I worked at KCRW for over a decade on the programming side and I have to say that working with Will was one of the most amazing parts of my experience in those years. I believe he is the brains behind many of the station's most solid programming decisions over the years. I want to leave this comment anonymously because I left the station in a contentious way. One of the problems of the place is that people who are right in front of each other aren't seen for their value, because people are so focused on the Hip and Cool and Powerful--and only look to people who *appear* to be cool. Will doesn't look like anything but a regular guy. He shuffles around in kind of the same way Joe Frank used to, in a very unassuming way, and people who are younger and less intellectually engaged tend not to see beyond the apprearances of things. Will keeps a low profile because that's the way to survive there, but make no mistake, without Will Lewis, many of the things people have loved about KCRW would never have happened. Ruth Seymour is the character who takes all the flak and gets the glory; Will stays behind the scenes. He stays in hotels during pledge drives and pitches for funds all morning and all night, only sleeping briefly between. KCRW is so much the product of his genius, especially the web operations, that it really seems someone should say something. Will was the person who picked Chris Douridas' tape out of a box of discarded cassettes, recognized the talent Chris has, and convinced Ruth to hire him to do Morning Becomes Eclectic. Ruth is also brilliant in her own ways and everyone knows the determination she's brought to make the station what it is. She's the flamboyant one who gets noticed, but she's savvy enough to have recognized Will's brilliance and to trust it. I'm sorry to do this anonymously. I think it's better that way because a compliment from me might be considered a curse---I am pretty sure my name is a bad word in that basement. I believe Will was responsible for the advances I made in the company when I was there, in part if not in whole. I only realized this years later, because leaving was so upsetting. It takes a long time to get things into perspective, and at KCRW there is a warped reality which is deeply embedded in the minds of those who spend their days there every day. When you are surrounded by people who believe certain things, it becomes difficult not to believe them yourself, unless you have strong outside influences. Not *seeing* people like Will for what they are is a major problem. Once you get out into the air and out of the basement, the world really opens up and you see how amazing Los Angeles is and how much of that cultural richness KCRW is missing. Will should get a six month sabbatical ---PAID--- and go out into Los Angeles and see all the stuff that's going on that could make for great and powerful programming. I don't have any purpose for posting this except that I have always felt bad he wasn't more recognized for what he does there, and that includes, by myself. Will Lewis rocks. He's just _one_ of a number of incredible people who don't get the recognition they deserve. I could give a number of other names. That place had real magic for a long time, I don't know if it does now, because I can't listen. And I'll put my name on that if anyone ever asks me.