amber Alerts. It's helping to locate missing Seniors -- and quickly, because survival rates decrease with each day they're gone. Here's the story of one gentleman who disappeared in the fog of dementia. It starts along Interstate 4 in Florida. Aired March 2009 on AARP's "Prime Time Radio."
November 12, 2008
Bareknuckle strike violence meets the mystery of life in "Labor Pains"
A sonic fantasy mixed up for the 2008 Radio Ephemera competition at Third Coast Festival. The challenge: blend the themes of two books to tell a story. I chose the history of a violent 1930's San Francisco longshoremen strike juxtaposed with a prim 1950s sex education tome for teenagers.
But don't let that stop you from listening to this three-minute short doc that stands on its own. It played on Chicago Public Radio's "ReSound" show and podcast.
June 20, 2008
Don't Cry For Me (life's good in), Argentina
A 65-year old retiree who found the love of his life. A forty-something woman from Oregon who discovered her writing muse. A midwesterner who found fertile ground to grow a business and family. Three people who took a leap and realized their American dreams at the opposite end of the Americas. Aired October 2008 on AARP's Prime Time Radio.
January 08, 2008
Back when the scariest movies were in Driver's Ed.,
not at the drive-in
Are you old enough to remember those gory, grainy movies in Driver's Ed? You know, the ones with real footage of crash victims?
This piece takes you back to that 16mm terror, narrated by the Director of Hell's Highway, with creepy natural sound and scenes from his documentary on those infamous safety films your friends dared you to watch. Aired March 2008 on AARP's Prime Time Radio.
October 26, 2007
"The Agreement": How two-timing love
kept one GI out of Viet Nam
Back in the late 60s, some guys escaped the Viet Nam War by going to Canada. Some did it by swearing they were conscientious objectors. And one guy escaped by being very lucky.
Forty years later he recalls his good fortune in this piece that's part war story, part love story, and no doubt a story like you've never heard before.
