November 18, 1996 - MPR’s Chris Roberts reports on the troubling year for the music industry, and the fallout among local labels. After years of double-digit growth, record sales have flattened out and the consumer base for music appears to be shrinking. Part of the problem is an explosion in the number of retail outlets that sell CDs and tapes, creating a situation in which supply far exceeds demand. As a result, distributors and record labels are getting huge numbers of returns, and some are even going out of business. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts has this report on the fallout among local labels. Roberts interviews Bob Feldman, Red House Records founder; Rob Simons, Rykodisc co-founder; Paul Stark, president of Twin/Tone Record Group; and John Michael, a Best Buy merchandise manager (who says music retailers need an industry-wide advertising campaign, similar to "Got Milk?").
November 18, 1996 - Hour 2 of Midmorning featuring Voices of Minnesota, an interview from the MPR archives with Meridel Le Sueur, who died at the age of 96. Le Sueur was a writer, stuntwoman, social activist and much more. Also featured is Rita Mae Brown, author of Rubyfruit Jungle and other bestselling novels about women of the South, is out with her fifth mystery novel co-written with her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown. "Murder, She Meowed " probes the depths of human depravity and the heights of feline genius."
November 18, 1996 - Part 1 of 2 of an interview with writer Meridel Le Sueur.
November 18, 1996 - Part 2 of 2 of an interview with writer Meridel Le Sueur.
November 19, 1996 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger reports on new children’s comic book which highlights the history of the Mille Lacs Ojibwe Band. The book, "A Hero's Voice," looks at broken treaties, important figures in Ojibwe history, and the spiritual tie between the tribe and the lake.
November 19, 1996 -
November 19, 1996 - Jim Walsh, music critic for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, provides commentary on release of Prince three-disc album Emancipation. The three hours of music contains all new material created over the previous year. It is the first record for artist since he left Warner Brothers music label.
November 20, 1996 - MPR’s Mary Stucky reports on local poetry book "The Palm of My Heart," which collects vivid poetry by African American children who live in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
November 22, 1996 -
November 25, 1996 - An interview with Diane Glancy as part of the Voices of Minnesota series, part two of four (part one is a reading).