INDIANA PUBLIC RADIO A listener-supported service of Ball State University

Local Content & Service Report to the Community 2019

I’m so grateful for the contribution of Indiana Public Radio to the civil “discussion of pressing issues across society. IPR’s dedicated staff and broadcast professionals provide an enormous service to east-central Indiana and make our communities stronger, and I’m honored to support that effort. — John Strauss” IPR 2019 LOCAL CONTENT & SERVICE REPORT

(L-R) Ball State graduate Matt Pelsor is the host of ALL IN. IPR’s Stan Sollars was featured in an episode of ALL IN discussing his cancer journey.

Group Effort

In September, IPR began airing All IN, a news natural curiosity that we think will keep listeners fully program hosted by Indiana journalist Matt Pelsor. engaged.”

The name reflects the statewide nature of the program All IN, made possible through grant funding,now airs that airs at 1 p.m. each weekday on all participating on all nine Indiana NPR stations. Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations. Topics covered in 2019 included school takeovers, The show touches on the issues and topics that stolen identity, vaping, infant and maternal mortality, excite and interest us, rooted in the belief that we can recycling, marijuana prosecution, Indiana authors and bring our passions and differences together in a civil, addiction treatment. intelligent and non-judgmental environment. In December, IPR’s host, Stan Sollars, The program began at WFYI in Indianapolis in July. was featured on an episode about Esophageal cancer, “The show will be rooted in hearing from and the sixth leading cause of cancer death in the world about people who affect public policy,” WFYI Chief is also one of its least talked about forms. Sollars, a Content Officer Matt Shafer Powell said. “We’ll cancer survivor, shared his story and talked, along have the full resources of IPB News to help deliver with his oncologist, about lifestyle risk factors, how up-to-date information from all over Indiana, and to recognize symptoms of the disease, and what we have a lifelong Hoosier with keen insights and treatment is available. IPR 2019 LOCAL CONTENT & SERVICE REPORT

NPR Experience WHAT THEY SAY

In June, IPR offered “An Evening created by Vera Mae’s Bistro paired I listen with Audie Cornish” at Minnetrista with various wines, live music, IPR all the time. Cultural Center in Muncie. host experiences, and more. The co-host of NPR’s award- During the wine tasting, guests “– Joan Moon winning All Things Considered was could participate in a wine pull interviewed by our own ATC host where they chose a wrapped bottle ” Stephanie Wiechmann, answered from a selection of wines. questions from the audience, then Nearly 200 people attended the chatted with guests during an fundraising event, which many “After Party with Audie.” said was our best NPR host event My life is not complete The after party included small plates to date. without NPR.

“ – Marian Cooley ”

Keep up the good work. In addition to “the programs we love, having an outstanding factual news source is more important than ever. – Marvin Gridley ”

Listening to Stan is part of my morning“ routine. – Jean Decker ” (T-B) Ball State Univeristy Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Marsha McGriff, DeNeshia Stewart and Audie Cornish. IPR staff with Audie. IPR 2019 LOCAL CONTENT & SERVICE REPORT

Stephanie Wiechmann, Stan Sollars, and Ball State students Zoe Dwiggins and Tony Sandleben, were all honored for their news reporting in 2019 by professional news organizations.

Honored Again IPR’s news team received five Papa John’s Name From Business Newscast. It’s his 38th newscast awards from state contests in 2019 Program.” award in many competitions since year for stories and newscasts 1995. broadcast in 2019. Stephanie also shared a second place award for Best Continuing One award came from the Indiana Four awards came from the Indiana Coverage of a Single Event with state wide competition hosted former student reporter, Tony Broadcasters by the Society for Professional Sandleben. Stephanie and Tony Association. Journalists. There, student reporter spent the 2019 legislative session Zoe Dwiggins won first place in covering the bill that would make Stephanie Wiechmann was Ball State University responsible Student News Reporting for radio. awarded Best Reporter for the for the future of Muncie Community fifth time in her 11 years with the Schools. Judges in both contests station. She also won first place commended the small team for how in Best Spot News for the August Stan Sollars won a second it covered the community with a 2019 story, “Ball State To Remove place award for Best Long-Form broad range of stories. IPR 2019 LOCAL CONTENT & SERVICE REPORT

Original Productions

Facing Project the theme between the more. One of IPR’s most The Scene hosts, leaving listeners with popular local programs, IPR produced several new In 2019, IPR continued the courage to share their Morning Musicale has been episodes of the podcast/ to offer the weekly, Ball own stories and the empathy on the air for nearly three program The Facing Project State University student- to listen to others. decades. in 2019. The monthly produced public radio show program that is “StoryCorps The Scene. The program Themes in 2019 included meets This American Life” features music performances addiction, empathy, and airs the last Saturday of from all over Indiana. The homelessness and police the month at 3:30 p.m. goal is to promote the and community relations. Indiana music scene by Founded in 2012 in Muncie focusing on the music itself. by J.R. Jamison and Kelsey It tells the stories of the Timmerman, The Facing BlueNotes Jazz music happening in our own Project began as a one- backyards, gives listeners a BlueNotes began as a bit of context about new and off response to debates quarterly jazz digest in 2014 about the poverty statistic upcoming artists and often with an eclectic blend of includes interviews with the in Delaware County — to classic and contemporary musicians themselves. bring a human story to the jazz and an occasional focus Community numbers — but quickly grew on specific genres and styles Connection into a program model and of jazz. BlueNotes joined In 2019, IPR continued then into its own 501(c)(3) the IPR program lineup as Owsley Moment nonprofit that has now to offer Community a regular monthly program IPR continued the fourth spread across the country to Connection, an IPR original offering in 2019. Larry Beck season of the weekly over 100 communities. While program that tells the stories hosts the program, east radio series, The Owsley the original project took on of nonprofit organizations in central Indiana’s only jazz Moment, in 2019. Created the subject of poverty, The our region. Each month we radio broadcast offering by Ball State School of Art Facing Project has now focus on one organization great music, news of local professor Lara Kuykendall, collected over 1,500 stories and what its volunteers and jazz events, and features The Owsley Moment is a on topics ranging from staff are doing to make our with local jazz musicians. brief, informative program racism to disabilities. community a better place. Guests in 2019 included We’re here to tell their that describes one work filmmaker Robert Mugge; on display at the David Each episode of the IPR story: what impact they Mark Buselli, director of the Owsley Museum of Art every program is hosted by have on our community, jazz studies program at Ball week. The Owsley Moment Jamison and Timmerman, how they do what they State University; filmmaker, is written by students of who introduce the month’s do, and how our listeners actress, and vocalist Kuykendall’s Art Museum theme followed by can help. Organizations Vanessa Theme Ament, and Theory & Practice and Art performances of two Facing featured in 2019 included musician Jim Rinehart. in the classes Project stories from different Ross Community Center, at Ball State. They are points-of-view but related to Inside Out/Fresh Directions, produced in collaboration the month’s theme. Every ECI CASA, By5 Family Morning Musicale with the David Owsley story is produced by two Navigators, Interlock ECI, Museum of Art and Indiana people who took the time Classical music host Steven Feed My Sheep, Second Public Radio and are voiced to listen and share and Turpin delivered hours Harvest, Yes We Care! by Ball State students. collaborate on a monologue of classical music with Reading Everywhere!, Alpha told from one of their lived information on local music Center, Mid-Indiana Trails, Muncie Three Trails Music experiences. Each episode performances, information Photo: Bob Ball from Inside Out during ends with commentary on about area musicians and Fest and Muncie Pride. a Community Connection taping. IPR 2017 LOCAL CONTENT & SERVICE REPORT IPR 2019 LOCAL CONTENT & SERVICE REPORT

I look forward to hanging out with other IPR Nerds “ each month. They are definitely MY people. – Sara Gullion ” Community Engagement

Used Book Sale barista, a look inside IPR studios Things Considered host Stephanie and, of course, a chance to meet Wiechmann and Community Indiana Public Radio and the the man, the legend, Stan Sollars, Connection host Michelle Kinsey. American Association of University host of Morning Edition. The event The trivia nights were free to Women teamed up for the 40th is limited to the first six people who attend and winners received prizes Used Book Sale at the Ball State register and each month all spaces (primarily “vintage” IPR and NPR Alumni Center in May and June. were full. Coffee with Stan is the items from our storage closet). AAUW uses the money raised first Friday of every month from 8 Each trivia night drew about four through its annual book sale to 10 am. teams, comprised of four “nerds” to fund nontraditional student scholarships. Proceeds also each (pictured above). benefit IPR. IPR Nerds Trivia Indiana Public Radio continued its Coffee with Stan monthly IPR Nerds Trivia events Tours in 2019. Designed as a way IPR continued its “Coffee with IPR welcomed several tours in IPR fans could gather with like Stan” events in 2019. The monthly 2019, including school groups, minded listeners, it was offered Coffee with Stan featured a tasting station members and our Ball State the last Thursday of each month of delicious single origin coffees University campus community. at Books & Brews in Muncie. IPR with light refreshments from The Nerds Trivia was hosted by All Caffeinery served by a professional IPR 2019 LOCAL CONTENT & SERVICE REPORT

Considering Beer Indiana Public Radio’s annual celebration of local and regional craft beer, ALL BEERS CONSIDERED (with a nod to All Things Considered) was hosted in Oct. 2019. The 13th annual event has become this area’s premiere craft beer tasting and featured the works of artisans from Muncie Makers Market, a fun photo booth, live local, a variety of Cuban-inspired small plates by Harmony Café, a silent auction and of course, great craft beer hand selected by The Fickle Peach. Nearly 300 people attended the event and took home a keepsake beer tasting glass. Proceeds benefited IPR. IPR Friends Here are some of the arts and culture and non-profit organizations Dramatic Radio we partnered with last year: Alpha Center Indiana Public Radio presented its annual Radio Drama on Dec. 13. Anderson Symphony Orchestra “Christmas Gifts,” an authentic radio drama, was performed live on-air and before an audience in Sursa Performance Hall on the Ball State Arts Place, Inc. University campus. “Christmas Gifts” brought two O. Henry stories to Ball State Dept of Theatre Dance life - “Gift of the Magi” and “The Last Leaf.” The drama was written Ball State School of Music by David Little, playwright and assistant teaching professor of theatre Ball State TCOM Dept at Ball State, with material adapted from “Gift of the Magi” by Kirsten By5 Family Navigators Novotny. Matthew Reeder, a Ball State University theater professor, Civic Hall Performing Arts Center returned to direct his third radio drama. The live broadcast aired from Cornfed Derby Dames 8-9 p.m. and was taped for rebroadcast on IPR and videotaped to David Owsley Museum of Art be shown on WIPB-TV that month. Those who attended the show in ECI CASA person were treated to a pre-show Foley demonstration; comments from the director, music director and writer, and a unique view of what Feed My Sheep is normally only heard. Honeywell Center Inside Out/Fresh Directions Interlock ECI Mainstage Theatre Anderson Marion Philharmonic Orchestra Masterworks Chorale Mid-Indiana Trails Muncie Arts and Culture Council Muncie Civic Theatre Muncie Three Trails Music Festival Muncie Makers Market Muncie Pride Muncie Symphony Orchestra Richmond Symphony Orchestra Ross Community Center Second Harvest Yes We Care! Reading Everywhere! Production Manager, Sean Ashcraft leading a tour of school children in the IPR studios.

Keep up the great “work in the Muncie community! –Coleen Balukas ”

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