Ben Manilla

Ben Manilla is an American broadcaster, audio producer, and teacher. He has produced and directed numerous award-winning radio programs. His work in the late 1970s included the alternative news features, "News Blimps", [cite web |url=http://www.92-7.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56:dj-yearbook-1970-1980&Itemid=64 |title=DJ Yearbook |work=The 92.7 Archive |accessdate=2008-06-24 ] , [cite web |url=http://www.worj.com/newsBlimps.htm |title=News Blimps |work=audio |accessdate=2008-06-24 ] and music documentaries for WLIR-FM, where he was Production Director and on-air personality.

In the 1980s, Ben created news documentaries for WOR-AM, and helped develop programs at Radio Today, New York, including "Flashback", "Rock Stars with Timothy White", and "Radio MTV".

In 1991, he moved to San Francisco and started Ben Manilla Productions which created national radio series including "The House of Blues Radio Hour" with Dan Aykroyd [cite news |title=RADIO WAVES |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/09/24/PKG0SJ73391.DTL&type=printable |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2006-09-24 |accessdate=2008-06-16 ] (with whom Manilla co-wrote the book "Elwood's Blues: Interviews with the Blues Legends & Stars") [cite news |title=Wish List: No More Books! |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/25/books/review/25queenan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin |work=The New York Times |date=2005-12-25 |accessdate=2008-06-16 ] , "Philosophy Talk" with Stanford University, [cite news |title=The rants are lofty on new radio show |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/03/27/DDGEV5R5KJ1.DTL&type=printable |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2004-03-27 |accessdate=2008-06-16 ] "The Loose Leaf Book Company" with Tom Bodett (syndicated to 227 stations with an audience of 250,000), [cite news |title=Tuning In |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-10373789_ITM |work=Publishers Weekly |date=2001-09-10 |accessdate=2008-06-16 ] and "The Sounds of American Culture" on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered". [cite news |title=RADIO WAVES |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/19/PKGMQKFLTA1.DTL&type=tvradio |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2006-11-19 |accessdate=2008-06-16 ]

Ben's awards include Columbia University's Edward Howard Armstrong Award, [cite web |url=http://www.oldradio.com/archives/people/armstrong.htm |title=Major Edwin Howard Armstrong |work=Old Radio |accessdate=2008-06-24] the 2003 International Radio Festival Grand Award, [cite web |url=http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/main.taf?erube_fh=nyf&nyf.submit.WinnerDetail=true&nyf.WinnerItemID=206327 |title=Award Recipient Details |work=New York Festivals |accessdate=2008-06-16 ] Billboard magazine's Best Syndicated Radio Show, [cite web |url=http://www.yearoftheblues.org/press.asp?id=%7B5AD25BF0-B818-47DB-9142-AF0786C98DB2%7D&type=release |title=Press Release |work=Year of the Blues 2003 |accessdate=2008-06-24] and the RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award [cite web |url=http://www.rtnda.org/pages/media_items/edward-r.-murrow-awards100.php |title=RTNDA Awards |work=RTNDA The Association of Electronic Journalists |accessdate=2008-06-24] .

In 2003, he formed the multi-platform production and consulting company Media Mechanics with broadcast veterans Mike Henry and Paul Marszalek.

Since 2005, Ben has been an instructor at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism where he teaches Radio News Reporting [cite web |url=http://journalism.berkeley.edu/program/courses/descriptions.php |title=J-School course descriptions for Fall 2008 |publisher=UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism |accessdate=2008-06-16 ] .

Ben was born in 1952 to James Nicholson Manilla and Margarita Fernandez Manilla. He grew up in New York City and attended New York University, where he graduated with a drama degree. He now lives in San Francisco.

References

External links

* [http://www.bmpaudio.com Ben Manilla Productions]
* [http://www.media-mechanics.com Media Mechanics]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6392808 The Sounds of American Culture]
* [http://www.thebluesmobile.com/ The Bluesmobile]