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Sep 23, 2009

Blumenthal is NJN's latest interim chief while staying with WYBE

Howard J. Blumenthal, c.e.o. of Philadelphia’s WYBE-TV, has been named interim executive director of the state-owned New Jersey Network and interim president of its fundraising arm, the NJN Foundation. He will keep the WYBE job as well, NJN said in a clarification. NJN has had temporary top execs since the former e.d., Elizabeth Christopherson, took a foundation job last November. Blumenthal is a former media exec and onetime e.p. of Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?

PBS and NPR regulars make it to the Hollywood Bowl

Ari Shapiro, NPR justice correspondent for four years, and Emilio Delgado, who’s been “Luis” on Sesame Street for 38, were guest singers with Thomas Lauderdale’s retro mini-orchestra Pink Martini at the Hollywood Bowl Sept. 19. Delgado performed “Sing a Song,” the Carpenters hit by Sesame Street songwriter Joe Raposo, with the band’s vocalist China Forbes (a duet captured in this video recorded at KCRW). And Shapiro’s global singing debut (pictured above and here on YouTube) is a suaaaave interpretation of what he calls “a big-band swing number.” In an interview with Alex Cohen on L.A.’s KPCC, Shapiro, who sang in college, tells how he fell in with this band. Note to booking agents: Go for a duet with Shapiro and fellow legal reporter Nina Totenberg, soprano.

On the Boss' 60th, WXPN pays tribute morning & night

Philadelphia's WXPN celebrates Bruce Springsteen's 60th birthday today with special programming and a tribute concert originating from World Cafe Live, its partner performance venue. Beginning at 10 a.m., Helen Leicht hosts four hours of wall-to-wall Springsteen, and she's taking requests for Bruce classics and covers here. Leicht also hosts tonight's event, The Boss' Birthday Bash, which will feature the Phill-E Street Band performing Springsteen's seminal 1975 release Born to Run cover to cover. The concert will be broadcast and webcast live from 7:30-10. And for those Bruce fans who just can't get enough, WXPN has produced a webstream of Springsteen songs covered by Local XPN Artists.