A feel-good story

One of the coolest stories I've heard for awhile involves a small radio station near Seattle that sends commercial-free world-class jazz around the world 24 hours every day, via the internet. Appropriately named, Jazz24 is owned by Pacific Lutheran College, I believe it is, which also owns an NPR station, KPLU, that also plays jazz from time to time during the day. I've listened to this station for many years now, and always love it. Listening right now, as a matter of fact, which is what brought this blog post to life.

A couple of months ago I tuned in for the first time in awhile only to see that this wonderful service was about to die because the license (presumably KPLU's license) was being sold and Jazz24 would no longer exist. BUT, the station owners had told some of the Jazz24 staff (presumably -- I'm not sure what the group actually is) that if they (the Jazz24 group) could raise $7 million by a date I've forgotten, sometime in June or July of this year, the owners would sell Jazz24 by itself to this group. At the time I first saw this, they'd raised over $6 million, which was pretty good, but the deadline was looming.

Now, and for a couple of weeks, there is a big 'thank you' banner on the website: $7 million raised in 4.5 months from listeners around the world. I don't know what the plans are, but it means that I, and many others, will still be able to enjoy this wonderful service.

I'll add my thanks to those folks who made this possible. And thanks for a feel-good story during a time when we see far too few of those.