Larry Rifkin’s career in Connecticut broadcasting spans five decades and includes varied roles including television programming executive, radio personality and now podcaster. 

In his new book, ‘No Dead Air’, Rifkin reflects on an improbable career that spawned two groundbreaking hits, ‘Barney & Friends’ and ‘UConn Women’s Basketball’.  Each of these properties provided the impetus for changes in the industry. The first led to much more pre-school programming on television and the other catapulted women’s sports on the small screen.  His professional memoir describes the role that his father, Wally King, a radio station manager and the city of Waterbury, where he grew up, had on his career.  Wally, a Brooklyn native, came to Waterbury as program director of WATR 1320 in the 1950’s and he managed WWCO 1240, Waterbury’s rock station. His invisible hand seemed to guide Rifkin’s career even after his death at the age of 47 in 1971.

Now ‘casually employed’ Rifkin keeps busy with his twice-weekly podcast, americatrendspodcast.com, weekly reads for CRIS Radio, a reading service for visually limited Connecticut residents, playing his drums and keyboard and recording original music. He lives with his wife, Carmelita, in Prospect, CT.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event. 

Registration is required as space is limited due to social distancing and masks are required to be worn regardless of vaccination status.