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