"You Knew The Job Was Dangerous When You Took It, Fred"

That quote, from one of my favorite childhood Saturday morning cartoon heroes, Super Chicken, weaves its way throughout my days - and, all too often, my nights and weekends - as I continue to (at least) attempt to master the art of General Managership.

It may also help to explain why I've not posted since late February. To paraphrase Garrison Keillor, "It's not been a quiet week (or month and a half) in Spindale." There is much to report.

It's the weekend, though (this entry was started 4/19, before a very, busy week hit). The morning rain here in Rutherford County is starting to let up and that means there'll soon be work to do around the property. So, for the time being, I'll limit myself to one topic (with the assurance that they'll be more to come soon).

That one topic is...the 2008 Spring pledge drive.

I'll be the first to admit that I was among those who feared the nation's faltering economy, the mind-bending increase in the price of gasoline (and the effect it has on so many other facets of the cost of living) and - seriously, this has an effect on fund raisers - North Carolina's ongoing drought and associated beautiful spring weather would combine to hinder our efforts to meet our goal.

"Oh, me of little faith."

The phones rang. The online pledges came in. Volunteers, staff and food providers drove in from all over WNCW's coverage area (and in some case, from beyond). Even Mother Nature helped out by arranging for it to rain at key moments, providing us with a captive audience who - given the opportunity and responding to our invitations to become members - pledged its support.

WNCW's Spring pledge drive was a success. To those of you who called, mailed and/or pledged online via www.wncw.org, I offer - on behalf of WNCW's staff, our volunteers, your fellow members, and Isothermal Community College - my deepest appreciation. When our program hosts say "Without you, we are nothing," they really mean it. We are - and shall forever be - listener-powered public radio.

As I sat in Pledge Central during my occasional stints answering phones (or, I'm not proud to admit, snacking on the luscious array of food and gaining far too much weight), I couldn't help but recall the line from the classic 1946 Frank Capra film, It's A Wonderful Life, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets their wings." Truly, every time a pledge room telephone rings (yes, we have the old style phones that actually ring) an angel - a WNCW supporter, in this case - give us wings. I'm certain that - somewhere - every online pledge and mailed in renewal rings a bell, also.

To all those who participated in our Spring pledge drive - listener/supporters, volunteers, restaurants, businesses who supplied tickets, books, CDs, members of WNCW's Community Advisory Board...the list could go on for pages...THANK YOU!!!!

And to WNCW's staff - who worked so hard planning and preparing for the pledge drive, put in long hours and tolerated discombobulated schedules to make it a success...I extend an equally sincere expression of appreciation. Unless you experience the monumental efforts that goes into WNCW pledge drives, or - at the very least - volunteer to answer phones and see what takes place "behind the scenes" during the drives - you simply don't know how hard WNCW's staff works to prove itself worthy of your support.

It's not enough to say that I'm blessed with an incredibly talented, dedicated and "willing-to-do-whatever-it-takes" staff. The fact is, WNCW's listener/members and other stakeholders are, too. Your support is an acknowledgment of their efforts, their talents and their dedication to bring you what we believe is some of the finest public radio programming in the nation.

The Spring 2008 pledge drive marks the "bell lap" for long-time pledge drive "trail bosses" Tom & Gail Watts who - along with their Scottish Terrier, Margaret (affectionately known as Maggie ) - take time from their full lives (chances are they're attending MerleFest in Wilkesboro this weekend) to oversee the operation of our twice-yearly fund drives. They have served WNCW - and you - with distinction, dedication, extraordinary patience, wisdom and an abiding love for the station. Through thick and thin, they have ensconced themselves in Studio B for long hours throughout each pledge drive (they're there every day, from before the time we open up the phones until long after we shut down and many of us head home), THEN they return afterward to assure that premiums are sent out and final details are attended to. Maggie keeps a close eye on things from her perch beside Gail and - when Nature calls - provides either Tom or Gail a moment or two to steal away outdoors, allow Maggie to attend to her business, and to confirm that - despite the nearly all-consuming activities inside Pledge Central - there is life outside the pledge drive.

Tom, Gail and Maggie must hear phones ringing in their sleep for months after each pledge drive.

It has been both a pleasure and an honor to not only work beside Tom and Gail (and Maggie), but to get to know them personally. They are two very special human beings (and one canine) who have led - and continue to lead - full, rich lives and deeply appreciate both the grandeur and subtleties of life. Sitting and chatting with either of them is an affirmation of lives fully lived and - undoubtedly - with quite a lot of living ahead. My respect for them is immense. My gratitude, even larger.

Just within my first year at WNCW, Tom, Gail and even Maggie have imparted to me enough wisdom, knowledge and sage advice to be included among my small, select group of mentors who hold court in my mind (home to the Great Hall of Mentors, which resembles the inside of the Supreme Court, actually) and to whom I go when seeking answers to the most difficult questions that pop up daily in the corner office.

What would Tom & Gail do (WWT&GD)? How would Maggie handle this (HWMHT)?

Maggie's answer is usually, "Take a nap." Oh, dear Maggie...if only I could.

This fall's pledge drive will be Tom, Gail and Maggie's last in their role as Head Honchos, though I suspect they'll lend a hand answering phones a time or two beyond their "retirement" date (at least, I hope so). So, if you want to experience a pledge drive, meet Tom & Gail & Maggie (believe me, you won't soon forget them) and help out the best radio station on Planet Earth (and beyond) - all in one fell swoop - join us in October. You, too, can earn your wings.

Thank you, Tom. Thank you, Gail. Thank you, Maggie. You embody the spirit of service to WNCW and its audience. We look forward to the fall and to your return. Enjoy MerleFest!

Last, but certainly not least, the Spring 2008 pledge drive actually was the "final go-round" for a member of WNCW's staff. Faith Davis, Coordinator of Audience Support and Member Services, departs these hallowed halls at the end of this month. Faith has provided assistance and support to WNCW members, planned and helped coordinate pledge drives and special events, assisted Dennis Jones with preparations for live performances in Studio B, served as WNCW's unofficial "artistic director" - creating artwork, photographs and graphic designs for everything from advertisements to WNCW t-shirts - and fulfilled quite a few other duties during her tenure. She has done so with dedication, enthusiasm and a spirit of creativity that has served WNCW, its members and Isothermal Community College quite well. She will be missed.

Life has presented Faith with a new calling - one for which I and her colleagues have great respect - and she has decided to answer and fully embrace it. We at WNCW express our deep appreciation and best wishes to Faith and her family. Fair sailing, Faith!

There's so much more to tell. I will try to catch up with all that's happening. My stepson is visiting from Austin (his first visit to NC), so today - at least - won't be the day I accomplish that feat.

Again, thank you all for your pledges of support to WNCW. I tend to get a bit emotional when I speak of how important this station is - not just to me, but to other people's lives and to the perpetuation of public radio in general. That's one reason I tend to shy away from being on the air. I choke up pretty easily. Public radio has been my life and WNCW embodies the spirit of it so truly...and yet, there's so much more to do! So - indeed - every time a pledge phone rings, I feel there really is an angel on the other end of the line.

And - along with WNCW's members and staff - Tom, Gail, Maggie and Faith have earned their wings as well.

Thank you all! WITHOUT YOU, WE ARE NOTHING!

And, yeah, Fred...we knew the job was dangerous when we took it. We also knew the job was one of the most rewarding in public radio. The 2008 Spring pledge drive is proof.

Tune in. Turn on. But don't drop out.

This is WNCW Spindale.

DEW

Living and Broadcasting In 3/4 Time

There was a time in my career with public radio when a staff could count on certain times of the year being “slower” than others. Summer, perhaps. Or just prior to – or even after – the winter holiday season.

Chances are, those days are long gone for most public radio stations. I can assure you there’s no such thing as a “slow” season at WNCW. If our work days were displayed as a musical score, most pages would be marked Allegro (fast & lively), Agitato (agitated) Appassionato (passionately), Frescamente (vigorously), and – occasionally – Furiouso (that one is pretty obvious).

As I look back on my first year as WNCW’s General Manager (March 1 will be my anniversary), I see no Largo (slow & stately), no Adagio (slow), or Calmato (tranquil).

What I’d give to see just an occasional Andante (walking pace) at the top of the page. Even a Moderato! But, as Dave Kester (WNCW’s Program/Operations Director) is fond of pointing out as I have these delusions of a slightly less-hectic pace, “That ain’t gonna happen.”

The reality is that the WNCW you hear on your radio or computer speakers is considerably larger than the size of our staff. What you hear is the result of long hours, passionate dedication, and a deep, abiding love not only for WNCW and its programming, but for the concept of WNCW. This emanates from the station’s listeners, members, volunteers, and – as I see every day – from WNCW’s staff.

One of my many mentors (David Penn) schooled me in a supervisory technique known as MBWA…Management By Walking Around. The gist of MBWA is that the most effective way for a manager to know what’s going on is by maintaining a presence in the hallways and offices.

So, let’s walk around (Andante, please) WNCW.

There’s Roger Crawford, WNCW’s Business Manager (often referred to as “Dana’s Brain”), on the phone massaging a purchase through the intricate and occasionally frustrating State of North Carolina purchasing procedures. Behind him sits Kit Strecker assisting with Membership and - no doubt – giving some thought to what music she’ll be programming that evening. Joe Kendrick has little time to recover from his early morning Music Mix shift as he combs through e-mail generated from the previous day’s What It Is feature while listening to the work of a recent ARC Overnite host. Martin Anderson is on the air producing another hand-crafted mid-day Music Mix from WNCW’s control room. Crystal Scruggs is on the phone working out details with one of the many music venues listed on WNCW daily music calendar. Producer Kim Clark, having already delivered regional news headlines to our morning drive time listeners, is in our smaller production room preparing this week’s Local Color. Roland Dierauf has just arrived and is pulling music from WNCW’s vast CD library for his upcoming afternoon Music Mix (and no doubt eyeing what new jazz has arrived for Saturday morning’s Jazz & Beyond). Diane Dezio is on the phone arranging to send out a WNCW duffle bag to a new member (Thank you!) and busily tapping away on her computer keyboard entering information into our database. Next door, Faith Davis is designing another classic WNCW t-shirt and meticulously planning our upcoming Spring pledge drive (March 30-April 5, in case you hadn’t heard). Down the hall, in WNCW’s world-renowned Studio B, Dennis Jones has just finished mixing another outstanding live music performance. Time for a rest? No…even as the musicians who were just on-the-air pull away from the parking lot, Dennis is already returning to mix another past performance for inclusion on WNCW’s annual Crowd Around The Mic CD (available exclusively to members of WNCW, mind you). Where Dennis finds the time and strength to also host Goin’ Across The Mountain and The Gospel Truth, no one knows. Dave Kester sits in another production studio recording voiceovers for this week’s Tower of Song, before previewing a new program from pianist & humorist the Reverend Billy C. Wurtz. Development Director Kate Barkschat sits in her office balancing the handset of her office phone between her shoulder and ear as her fingers dance (Vivace, quickly and lively) about her computer keyboard as she processes a contract for a new business underwriter (Thank you!).

Eventually, Steve Francis will appear to take the helm of The World and World Café and, later, Sander Morrison will take the baton from Steve and steer the bow of the S.S. WNCW into the sunset, toward ARC Overnite and onward to the horizon of another broadcast day.

These are the people who populate WNCW’s “hallowed” halls throughout the week. The part-time, fill-in, weekend and student program hosts, volunteers and Isothermal Community College support staff could – and most likely will – populate a future exploration from this keyboard. Like you, without them we’d be nothing.

WNCW is not unlike the ducks that glide seemingly effortlessly across the small, scenic lake that welcomes visitors to the campus of our home, Isothermal Community College here in Spindale. The programming you hear on our airwaves and via the Internet seems to pour smoothly and easily from our studios (Suave, gentle and smooth). It’s what you’ve come to expect from WNCW. It’s what we do…we’re professionals.

It’s not nearly as easy as it sounds, though. Beneath the surface (somewhere behind your radio or computer), WNCW’s dedicated staff paddles vigorously (Presto, very fast) to live up to not only the expectations of you… our valued listeners and members…but, also, to our own expectations and objectives. For you see, we love what we do. It’s hard work – brutally exhausting, at times – but this is not a “normal” radio station.

This is WNCW Spindale.

I’m hopeful you’ll take this into consideration the next time you tune in to WNCW, and especially during our upcoming Spring pledge drive. The people behind WNCW don’t just come to work, punch a time clock and plod through the day. We pour ourselves into our work. Like you, we believe in this station…not only in what WNCW is, but also in what it has the potential to become (Maestoso, majestic).

Tune in. Turn on. But, don't drop out.

Please give generously to WNCW at: http://secure.publicbroadcasting.net/wncw/pledge.pledgemain or during our upcoming on-air pledge drive (March 30-April 5).

This is WNCW Spindale.

DEW

"...in the public interest."

As you've no doubt noticed by reading my previous posts, I have great difficulty separating myself from the message I hope to get across...that WNCW is a noble undertaking, an extraordinary, creative and essential spirit on the airwaves and is worthy and appreciative of your support.

You'll be pleased - perhaps even overjoyed - to know that, at least this time, you'll receive a respite from my meandering introspections and I'll get directly to the point. It'll take great restraint, but bolstered by two cups of coffee to help me focus, I'll somehow suppress my bloated sense of self-importance and get to the matter at hand.

On Monday, February 4th, 2008 - just after 6:00 a.m. - regional news will return to WNCW's morning drive-time programming. Locally-produced headlines will accompany the NPR & BBC newscasts aired each half-hour during WNCW's Morning Music Mix with Joe Kendrick (weekdays, 6-10 a.m.).

Between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., Joe will be joined by Sr. Producer Kim Clark - a no-doubt-familiar voice to long-time WNCW morning listeners and fans of Local Color (Fridays @ 9 p.m. & Sundays @ 7 p.m.) - who'll bring news and information of regional - and even local - significance to our audience.

We at WNCW - and, particularly, Kim - are more than slightly aware that when one's broadcast signal stretches from eastern Tennessee to Charlotte, from the upstate of South Carolina and even northeastern Georgia to southwestern Virgnia - in addition to our main coverage area of Western North Carolina - the terms "regional" and "local" bring with them a significant challenge. What do "regional" and "local" mean when that much territory is covered? This concern affects almost every activity WNCW undertakes. It's familiar territory to us.

So, our goal is to carefully select, tailor and bring to you stories that affect a broad majority of our audience, and to highlight issues and news events that - while seemingly local - have an impact on far more than those within a given city, county or even state. Occasionally, I suspect Kim will find something humorous to share, as well. But, even then, if she gets you to smile or chuckle, chances are there'll be a nugget of information within that - in some manner - will serve you.

Our intent is to do so intelligently, accurately and objectively.

This is no small task. But, WNCW has an obligation - yes, even a duty - to serve the public. Thomas Jefferson's vision of an educated, enlightened public was best expressed when he wrote in 1789, "Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government."

That idea is - in no small measure - at the very foundation of why WNCW and public broadcasting exist.

In the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 - which gave birth to public radio and television as we know it - there are ten lines in Subpart D (Sec. 396. [47 U.S.C. 396]), which establish the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the entity which leads, oversees, advocates and - along with you, our listeners - helps fund public broadcasting.

In those ten lines, there are no less than five references to public interest. That's rather difficult to ignore.

So, tomorrow morning, WNCW will further strive to serve the public interest. Regional news coverage returns.

Can 2 to 2-1/2 minutes of regional news every half hour during morning drive time make a difference? We believe it can and - along with you - are about to find out.

You've come to know that WNCW is serious about its commitment to music, arts & culture. That commitment has not - and will not - change. We're also serious about bringing significant and compelling news and information to you...our listeners and supporters.

I think Thomas Jefferson would've look pretty snazzy in a WNCW t-shirt. Don't you?

Tune in. Turn on. But don't drop out.

This is WNCW Spindale.

DEW

Frankly, Charlotte, I DO give a...

"We don't get offered crises, they arrive."

- Elizabeth Janeway

I never saw it coming. No one did. The temporary loss of WNCW’s 100.3 FM was a shock, an end-of-the-year blow polishing off 2007, a year of substantial challenges for the station. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on whether you rely upon the 100.3 translator to receive WNCW’s signal in Charlotte, its status is one of the last lingering challenges from 2007 that remain unresolved.

But, resolve it we will.

First, a little background…

For the last few years, WNCW supplemented its 88.7 FM main signal – which reaches parts of Charlotte – with a small translator that rebroadcast WNCW on 100.3 to areas unable to receive 88.7(mostly east and southeast of the downtown area). The translator system was located atop an office building near Colwick Ave. where it happily hummed away bringing WNCW’s unique programming to our friends and supporters in Charlotte.

Late in 2007, we received a notice from the building’s new owners requesting that we remove our broadcast tower, antennae and translator gear. The owner was about to undertake a substantial renovation project and a 60’ tower atop the building was not part of that plan. Their request - though disheartening - was legal and well within the parameters of the lease agreement. It had to be done.

So, on a Friday morning in early November, I joined a tower crew atop the building, called Morning Music Mix host Joe Kendrick via cell phone, asked him to give a legal ID for the Charlotte translator, and upon hearing it, I – with great sadness - flipped the switch that temporarily silenced 100.3. The tower was dismantled and lowered to the ground by Tower Guys, Inc. (thanks, y’all!) and I disconnected the translator and wrestled it into the back of my car. It’s here in Spindale awaiting a new home.

“Temporary” has now lasted nearly 3 months…far longer than I – or anyone else – anticipated. I’d venture to say the e-mails and phone calls asking about the status of 100.3 began within minutes of shutting off the translator and they haven’t stopped.

Our search for a new home for our tower, antennae and rack of transmission equipment continues on a daily basis. Negotiations are underway with one potential host and phone calls have been placed to others who are considering our needs.

Our needs are relatively simple. If you look at a map of Charlotte, draw a line from the central (downtown) campus of Central Piedmont Community College to our former location near Colwick Ave - that's our target area.

Any further north or west and the location won't serve those most in need of a little "boost" of our signal. Any further south or east and we might interfere with a fellow broadcaster. We're good neighbors. We'd like to avoid that.

Tall buildings along that route are of interest to us. The WNCW 100.3 translator doesn’t take up much space and our tower/antennae array is pretty small and needs little attention compared to larger broadcast systems. We seek height, security, a source of electricity, access to our gear on short notice, a long-term agreement and – here’s the fun part – either a donation, a trade-out agreement or what could be referred to as “more-than-reasonable” terms for the space.

That’s not too much to ask. Is it?

To our listeners in Charlotte, we truly appreciate your continued support, concern and patience. WE SHALL RETURN! When we do, I assure you, we’ll make a public spectacle of the event and come celebrate with you.

For the time being, please bear with us, tune us in on 88.7 when you can and stream us on the web at http://www.wncw.org/ListenLive.html when you can’t.

I want this issue resolved at least as much as you do.

The silver lining is: WNCW knows – more than ever – just how much Charlotte respects and supports what we’re doing here in Spindale. That warms our hearts and makes us want to work even harder to provide the unique, creative programming only WNCW can produce.

WNCW and Charlotte were meant for one another. We’ll be back. You have my word on that.

Tune in. Turn on. But, don’t drop out.

This is WNCW Spindale.

DEW

A Cold Winter Blast From The Past

Clearly, my previous comment about the "relatively mild North Carolina winter" was somewhat premature. We received between 3" and 8" of snow last night, depending on your location in WNC or Upstate SC.

Is this Nature's way of striking back against my anti-Kudzu campaign? One wonders...

The picture is of the "satellite dish garden" behind our facility here at Isothermal Community College. The footsteps are mine and those of Earl, one of ICC's always-helpful security guards. Here's the story:

Back in the early 1980s, when I was the Jr. Broadcast/Production Engineer at WXXI-FM in Rochester, NY, one of my responsibilities was to periodically climb a ladder and - using a push broom - sweep out accumulated snow and ice (which caused deterioration of our signal) from the NPR satellite dish. To say that I detested this duty is an understatement. When I left Rochester for the much more moderate winters of Charleston, SC in 1984, I couldn't help but torment my ex-supervisor (and one of my most prized mentors) - the late (and great) Garry Warren - by calling him up in the dead of winter (knowing he was freezing his handlebar mustache off in Upstate New York) and lamenting that I'd been forced to "sweep all the sunshine out of my satellite dish" that morning.

Garry would curse me profusely over the phone in response.

Well, here it is over 20 years later and guess who was standing in the freezing rain and 4" of snow reaching with a push broom to clear the snow and ice out of a satellite dish this morning?

Garry, wherever you are, I hope you got a good laugh out of watching me today.

Yes, the weather was foul, the streets were dangerous, the College was closed and the temptations to stay snuggled beneath the warm covers were difficult to deny. But, I have to tip my hat to WNCW's Morning Music Mix host Joe Kendrick, our part-time fill-in host Brad Watson and Program/Operations Director Dave Kester for joining me as survivors of the "Great Isothermal Blizzard of 2008." Kudos, gentlemen! And to you, too, Earl! And, let's not forget, to Senior Producer Kim Clark, whose POPAsheville interview was a fine addition to our "snow day" programming.

WNCW - if you'll pardon the mangled grammar - is great people.

And we all owe a debt of gratitude to Garry Warren - may he rest in peace - for giving me a marketable winter skill, which I somehow retained after more than two decades in the subtropics of South Carolina and Texas. As long as I know how to sweep out snow and ice from a satellite dish, I will be of some value to a radio station. Because of Garry Warren, WNCW was able to maintain its satellite connection and the BBC, NPR news headlines and World Café made it to your radios and computers.

Thanks, Garry.

Tune in. Turn on. But, don't drop out.

This is WNCW Spindale.

DEW

Public Radio and the Art of Kudzu Warfare

You may note that I established this blog near the beginning of Winter. My logic - that of a newly-transplanted, "naturalized" Texan who expected "winter" anywhere north of Waco (that's Waco, Texas...not Waco, North Carolina) to be nasty, fierce and brutal - was that the anticipated horrid weather here in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains would provide hours - if not days - of forced idleness during which I could contentedly tap away at my keyboard expounding upon the virtues of WNCW, its programming, staff, and supporters.

Clearly, that has not been the case.

Instead, the relatively mild Western North Carolina winter weather has - thus far, at least - afforded me the opportunity to spend my non-office hours outside performing somewhat familiar tasks such as clearing brush and attempting to remove "invasive species" from around the immediate area of our home.

Now, any of you readers who may have known me during my years in the Lone Star State will probably recall that I would occasionally launch into a vitriolic rant about my most-hated natural enemy...the mesquite tree. Because of the mesquite's ornery nature, mind-bending robust root system, long, sharp thorns, ability to gather unto itself moisture and nutrients needed by other plants and trees surrounding it, extremely hard (though tortured and twisted) wood, and its nearly-impossible-to-eradicate stubbornness...not to mention the number of lawn tractor tires that were sacrificed to those previously-mentioned thorns - I grew to despise the mesquite. Many times, I compared it to the game of golf, another of God's creations which seem to exist to either humiliate or humble Mankind.

Mesquite, I came to believe, was God's way of reminding Texans who was really larger than life.
Here in North Carolina, I've discovered God's regional version of the Texas mesquite tree: Kudzu.

Now, kudzu is often referred to as "the vine that ate the South." It matches mesquite's stubborn streak and root networking capabilities, but exceeds - by unimaginable lengths - the mesquite in invasive growth and destruction of surrounding plants, structures, highway signs and other living things that either move slowly or not at all. Left on its own, kudzu will overtake nearly everything in its path - including tall trees - strangling its victims with tentacle-like vines or overtaking and smothering them like a living, growing carpet.

So, I have traded the delicate, avoid-the-needle-like-thorns surgical approach to temporary removal of mesquite for the saw-though-vines-larger-than-Popeye's-biceps, unwind, untangle, and pull-with-all-your-strength, yet-still-temporary removal of kudzu from various trees on our property. I realize that - at best - all I can do is battle my new nemesis to a draw, once I am able to free my trees from its seemingly ceaseless growth. It is generally accepted that kudzu cannot be eradicated. Like diamonds, kudzu is forever.

What does this have to do with WNCW? Well, battling kudzu - like my long, seemingly endless battle with mesquite - is a solitary activity. Some people find solace and inner peace by running for miles. Others climb mountains, practice tai chi, go fishing or hiking. Me? I engage in mortal combat with invasive plant species.

While I struggle to untangle and "de-strangle" my trees and hillsides, I think about the daily challenges we face at WNCW. I theorize, prioritize, turn various questions and challenges over and over in my mind and - occasionally - attempt to vent my frustrations (the ongoing quest for a new location for our Charlotte translator being my current bugaboo) while chopping, sawing, uprooting or pulling kudzu vines out of trees and dragging my prey down - trailing behind me in defeat - to the burn pile.

Among the many the thoughts that crossed my mind today is an article a friend recently sent me forecasting - if not the outright "death" of radio - the rapid decline of the medium to which I've dedicated my entire career. It seems that due to the growing number of personal digital audio storage and playback/delivery systems available these days - iPods & other mp3 players, satellite radio, Internet streaming & downloads, etc. - there are some who feel that "good ol' radio" is growing increasingly irrelevant.

Now, I'm about to celebrate a half century of existence, so I have every right to be a "crabby old man" and dismiss this as the machinations of a crazed, younger generation raised on technology that ridicules the transistor radio I used to listen to under the pillow when I was growing up. Well, that is, if they even know what a "transistor radio" is.

But, I also work in an industry that is technology-dependent. So, I've witnessed, installed (I'm a former Technical Director) and utilized new gear and technologies that still blow my mind. The little boy listening to the transistor radio has seen some mind-blowing changes. So, if you don't mind me saying so, I have a little experience in this area.

If you think radio is dying, you're not listening to WNCW.

Personal audio devices are everywhere. There's no denying it. But, do they turn you onto the latest releases? Do they talk with you as though you were the only person listening? Do they have the knowledge, interest, and sense of humor of a Joe Kendrick, Martin Anderson, Roland Dierauf, Kit Strecker or Sander Morrison? When was the last time your iPod blew you away by stunning you with a song you hadn't heard since you were riding the bus to school in the late 1960's? Can satellite radio duplicate the mainline connection to The Bluegrass Nation that Dennis Jones and Jerry McNeely provide each Saturday? Has your MP3 player turned you onto a new regional act like Local Color's Kim Clark does each week? Has it ever asked for your opinion on the Top 100 releases of the year? When was the last time satellite radio gave you an opportunity to attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Bonaroo Music Festival, MerleFest or send you on a Caribbean cruise with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Shawn Colvin and a host of other stellar singer songwriters?

Those are just a few of the reasons we here in Spindale believe there's room in this cutting-edge technology world for eclectic, personal, intelligent, compelling, listener-powered radio...the medium that still trusts and believes in people - to both program and support the station.

Yes, Virginia, there is real public radio. It exists at 88.7 on your FM dial or at www.wncw.org on your web browser.

Is there room in your world for iPods, satellite radio and a transistor radio under your pillow? We think so. But, don't let new technology overtake you like kudzu. Break free of the tentacles. Join us on-the-air or online for programming you may have forgotten existed. A person playing music for you, talking to you, connecting with you, getting you to and from work, and getting you through your day, into the night...and beyond.

Tune in. Turn on. But, don't drop out.

This is WNCW Spindale.

DEW

Introduction & Season's Greetings

Throughout your life, you've probably heard a number of people claim they have the "best job in the world."

Well, add one more to that list. My name is Dana Whitehair and it is my honor and pleasure to serve as General Manager of the greatest public radio station in the world - both real and cyber - WNCW, the public broadcasting service of Isothermal Community College in Spindale, North Carolina. If you don't live in Western North Carolina or Upstate South Carolina, you can discover and stream WNCW's unique, compelling and eclectic programming via the web at http://www.wncw.org/ListenLive.html .

Our programming schedule can be found at: http://events.publicbroadcasting.net/wncw/guide.guidemain

Acoustic, Americana, Bluegrass, Jazz, Celtic, Old Time Folk, Blues & R&B, Reggae, Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa, Bluegrass Gospel, live in-studio and concert performances by regional, national and international musicians, news headlines from NPR & the BBC, news and information programming from Public Radio International/BBC/WGBH-Boston...what more could you ask for!?!?!?!

If you're a WNCW listener, member, business supporter or any combination thereof, welcome to what I hope will be a running commentary on life within and around WNCW, as well as comments, feedback and dialogue between yours truly and...well...YOU!

If you've never heard of WNCW or it's been a while since you've tuned in or streamed us, well...what the heck are you waiting for!?!?!

For the time being, though, please accept my best wishes for a sensational holiday season - no matter where on this amazing planet called Earth you may happen to reside - and let's get working on making a great 2008!

Tune in. Turn on. But, don't drop out.

This is WNCW Spindale.

DEW