BEST JAZZ RADIO PROGRAM

An exhilarating exploration of contemporary jazz and improvised music hosted by Steve Malagodi, this stellar program for many years was broadcast by WLRN-FM (91.3), Miami's National Public Radio affiliate. It was one of our community's true cultural treasures. Then the station's management abruptly decided to kill it. Why? Not enough listeners -- as if the goal of public radio was the same as commercial radio: Attract the largest audience possible by any means necessary. Malagodi, who has worked at WLRN since 1977, signed off for the last time at 2:00 a.m. October 13. He's still at the station as an engineer, but his Modern School has found a new home at community-supported WDNA-FM. The station's managers gave Malagodi his favorite time slot (Saturday, 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.) and thumbed their collective noses at WLRN. Good for them. Even better for Miami.