[Imc-radio] Radio News crisis

[Clint Popetz]

Hi all,

	Monday's IMC Radio News meeting, which was meant to help chart
the future of IMCRN, revealed that we are in, well, dire straits.  And
not the Sultans-of-Swing type.

	Here's the scoop.  My short career as IMCRN coordinator ended
two weeks ago.  I've still been producing the shows, but I am going
away in one month for an extended vacation.  There are currently no
volunteers to produce the show on an ongoing basis.  The Radio News
Group, at least as defined by "people who have told me they are still
interested in doing radio and/or attended the meeting" consists of:

	Me -- see above

	Ondine - wants to continue doing interviews, but needs
	people to help her with technical production 

	Zach - can produce a show at most once a month 

	Cope - wants to do shows in the future when time allows, but can't do
	things weekly

	Gale - new member, just listening at this point, may be active in the
	future

	Molly - can do interviews occasionally, if she has someone
	coordinating and doing production

	Danielle - is contacting a bunch of people in an attempt to drum up
	volunteers, and can produce in an interim situation

	Ariel - Will occasionally contribute, but can't commit weekly.

	Paul K - Available for tech help.

What we really need are at least 4 people who can produce the show on
a rotating basis to keep it going, as was done previous to the
creation of the coordinator position.  Zach is one; that means we need
three more, or someone willing to do 3 weeks out of four.  The current
plan, as decided at the meeting, is to allow for three weeks for
people to materialize, during which I will train anyone who would like
training (it was also agreed to spend the little money left in the
radio news grant to pay me for the month of December to do this.) If
we don't have a group of people committed to keeping the show going by
the end of the first week of January, we are going to ask the WEFT
Programming Committee to put IMC Radio News on hiatus, playing some
sort of syndicated show in its place, while the IMC hopefully
re-groups.  We might be able to keep our slot in that case, or we
might lose it and petition for another Courier slot once the group is
strong again.


So there it is.  If you have the skills, or you'd like to the learn
the skills, and you have the time and interest to keep IMC Radio News
going, please email radio at ucimc.org.  I'd really hate to see the show
disappear, but if there is not a driving force to produce it, then by
its very nature as grassroots participant-driven media, it should go
away until the need exists.  

We will meet again Tuesday, January 6th at 5pm, at the IMC.

			Peace,
			-Clint