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Brian Allison

Technical Director

Brian is a technical director with the media production team at Marketplace. His job is to make sure the shows get on the air and sound as good as they can.

Before coming to Marketplace in 2016, he was a freelance audio engineer with clients such as Nickelodeon, Disney and Los Lonely Boys. Prior to that, he worked as an engineer at Interscope Records in Los Angeles with artists such as Usher, Christina Aguilera, Black Eyed Peas and American Idol.

Brian graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2008 with a degree in music production and engineering.

Latest from Brian Allison

  • Jun 21, 2021

    As summer travel heats up, American Airlines is cutting flights

    Another wave of flight cancellations and delays for the holidays has travelers on edge.
    Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

    American Airlines, which is flying more than its competitors, is canceling hundreds of flights. One reason is a labor shortage. Plus, ditching your dining plans could cost you: Restaurants are cracking down on people who don’t show up for reservations. And, chronicling Amazon’s constant growth and the challenges it faces as Prime Day kicks off.

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  • Jun 21, 2021

    A rent control row has toppled Sweden’s government

    The Swedish prime minister has a week to decide if he will resign and give way to a new potential coalition, or call a snap election.
    Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Sweden’s minority government failed to get support to lift a rent cap on newly built apartments, and Prime Minister Stefan Lofven lost a confidence vote. It’s the first time a Swedish government leader has been ousted after such a motion. Plus, business investment across borders dropped 35% last year as COVID lockdowns stalled the global economy. And, why Japanese companies including Toyota and SoftBank are inoculating staff and their families at work ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

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  • Jun 18, 2021

    Is your employer observing Juneteenth?

    Vice President Kamala Harris and Opal Lee (second from left), the activist known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, watch as President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
    Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

    Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery, is now a federal holiday. Many federal workers get the day off today, but what about private employers? Plus, the first test voyages for cruise ship operators hoping to set sail again. And, reporting from The New York Times sheds light on human resources dysfunction at Amazon, including a pattern of mistaken worker terminations during the pandemic.

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  • Jun 18, 2021

    All of the workers who leave Amazon

    A sweeping New York Times investigation into Amazon's warehouses reveals high turnover, HR errors and worker frustration.
    Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

    According to reporting by The New York Times, attrition at Amazon warehouses is much higher than is typical in the warehousing and retail industry. Among the questions: Is all that leaving seen as a bug or a feature? We speak with the Times reporters who took a closer look at the Amazon customers don’t see. And, the Supreme Court yesterday ruled in favor of a Catholic foster care agency that says its religious views prevent it from working with same-sex couples. The high court ruled that city of Philadelphia violated the First Amendment rights of Catholic Social Services when it stopped working with the agency. How will this ruling affect other organizations?

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  • Jun 18, 2021

    Doggy day care is booming as people return to offices

    As people start to return to offices, there's a growing demand for pet day care services.
    Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: That’s because millions of people bought pets when COVID struck and many workers were instructed to work from home. But who will look after our furry friends now? Plus, commodity prices slide after a strong year as the U.S. and countries across Europe continue to lift COVID restrictions. And, promoters in England continue trials for how to run an outdoor music festival during a pandemic.

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  • Jun 17, 2021

    When prison records stand in the way of getting work

    Firefighting is just one of the jobs done by people who are incarcerated. The chances they will get hired as firefighters after they get out of prison are low.
    David McNew/AFP via Getty Images

    Despite work experience and training for people who are incarcerated, many worry about finding employment once they get out. What, then, does rehabilitation mean? Plus, in a trend reversal, more people, not fewer, signed up for unemployment benefits last week. Also, support in the Senate continues to build for a bipartisan plan to fix infrastructure. And, why we’ve seen so many IPOs so far this year.

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  • Jun 17, 2021

    The central role of prisons in the U.S. economy

    “The Prison in Twelve Landscapes” features Nahshon Thomas, a formerly incarcerated man who teaches chess in Washington Square Park. Filmmaker Brett Story said she wanted to address how prison affects everyday life, like the employment prospects of people with criminal records.
    Courtesy of Oh Ratface Films

    In June, our documentary film selection for the “Econ Extra Credit” series is “The Prison in Twelve Landscapes.” It takes the approach of “visual poetry” to look at the culture of incarceration in the U.S. from many angles — all of them personal, many of them economic. Also, the news out of the Federal Reserve yesterday is that interest rates, steady for now, will likely start rising sooner than policymakers thought.

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  • Jun 17, 2021

    U.K. scouts can now earn a badge for money skills

    A composite image of a selection of the Scout Organization's badges on May 15, 2014 in London, England.
    Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

    From the BBC World Service: Scouts in the U.K. introduce the organization’s first financial literacy skills badge. Plus, 500 police officers raided the offices of the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper alleging its reporting breaches a national security law. The paper’s editor-in-chief and other senior bosses were arrested at their homes. And, the World Bank says it won’t help El Salvador implement Bitcoin as a form of legal tender.

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  • Jun 16, 2021

    Yep, there’s a market for used plants, too

    Plant Protection Society founder Nicolas Talliu with plants saved from the trash.
    John Laurenson

    And we’ve got the story of one French landscape gardener who saves and sells abandoned plants. Plus, have lumber prices hit their peak? Also, awaiting new analysis from the Federal Reserve on economic recovery, inflation and interest rates. And, the U.S. and EU set aside disputes over aircraft subsidies for now to focus their attention on China.

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  • Jun 16, 2021

    Why the Fed wants to keep its policies in pandemic mode

    A view of the Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C.
    Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

    The Federal Reserve is not expected to raise interest rates. But it turns out some of the Fed’s peers around the world are starting to put away their pandemic relief tools. Also, a major heat wave hitting the West and Southwest means the air conditioners are on and the power grids are stressed. And, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says the food situation there is difficult and that shortages are possible.

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