[Peace] WEFT programming changes

[Kranich, Kimberlie]

Peaceniks,

FYI.

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The WEFT Programming Committee voted last night to carry NPR Headline News
through December 31, 2004.  Beginning January 1, 2005, WEFT will carry a new
headlines news service. Changes to WEFT's contract with NPR News requires a
90-day notification to avoid penalty fees. 

In summary, the PC decided not to continue to carry NPR Headline News for
issues related to, but not limited to, WEFT's identity as a community radio
station, duplication of services with WILL-AM and 
WILL-FM, and rising subscriber costs.  Feedback from listeners and WEFTies
contributed to our decision.

The PC will begin to audition several installments of the BBC Headline News
and Deutsche Wella News (produced in Germany) at our August 25 programming
committee meeting.  We invite you to listen with us and give us your
feedback.

Once the PC decides on a replacement headlines news services, we will
promote this change on-air and on our website -- in cooperation with the
Public Relations Committee -- a few weeks ahead of the changes.

The PC is also considering increasing our headlines service to once per hour
weekdays from 6am through 3pm.  Any increase would begin with the start of
our new headlines service January 1, 2005.

The PC appreciates all of your feedback over email and in person with regard
to our headlines service.  The conversation was an important one to have.
We especially appreciate and acknowledge the research, background context,
and programming replacement options presented to us by station manager Mick
Woolf.  That really helped move us along. Thanks, Mick.

The PC also approved on-going funding of the IMC Radio News at $20/week for
the next fiscal year (October 1, 2004 - September 30, 2005).  IMC Radio News
airs every Monday on WEFT from 5:30pm-6pm.  It is produced by a collective
of local volunteer grassroots citizen journalists at the IMC and is WEFT's
only weekly, pre-produced local news program.  WEFT has carried IMC Radio
News since 2001.  For the past two years, the PC has allocated a stipend of
several hundred dollars to IMCRN.  We received a proposal from them a year
ago for on-going funding.  We decided to fund them on an on-going basis for
the next year for several reasons including WEFT's commitment to local news
and the show's consistency, growth and quality.  Another reason is the
reality of WEFT's current capabilities. At this time, WEFT neither has the
infrastructure, facilities, nor equipment to internally sustain creation of
a weekly, pre-produced local news program.  By subscribing to the IMC
Service, WEFT is able to keep local news in our line-up. We also liked the
idea of supporting a local sister organization that provides and trains
local folks in audio equipment use, editing and news gathering, and that
includes WEFTies. 


Please join us August 25, 2004 at 7pm in the Great Hall at WEFT to audition
BBC News and Deutsche Wella News.

Thanks.

Kimberlie Kranich
WEFT Programming Committee Chair