I first learned about Jonathan Mosen in late 1996. At that time, he operated a web site called The Arena. Not only did this site contain lots of wonderful blind community resources, but there was also a neat section called “Voices from the Keyboard” where you could hear the voices of those who participated in the Internet portion of the blind community. I met Jonathan briefly while attending my last NFB convention in New Orleans in 1997. Jonathan went on to form an innovative Internet radio station called MBSFM, where he broadcasted the first significant, live blind community radio talk show called Blind Line. Sometime in 2000, Jonathan began his directorship of ACB Radio, continuing Blind Line and featuring such enlightening new programming as the Main Menu technology demonstration and information radio show. As he moved on to his current employment with HumanWare, he began The Wave, the fun, innovative and witty radio station to which we must now say “goodbye” and “so long” for the present time.
I woke up this morning to the sad news that, due to various technical problems including lack of available Internet bandwidth, The Wave is closing. The loss of The Wave is already being felt by us here at Blind Access Journal. I and many others are going to especially miss The fun, humorous and always interesting Mosen Explosion music, request and talk show, which Jonathan hosted on Friday afternoons here in the United States, noontime on Saturdays in New Zealand.
Jonathan, despite our disagreements over such important issues as the Bookshare accessibility model and the war in Iraq, you have been one of my favorite people since I learned of you in 1996! I have looked up to you as a model of success and as a real, sincere person. You inspire blind people all over the world! Please do come back to Internet broadcasting very soon; we miss you already! I can actually feel tears welling up in my eyes. Please come back soon, Jonathan; we need you!