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Spotlight Newsletter, September/October 2008

The Voice of Community Radio: WFHB - 91.3 / 98.1 / 100.7 / 106.3 FM

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In this issue...


Putting the “Fun” in Fund Drive by Cathi Norton

Time once again to turn to our listeners and supporters for an infusion of green to help your voice and ours be heard on community radio. Twice a year we need this help (though we welcome your assistance year 'round) and our quest for each fund drive is to have FUN while we're encouraging you to donate to WFHB. Last time we established "Power Week"-a week when all programmers/DJs who share a time slot come in and do a show together. It was great fun; gave listeners the full favor of all the DJs on each show, and really boosted volunteer spirit. We're going to do that again this time. Several great events are also planned. Some are still in the planning stages, but rest assured we'll have some doozies. Traditionally, after a full "meal" of highlights during fund drive, we like to sum it up with: "Last Call." A great event, hosted by WFHB DJ and Saturday morning personality, Mike "the Colonel" Kelsey, it's a final party to wrap up the drive, have fun and say thanks. Here's what Mike foretells about THAT event:

"Fund Drive will end this fall with a live two-hour variety show featuring music and comedy from WFHB volunteers and a host of local musicians. Hosted by Arbutus Cunningham and me-Mike Kelsey-this show is free and will be on the Bloomington Playwrights Project stage from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Sunday, September 21. Although there is no admission charge, be warned that we will pass the hat during the show to allow the studio audience to make final donations to the Fund Drive. We're gonna badger, hector, plead and cajole our listeners to make the magic phone call and add their names to our list of donors!

The house band for "Last Call" will be Dennis Riggins' Swing Thing. Musical performers will include Tim Grimm, Art Heckman, Ginger Curry, and Rokstar (his name is sometimes written as "Rok Starrr," and he is reputed to be the 13th illegitimate son of a well-known British drummer).

Arbutus Cunningham will contribute stories to the event, and our live sound effects maestro Tony Brewer will be at the special effects table with a wide variety of noises, strange and otherwise. Skits will be written and performed by Richard Fish and Mike Kelsey, who warn the audience to expect equal opportunity political humor. Negotiations are currently underway for a surprise performer, whose presence will delight and thrill!"

Yes, you can depend upon WFHB volunteers to give Fund Drive their all because community radio is their passion and cause. This year we celebrate the completion of 15 years on air! That mark in time is a great testimony to the dreams and passion of everyone who values freedom of voice/music-and to the continued support of a generous and vibrant community. Be sure to join us for more great music, fun events, and celebrate YOUR community voice -- WFHB.


"Rhythm Ranch" Retires by Sarah Eckard, WHFB News Reporter

"At the time that I started the program I didn’t even think there was necessarily a big audience for it but people came to enjoy it, and that made me happy.” —Greg Adams

Monday evening, sevenish. You’d made it through the most dreaded of all weekdays. If you were lucky, dinner was done, dishes cleared, and maybe, just maybe, you’d sit back and see what your favorite WFHB program had in store for you. For the past eight years, Rhythm Ranch brought vintage (50’s-60’s) musical revelations galore to a loyal following. When creator and producer Greg Adams decided that, due to a career change, the last show would air come early summer, your heart—and many others—sank.

The seeds of the much-missed program sprouted in 1999, when Border’s music department colleagues Greg Adams and David Brent Johnson approached Jim Manion with a proposal and demo. Back to the Tracks aired shortly there-after, every other Friday for a year. But building an audience on that basis proved difficult, so when the weekly Monday evening slot opened up Adams jumped at the chance, while Johnson aimed for a Wednesday night jazz slot. But did a major shift from a relatively leisurely volunteer pace to being solely responsible for a two-and-a-half-hour shift per week prove a shock? Calmly, Adams responds, “It was just a lot more. David and I had a two-hour program that we split; we did it in tandem. He was a jazz guy and I was an oldies guy…[we] created connections between our respective genres. When I started Rhythm Ranch I had two-and-a-half hours…on my own. For David, a lot of jazz pieces are long, and almost all of the songs I played were two-and-a-half minutes in length, so for a two-and-a-half hour program [I’d play] 60 or 70 songs.” So while the addition of the Daily Local News to WFHB may have caused a scheduling stir for some at WFHB, Adams was more than willing to “sacrifice” a half hour of Rhythm Ranch to the DLN on Mondays.

Anthony Piatt of Sunday’s Reggae Children program praised Adams for his consistently strong effort to produce a top-quality show, week after week. Adams modestly counters that despite the work involved, his then career proved a huge boon to the show. “I have an enormous collection, and I worked in music till this past summer, so that gave me a big leg up. I was working on compilations, writing liner notes, reviewing albums for the All Music Guide, listening to 50-100 albums a month, and constantly researching and interviewing artists from that period, so I was really plugged in to that era and that just naturally translated into show ideas.” One of the major defining aspects of Rhythm Ranch was, by all counts, Adams’ thematic genius. Over the course of eight years, he produced countless shows linked by a common subject. “I did so many. One that I really enjoyed [was] two hours of teen tragedy recordings, which came out of a craze in the early ’60’s for songs about teenagers dying tragic deaths. There were a few big hits…like ‘Teen Angel,’ and ‘Last Kiss,” but there were a whole lot more which were not commercially successful, and they also became increasingly outrageous as time went on.” Anthony Piatt laughs as he remembers one month’s theme was spirits—not ghosts, but the kind available from the friendly folks at Big Red stores. “One week it was two hours of songs about beer, the next it was wine, I think….”

Not every show was theme-based per se. An entire series was dedicated to songs composed by specific songwriters, but performed by a wide variety of artists. Adams wanted to give songwriters of the ’50’s and ’60’s their due: “Back then, there were a lot of professional songwriters who weren’t performers in their own right and they didn’t always get the same level of recognition because they were working more behind the scenes. So I always enjoyed spotlighting these people who made a big contribution back then but who aren’t necessarily household names.” In another twist on creative programming, Adams did an entire show highlighting mainstream country artists of the ’70’s who had begun their careers as rock n’ rollers in the ’50’s. Adams played the artists’ ’50’s rock-n-roll recordings “side-by-side” with their ’70’s country recordings. “It certainly showed,” he notes wryly, “how far people could travel artistically.”

While producing a quality program is satisfying in and of itself, Adams says that caller conversations made the program truly special for him. “That was my favorite. I had some people call who had had personal experiences with some of these artists and they would tell me these anecdotes. I really loved doing that program and I loved the calls. Everybody at the station was so supportive. I hated to let it go.” As did loyal listeners and fans. Thanks for a quality show and an outstanding eight years, Greg, and best of luck in your new endeavors.


Music Director News by Jim Manion

WFHB's Monday-Friday daytime music mix brings an extraordinary array of music to the south-central Indiana air-waves. From 6:00-8:00 a.m., 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:00-5:00 p.m. you'll hear the old mixed with the new, the familiar next to the unfamiliar, and nearly every musical genre under the sun. Indie rock segues into world music, then blues, then reggae, then jazz, then electronic, then bluegrass, then funky R & B, then folky singer/songwriter and on and on....

Each  week on WFHB's daytime music mixes, 20 different volunteer DJs bring you 40 hours of eclectic musical flow, each programming a two-hour segment.  Approximately 600 different tracks are aired a week, with nary a song repeated. While this might seem contrary to the notion of radio consistency, the team approach behind WFHB's daytime music programming brings our listeners sonic surprises and "ah-ha" moments of musical impact on a regular basis. Between music sets, WFHB DJs let you know all about the music you just heard. They also take a little time during each break to bring you daily event calendars, public service announcements, short pre-produced information segments and the latest weather.

While our volunteer music programmers have creative control over the songs they choose to play and the inventive way the tracks are sequenced, there is a loose formula to our mixology and a strong emphasis on new music. WFHB's Music Department strives to get the best and latest releases from multiple musical genres into the studio for our DJs to choose from. New music selections are played alongside songs from our vast in-house archive of vintage LPs and CDs, as well as personal favorites they bring into the station. Our daytime music mix crew has a vast collective knowledge of music and a passion for sharing music in imaginative ways.

As you go about your busy day, WFHB is there with our area's most eclectic and innovative music mix-whether you are running errands on wheels or on foot,  working in your office cubicle or on the job site, or maybe even lucky enough to have the day off at the lake. In these days of super-tight radio playlists and micro-niche internet channels, our free-range volunteer-powered approach to music programming continues to make a refreshing difference.

SPECIAL LOTUS FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING
Late-summer anticipation for the October 2-5 Lotus World Music Festival is building. Exciting announcements continue to come from festival headquarters and planning is underway for WFHB's special Lotus Festival programming.

We have been hosting live studio performances of Lotus Festival artists since 1995 and we are proud to still offer more special Lotus features than any other radio station in town. It is too early to confirm who will be in the studio, but we do know we will be presenting up to ten live on-air performances and interviews on Thursday afternoon October 2nd
and all day Friday October 3rd. But, you can already hear this year's festival artists on the air as our DJs dig into the CDs on the Lotus shelf in the studio. Stay tuned to WFHB and check our website for more details as the festival draws closer. We can't wait either!

FUND DRIVE
WFHB's survival and growth depends largely on community financial support. Our business underwriters help sustain Bloomington Community Radio throughout the year, but twice a year we make an appeal over the airwaves to our listeners for their financial support. Listener support is a crucial part of our annual budget and we cannot continue without it. Please take the time during our 2008 Fall Fund Drive (September 12-22) to pledge your support to WFHB. You could even get a jump on the drive by pledging your support in advance at our secure website (www.wfhb.org). The concept is simple, really: WFHB is a listener-supported radio station, you are the listener, we need your support!


Hound Pound Dispatch by Chad Carrothers

Greetings from the "newshounds" in the WFHB News Department, headquartered in the bustling "hound pound"newsroom-that's the last office on the left at the end of the hallway, don't trip on our chewtoys!

HOT DAWGS!
Summer months are sometimes slow for news departments but not so this season.  Many of the 90+ volunteers in the WFHB News Department have variable schedules in the summer and it makes getting our job done more challenging, but the newshounds have answered the challenge in these dog days with some fine reporting.  Breaking coverage of the resignation of the entire board of Native American cultural center students at IU comes to mind, reminding me of the many times WFHB News has provided media access for marginalized segments of the population.  Reviewing our coverage over the past few years it was easy to find many examples of WFHB providing significant airtime to the concerns of native peoples on the Bloomington campus long before the issue boiled over.

I'm also particularly proud of our coverage of local government budget hearings, both at the city and county levels.  In both cases we're talking about poring over six-to-nine hours per day of audio including boring procedural minutiae just to boil it all down to an eight-minute feature. Let's face it: the very nature of these meetings creates obstacles for the ordinary citizen to understand how your tax dollars are spent and we try with our reporting to break down those barriers.

Also kudos to our GLBTIQ program bloomingOUT for scoring a live interview with Troy Perry, founder of the queer-friendly Metropolitan Community Church.  Nearly 50 years ago Troy pioneered the astonishing concept of fear-free worship for gay and lesbian people and was literally beaten to a pulp for it.  It says volumes of bloomingOUT and producer Carol Fischer that trailblazers of this caliber happily accept a visit to our programs.

PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN
There are some incredible transitions and advancements going on "behind-the-scenes" at WFHB in terms of technology, stuff we might not necessarily talk about on the radio because the average listener just doesn't care HOW shows end up on the airwaves.  I take great pride in our all-digital newsroom and our status as Indiana's podcasting pioneer, and we continue to embrace cutting-edge technology you won't find at stations with much more bloated budgets. Since our last newsletter we've implemented computerizedprogram acquisition/playback for nearly every syndicated program and for listeners that means more consistent programming and no worry of your favorite show being ruined by a skipping CD.

WFHB NEWS 101
Wanna be a reporter?  Program host?  Producer?  One of my goals for the next year is to launch a series of workshops on community radio journalism and best practices for citizen journalism.  Once a month we'll open the WFHB studios to anyone who wants to learn about "sound" approaches to radio reporting.  I'll be leaning heavily on the expertise of our GM Will Murphy and colleagues like Mike Conway in the IU School of Journalism and Steve Higgs of the Bloomington Alternative.  Each month will focus on a different topic like "The Art of the Interview" or "How to Dish the Dirt," revealing ways to use freedom of the press to track down sensitive information.  I'm shooting for a January launch so watch this space for details.

YOU MEAN THERE'S A RADIO STATION HERE?
In the last newsletter we mentioned physical improvements to the exterior of the WFHB studios, namely the addition of signage indicating that there is actually a radio station at 108 W. 4th Street.  Those improvements were concluded recently with the addition of exterior lighting installed by our own resident engineer Jeffrey Morris, and I have to say how proud I am of our new modern and downright dapper look.  When I talk to show guests on WFHB news programming I no longer have to say "look for the big red garage door" when I'm explaining how to find us.  And people attending BAAC classes no longer wander in looking for their pottery instructor.

INTERCHANGE NOW AND THEN
I am pleased to announce the return of Deb Kent, one of the original hosts of WFHB's longest-running public affairs program Interchange.  Producer Robert Shull continues to infuse the program with a fresh and timely rotation of guests, like "janitor by day, artist all the time" Joel Washington, whose colorful portraits adorn IU's Indiana Memorial Union, a building he is paid to clean. Our new GM Will Murphy makes his debut on WFHB News as the host of the interview with Joel, available for free download at news.wfhb.org.  Also welcome to another new host Colin Allen, who has worked at KAMU at Texas A&M University and community radio KEOS in Bryan, Texas.

NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Several years ago I created an advisory council to make sure programming decisions aren't made in a vacuum.  NPAC is a six-member committee charged with screening proposals for new public affairs programming on WFHB. The committee also regularly reviews our current roster of 26 news programs (13 local, 13 syndicated) to ensure that we are meeting our mission of providing open media access for all community members and alternatives to the offerings
of mainstream media.  NPAC is comprised of two listeners, two WFHB board members, and two news department volunteers. I'd like to welcome our new NPAC members: Helen Harrell from our GLBTIQ program bloomingOUT, and Daily Local News reporter David Murphy.  Thanks also to departing member Purnima Bose, who has served the
committee (and the community) dutifully.

BARK AT THE DOGS
The newshounds want to hear from you.  We'll listen to your ideas, your comments, your suggestions-we're all (big floppy) ears, as they say.  If you have questions or comments, drop me a line at news@wfhb.org.  Thanks for reading and see you next month with more fleas to scratch!

Chad Carrothers is News Director for WFHB and executive producer of numerous groundbreaking community media projects like bloomingOUT, Indiana's only GLBTIQ public affairs show, and a daily local news program produced by community volunteers.


Stop That Train I Wanna Get On by Allison Strang

There are roughly 250 people volunteering with WFHB from near and far, of all walks of life, and you may ask yourself, "Well, how did we get here? What do we do now that we're here?"  I talked with four WFHB volunteers about how it happened, and their stories shine.

Dan Selvaggi first came to Bloomington from just East of Gary in Miller, Indiana as a freshman in 1967, and has been here off and on since.  Dan fell into co-hosting Reggae Children with James Chiplis six months after WFHB went on the air. He remembers, "In February of '94 the studios moved to town from radio ridge and made morning programs
doable.  I slid into a morning mix slot from the start and it's been a musical joy ride ever since." For five or six years Dan translated music programmer's hasty music log scribbles, and posted the popular tunes to CMJ.  Now we can find him on the Fund Drive committee, where he is exchanging his ideas for a sense of personal satisfaction. "It's been rewarding," Dan affirms, "because fund drive is shifting into the individual programmers being much more involved again and I think that's one of the right tracks to be on."

Another car in the train of volunteers who keep WFHB hauling is Shane Young.  Born near Rockport Indiana, he's lived in Bloomington for approximately eight years.  Shane channeled some interesting music while driving through town, and fished around for the source.  Catching a corner ad in either the Ryder (or the Voice), Shane realized WFHB is
volunteer run radio.  He began his career as a desk jockey, and then Bruce Baker encouraged him to trade in the desk for a disc.  Shane got his first show in 1995, a 3:00-6:00 a.m. Monday shift of  the Ministry of Decency, as the "Good Reverend Doctor."  When the station's need for an engineer met his interest in the production side of radio, Shane
began weaving live sound bytes. "I'm a natural fit," he says.  "I really dig the technical/geek side of it."  From Local Live, to the Lotus artists' music, Shane is pulling it through for the listeners.

Anna Witte does many things with and for the station. Born in Germany and raised in Spain, Anna moved to Bloomington a year and a half ago.  She also first heard WFHB while scanning stations in her car. The Spanish-speaking news program caught her attention. First time in the Midwest, first time in a small college town, Anna decided to volunteer.  She met with Melissa Britton to observe how Hola Bloomington is produced.  It just so happened that they needed another anchor person that evening (Anna's birthday) and when asked, Anna stepped right up to the microphone and had a great time. Chad soon recruited her to the news department, and she was so nervous during the first reading that she suddenly couldn't read English!  Anna reflects, "Reading for the Local News requires certain skills that I have never used before. You have to develop this pre-reading or pre-scanning skill as you are reading.  You are reading ahead but at the same time, you are really focusing on what you are saying. You are an interpreter and you can't add too much salt to the soup!" As well as in our hearts, she has found a place in music programming, and despite all of the on-air time; Anna admits she still gets nervous.

Behind the scenes, Lauren Taylor gathers and loads informational freight for various news programs.  She moved to Bloomington from Indianapolis in 2001 to study history and political science at Indiana University.  In 2003 Lauren signed Gina Weir's petition to get Democracy Now on the radio, and began listening to WFHB. Upon returning from a year abroad in France last fall, she knew that she wanted to work with progressive and independent media and didn't know exactly who to talk to. One afternoon, Ryan Dawes approached Lauren and asked, "What are the most important local issues in the upcoming election?" He was catching sound bytes for Voices in the Street. "How can I get involved with WFHB?" was her response.  Ryan connected her to Chad, and Lauren began to write headlines for the Daily Local News.  "One of the things I love about radio is-the people you're interviewing are directly represented, sound bytes are longer than they are in print media, and you get to hear someone's own voice, their distinct vocabulary, and way of speaking." Involved as a temporary engineer with the Eco Report, she became excited about the opportunity to learn a variety of roles for the show; engineer, segment producer, editor, and weekly promotional writer.  Now Lauren is co-producing the show with Lucille Bertuccio.  Beyond learning the ropes at the station, one of her goals is to link environmental and social justice struggles.  This involves focusing on the people most affected by current environmental changes, and highlighting their responses.  Lauren says she hopes to bring an aspect of human solidarity to current environmental conversations. Lauren initiates a weekly conversation by conducting random opinion polls on issues affecting life in south central Indiana.  She sees it as a chance to engage people and learn to ask questions that allow people to speak from their own experiences.

Whether through a friend, station scanning, or direct involvement with one of the myriad of station projects, becoming a part of Bloomington's local radio brings with it an experience of greater community and connection.  What other opportunities do you have to be involved with WFHB, and what more can you bring to, or what more do you want to learn at the station?   If you're not yet a volunteer and are interested, orientation is the first Saturday of each month at 11:00 a.m.  Don't miss this train!


Firehouse Forum Updates

bloomingOUT

This past month  bloomingOUT had a wonderful conversation with Academy Award winning documentary film maker Debra Chasnoff about her new film, "It's Still Elementary," a moving political drama that demonstrates the impact of using film as a tool for social change. Chasnoff's films have been adopted by large numbers of school systems in the country to help educate and sensitize them about the needs of LGBT students and their families and to dispel harassment and bullying.

We then spoke with the Founder of the Metropolitan Community Church and plaintiff in the California marriage case, Troy Perry, who presented an historical overview of religion and the lesbian/gay movement over the years. And Ft. Wayne community activist Linda Bentz told us about a planned voter education and empowerment weekend, "Making Change Happen," organized for the week of Sept. 27-28.

August was a month of Indiana updates from Indy Black Pride, IndyIndie, HRC in Fort Wayne, the LGBT Indiana Rainbow and many others who remain busy trying to make this a better place for all of us to live, share equally in our own culture, and be safe.

Coming shows will include a talk with "In the Life" Communications Office Scott Miller, RJO artists' agent Rich Overton, Trans Youth President Shannon Garcia, and as always, a variety of music, musicians, news and discussion to share styles, keep each other informed, and stay out, loud, and proud!

Bring It On!

This month Bring It On!   spoke with Vicki Provine of the City's Housing and Neighborhood Development Department T(HAND), and Bloomington Police Department's Tony Pope, about the tenth annual crime and drug prevention street fair event: "National Night Out" held at the Bloomington Housing Authority. Participation in the festival regularly includes citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses and local officials.  Also highlighted this month was a discussion on social networking sites and how it changes the way black people see themselves and interact with the world at large. Musical guests included offerings from Cassandra Wilson and Issac Hayes.  Hayes tragically died this month at the age of 65. A black history segment on Oliver Toussaint Jackson was also featured along with the regular calendar feature of the program noting coming events in the community.

Hola Bloomington

Hola Bloomington continues to present various informa tive and interesting segments: highlights of weekly news in Latin America and Bloomington, sports news in Latin America and the US, interviews with community agencies and leaders, calendar of events, and public opinion. Thank you to RadioBilingue for providing us with national and International news! Coming up this fall, HOLA celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15). Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 because this day marks the anniversary of independence for five countries-Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico achieved independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18.

Many exciting events will be highlighted throughout the month and HOLA invites local Latinos(as) to the show to share their own unique heritage with our listeners. Be sure to check out the photo exhibit in the City Hall Atrium celebrating local Latinos(as). The exhibit debuts on September 15 at noon and WFHB volunteers are featured!

Interchange

Interchange brought a variety of subjects to the community this month such as Mohja Kahf, the author of this year's selection for the "One Book, One Bloomington" program:  "The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf."  Kahf talked about how the novel came to be, playing with-and against-Muslim stereotypes, and the surprising commonality among religious minorities in the Midwest.

A visit from area actor and personality Nell Weatherwax featured her approach to improvisational storytelling, the connection between movement and memory, and the transformative power of the creative process. Our dependency on the automobile was a topic offered by Jim Rosenbarger this month.  Rosenbarger is a member of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission who discussed attractive alternatives to driving and what people can do to influence the trend toward more walkable and bikeable communities here in Bloomington.

Standing Room Only

This month Standing Room Only covered the issue of recycling and waste management by featuring coverage of a forum by the League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County.  The event looked at how solid waste andrecyclables of the city and county are being handled.

The Bloomington Project School was officially chartered this summer by the Ball State Charter Office as Bloomington's first charter school. In 2006, a small group of local public school educators and education reformers began a discussion about what they believed should be happening in schools. As the group began to articulate their vision, the concept for The Bloomington Project School was born. The School will open in the fall of 2009, offering kindergarten through seventh grade kids in multi-age classrooms a "team teaching" approach. Just a few days prior to the official charter, representatives of this new charter school held a public forum to outline its form and function. It will be completely separate and autonomous from the Monroe County Community School Corporation. Several MCCSC board members have expressed strong opposition, including board president Teresa Grossi, who had sharp words for Project School staff later in the program. Grossi said the Project School plan has moved forward with little collaboration with the school system and lacks accountability. Others on the board complain that a charter school draws funding away from existing public schools. "Alternative Education: Bloomington's First Charter School" was recorded on-location at the Monroe County Public Library on June 2, 2008. SRO also looked at alternative education.


WFHB Fund Drive Events

9/20/08 - Beat Party's 25th Birthday Party-at Rhino's, 8:00-Midnight featuring a whole bunch of Beat Party DJs.  $5 cover/all ages. Broadcast live on WFHB.

9/21/08 - Last Call-6:00-8:00 p.m. on the Bloomington Playwright's stage; donations requested. Celebratory party to end fund drive.

Final details to appear on www.WFHB.org.


House Party Weekend by Sheryl Woodhouse-Keese, Board Member

The WFHB Development Committee would like to announce our newest fundraiser for the station, "House Party Weekend," which will take place Friday through Sunday, November 7-9. The idea is to have as many volunteers and WFHB supporters as possible hosting fundraising parties in their homes at some point over the course of this weekend.  The parties can be of any size, depending upon the host's home, interests, friends and acquaintances. Parties can highlight supporters' homes, unique talents, music and food tastes, and other interests. Hosts are encouraged to be creative and to have fun! Instead of spending money on a night out on the town-on dinner, a movie, music, or the theater, etc., guests will each make a donation to WFHB for an afternoon or evening of entertainment provided by the host.  Some ideas for house parties would be dinner parties or champagne brunches with musical entertainment, movie marathons, poetry slams,
comedy, game tournaments, services like spa treatments or pet grooming, craft or cooking classes, dance parties, drag shows, wine and cheese tasting, etc.

The benefit to WFHB supporters is that everyone can attend a fundraiser of a size comfortable to them, with their friends, while spending time at something they enjoy doing. This is also an opportunity for supporters to participate in raising money for WFHB at their own giving level. WFHB benefits from the cumulative effect of a large number and wide variety of parties being held. Our financial goal for House Party Weekend 2008 is $24,000.  The station has both small and large capital goals within this amount that hosts attempt to reach. House party hosts agree to pay for the entire cost of the party they throw as a donation to WFHB so that 100% of the ticket price goes to the station.

If you are interested and would like to participate in House Party Weekend 2008, please e-mail: sheryl@twistedlimbpaper.com to receive an electronic copy of the house party brochure. The brochure will provide more information and suggestions to help you get started on hosting a party. You can also stop by the station and pick up a copy of the paper brochure. Anyone interested in hosting a house party is asked to make a commitment by October 10th.


GM Gets Feet Wet by Will Murphy, General Manager

The Bloomington Fourth of July parade provided a good metaphor for my first month as general manager at WFHB. With an initial burst of enthusiasm, a couple dozen people signed up to revive the station's entry in the annual observance, the "WFHB Marching Boom Box Band."  But various factors thinned the ranks, and the day of the event brought another of this year's torrential floods. Still, seven very soggy souls splashed down College and up Walnut, escorting Spot as he (she?) made the first Fourth of July excursion in some years-proving once again that despite all challenges and weather-related obstacles, there's always a group of volunteers willing to (literally) carry the WFHB banner.

Indeed, adverse weather has been a common theme during my first few weeks in the GM's chair. For much of the first few days, we were often off the air due to powerful and frequent storms. People tried to reassure me as one thing after another went wrong: "Well, that almost NEVER happens," they'd say. When water started running down the front wall of the WFHB lobby after one particularly violent storm, I realized "getting my feet wet" wasn't just a metaphor at WFHB.

But there is good news to report as well. Thanks to funds donated to our capital account, we've purchased a much needed back-up generator, which will help keep our signal on the air.  A group of volunteers helped clear ground at the transmitter site, and we hope to install the generator within the next few weeks.

And we've finally installed a storefront sign thanks to a grant from the City of Bloomington, so our home in the Waldron is now clearly marked. If you haven't seen the beautiful call letters and retro illumination above the Firehouse, you ought to stop by!

Kudos to Mark McIntyre and Brian Kearney for bringing this project to a successful conclusion. And thanks to the City of Bloomington for their grant support.

Perhaps best of all this summer, WFHB was one of ten stations nationwide to qualify in August for a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  That could add more than $60,000 to WFHB's annual revenue stream. But that funding won't begin to come our way until October at the earliest, and fund drive doesn't start until September 12. In the meantime we're running on "empty," and could really use your help.  If your membership is about to expire, why not send in your renewal check early, or renew at our Web site (www.wfhb.org)?  Whether you pledge at the $60, $80, $120, or $365 level (or whatever you can afford), each membership is crucial. I can't stress enough how much we need your support right now.

Indeed, the future of WFHB depends on ALL of us- listeners, volunteers, underwriters, staffers, and all the rest. Despite all the challenges, setbacks, and torrential floods, WFHB has stayed on the air for 15 years.  It's an amazing achievement, one in which each of us can take pride.  Here's to another 15 years (and more) of community radio success in Bloomington!  Thanks for doing your part.  And thanks for giving me a chance to be part of that effort! Now do me a favor, and send in your renewal TODAY!


WFHB's Late Summer Top Ten by Jim Manion

New CDs receiving the most airplay by our volunteer music programmers:

1. Mysteries of Life Great Lakes
2. Amos Lee Last Days at the Lodge
3.Tim Grimm Holding Up the World
4. Willie Nelson & Two Men with the Blues Wynton Marsalis
5. Cassandra Wilson Loverly
6. Beck Modern Guilt
7. Sam Phillips Don't Do Anything
8. Randy Newman Harps and Angels
9. Impossible Shapes Impossible Shapes
10. The Horse Flies Until the Ocean


bloomingOUT by Helen Harrell, Co-Host, bloomingOUT

A few years ago a very civic-minded, caring and ingenious news director (Chad Carrothers) got together with the then station manager of WFHB to brainstorm about how to better represent various segments of the Bloomington Community. They met with many different community members, IU faculty and staff, students, and organizational leaders to learn about interest and needs, resulting in the development of several news and public affairs shows that focus on groups of folks who aren't always present in mainstream media; certainly not heard from on a regular basis at any rate. One such show that evolved from that programming initiative is bloomingOUT.

In the very real words of its producer, hosts and crew, bloomingOUT exists to educate, entertain and stimulate listeners to engage in dialogue about real issues and events relevant to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ),  and our ally population of south central Indiana.  bloomingOUT reaches thousands of people within the regional area through the WFHB radio broadcast, and many more nationally and internationally via the Web through podcasting, live streaming and Web download. bloomingOUT strives to maintain an upbeat, informative and entertaining show that can be enjoyed by both the queer and straight communities, and provides a space to facilitate communication within the LGBTIQ community. The show offers everyone from queer, allied and/or straight communities a clear perspective into the culture, diversity and humanity of the LGBTIQ community. Because bloomingOUT is the only such media program in Indiana, and one of VERY few in the Midwest and nation, it includes issues, views and news that do not usually appear in the mainstream. The program provides a voice-both within and outside Indiana that is absent in local, state, national and international arenas-and an exchange and discussion of ideas and the celebration of diversity.

While still very community based, bloomingOUT has expanded into wider arenas with a listening audience ranging from international and national as well as state wide fans. The crew itself is ever changing as many are student volunteers who lend temporary expertise and then move on to the rest of their lives.  Regardless of their tenure each contribution has been significant in making the show the diverse and multi-faceted venue that  it is now.  Producer Carol Fischer is absolutely brilliant in connecting with other media contacts which keeps the show relevant with broad ranging content and entertainment. Co-hosts have changed over the years but Helen Harrell remains as the original, articulate, savvy and ever steadfast voice of the lesbian and queer communities.  However, all former co-hosts from Mark Brostoff, Jeff Bennett, Mark Lee to Victor Kinzer remain show fans, supporters and contributors.  Their voices may be absent on a weekly basis but their presence is still heard on air and their unique contributions remain a part of the historical fabric of the show.
Current co-host, local attorney Sean Lemieux, joined the show this past spring and has brought a sharp wit to interviews and conversation and an analytically detailed perspective to issues and events.

Indeed, bloomingOUT  has gained the attention of local, state and national leaders with acknowledgement of its consistent quality programming, thoughtful and fair interview style, and its hosts' abilities to clearly delineate the pressing issues of the queer community. Entertainers from around the country send their music, comedy and poetry CDs to be aired, fully aware that we reach a very large audience with an appreciation of good entertainment. And, certainly last but not least in significance, the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University recognizes bloomingOUT's unique contributions to community education and academia by archiving each show.  While the entire crew works very hard to maintain high quality production  we never forget our appreciation of  WFHB for its commitment to community inclusiveness.  WFHB has both allowed and encouraged our growth from a small fledgling concept into the successful show we are today.  Thanks to everyone far and wide for helping us realize a dream of equal media representation and community presence.


Spotlight News

Editor, Cathi Norton

Contributors

Chad Carrothers
Sarah Ekard
Helen Harrell
Jim Manion
Will Murphy
Cathi Norton
Allison Strang
Carolyn VandeWiele

WFHB Board

Carolyn VandeWiele, President
Sheryl Woodhouse-Keese, Treasurer
Tomas Beauchamp
Cathy Bowman
Helen Harrell
Mark Need
Jason Nickey
Pam Raider
Duane Schau

The Spotlight is published six times a year-four in hard copy.  Yet it can ALWAYS be found on our Web site: www.wfhb.org.  You can be sure to get it by subscribing on our website to have it delivered to your e-mail.  Check the website for a great many WFHB exclusive programs and opportunities.