Marketplace®
Every story is an economic story
Donate
 

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

  • Mar 1, 2021

    Tech demand boosts Asia’s factories, but less so in China

    During the pandemic, there's been an increase in demand for laptops, phones, and games consoles.
    Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images

    Japanese factories reached their highest output level since 2018, boosted by tech component production and demand for consumer electronics. So why is expansion in China slowing? Plus, in India, a newly formed political party is pledging to pay salaries for housework.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Mar 1, 2021

    The science of “Zoom fatigue”

    The science of “Zoom fatigue”
    Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

    There’s fresh, peer-reviewed research out of Stanford that “Zoom fatigue” is a real thing. Plus, Senate Democrats are reportedly dropping their Plan B for raising the minimum wage as part of a new COVID relief package. And, former President Trump’s role as a political fundraiser remains strong.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Feb 26, 2021

    Biden expands federal unemployment aid eligibility

    Federal unemployment aid eligibility is being expanded to three additional categories of workers.
    Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    There’s some fine print that could help people with job trouble during the pandemic. Plus, the latest readings on consumer spending, household incomes and inflation. Also, subsidies for lower-income Americans to get better internet access. And, with Democrats ascendant in Washington, could there be some national deregulation of marijuana?

    Read MoreDownload
  • Feb 26, 2021

    Selling Amazon rainforest illegally on Facebook Marketplace

    Some people selling land stolen from indigenous communities admit they don't have proof of ownership documents.
    BBC News

    Hundreds of people are offering land stolen from indigenous communities. Some sellers admit they don’t even have proof of ownership documents. Plus, worries about higher inflation and interest rates have driven down stock markets worldwide. And, are gadgets the best way to get a good night’s sleep?

    Read MoreDownload
  • Feb 26, 2021

    Is it wrong to miss a store?

    "It was this magical wonderland where pretty much everything with a power cord was on sale," said Parker Hall, a product reviewer for Wired.
    David McNew/Newsmakers

    What these disappearing features of the American landscape mean to us. And, Texas weather may be back in the mid-70s, but the people there are still dealing with effects of the deep freeze, including interruptions at grocery stores.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Feb 25, 2021

    What if you could test for COVID at home for $5?

    They're known as rapid antigen tests. Right now there is no cheap, at-home version available in the United States without a prescription, but several applications are in the queue before the FDA. Pictured: A rapid antigen test in Spain.
    Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images

    Other countries have wider access to cheap, easy, at-home COVID tests. Will more people in the U.S. see that soon? Plus, the state of unemployment claims in the U.S. after the winter storms last week. And, Biden’s stamp on the United States Postal Service.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Feb 25, 2021

    China claims it’s eliminated extreme rural poverty

    A new eight-part podcast series from The Economist explores Xi Jinping's rise to power. Xi has reinforced the Communist Party's central role in all aspects of Chinese life, says Economist Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes.
    Noel Celis-Pool/Getty Images

    State media credited President Xi Jinping’s leadership with lifting nearly 100 million people from absolute destitution. But, there has been some debate over how to define “extreme poverty.” Also, competition is heating up in China’s budget electric car market. And, India probes dozens of money lending apps.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Feb 25, 2021

    A closer look at U.S. reliance on overseas supply chains

    President Joe Biden holds a semiconductor during his remarks before signing an executive order on the economy at the White House on Feb. 24, 2021 in Washington.
    Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images

    President Joe Biden’s executive order to review supply chains will include everything from semiconductor chips to personal protective equipment. Plus, new evidence of the toll stress takes on teachers, and how it’s gotten worse during the pandemic. And, just over half of American adults have more money saved for an emergency than they do credit card debt. That is actually an improvement.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Feb 24, 2021

    Illinois is ending bail to get out of jail

    Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, has now signed criminal justice reform legislation that includes the change, ending cash bail in 2023.
    Joshua Lott/Getty Images

    Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed criminal justice reform legislation that includes ending cash bail in 2023. Plus, changes to the Paycheck Protection Program intended to help smaller businesses owned by women and people of color. And, British regulators take a closer look at “buy now, pay later” shopping.

    Read MoreDownload
  • Feb 24, 2021

    Ghana receives world’s first COVAX vaccine delivery

    Boxes containing COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX, a global initiative aimed at equitable access to vaccines, arrive in Ghana.
    World Health Organization via Twitter

    Manufactured in India, the 600,000 initial doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot are the first to arrive in a developing country. Plus, a Chinese court rules a husband must pay his wife for housework she did during the marriage as part of a divorce settlement. And, regulators put a spotlight on “buy now, pay later” credit.

    Read MoreDownload