It’s the beginning of the 26th year of Next Gen Radio . For me, one of these decisions involved my joining the KALW Board last Fall. The Next Gen program produced three projects in partnership with the station in the early 2000s. It was wonderful to work there, and the network allowed me to incubate the Next Gen program for a very long time. And yet, it was in the Next Gen program that I maintained my understanding of the unique nature of public service journalism and media.