This is terrible news. Many musicians depended on Mary Cliff to reach new audiences. Somehow this feels like one more nail in the coffin of independent music. And it's a rotten way to treat one of the finest people I know.

I've sent my e-mail - though I'm now out of the area - and I'll be sending on to WAMU, though after what happened to Lee Michael Dempsey, it seems unlikely they'll be much help. Does anyone have the e-mail address at WAMU we should write to?

I suppose it's too much to hope that Mary will get a nice job with XM or Sirius Satellite radio. Not that it would help the DC area - but Mary deserves better.

Dan Schatz