NPR’s ‘Political Junkie’ Coming to Central New York Ken Rudin, NPR’s long-time political editor best the same name, Ken Rudin will help set the scene known for his astonishing ability to recall arcane for the 2012 election season. facts regarding all things political will be WRVO’s Rudin and a team of NPR reporters won the Alfred I. guest for a public appearance at Syracuse Stage duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton award for Thursday, May 31st. Grant Reeher, Professor in excellence in broadcast journalism for coverage of the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, campaign finance in 2002. Ken has analyzed Director of the Campbell Public Affairs every congressional race nationally since 1984. Institute and host of WRVO’s Campbell Conversations will join him on-stage as From 1983 through 1991, Ken was deputy host and will pose questions submitted political director and later off-air Capitol Hill in advance by WRVO listeners. Tickets reporter covering the House for ABC News. are available online at WRVO.org. He first joined NPR in 1991 and is reported to have more than 70,000 campaign buttons Known as ‘The Political Junkie’ for his and other political items he has been collecting appearances on the Wednesday edition for more than 50 years. of Talk of the Nation with Neal Conan, and for the NPR blog that he writes of NPR’s Ken Rudin
When we announced back in January our first ever WRVO Discovery WRVO to Cruise Cruise with NPR “Eminence in Residence” Carl Kasell aboard as with Carl Kasell our host, we had no idea how popular it would become with WRVO listeners. Of course we knew Carl would be a draw. He is a long-time friend of the station, a genuinely nice guy with a terrific sense of humor. So how are we doing? To date more than 79 passengers have registered. The cruise, a fundraiser for the station, will depart Brooklyn Pier in New York Harbor on Saturday, September 8th, sail to Halifax, Nova Scotia, then return to New York with stops at St. John, New Brunswick; Bar Harbor, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; and Newport, Rhode Carl Kasell with members Island. Passengers will disembark on Saturday September 15th. Along Peter and Lida Black the way, opportunities for sightseeing and shopping, the Bay of Fundy with some of the highest tides in the world, Boston’s Freedom Trail, stately 19th century mansions at Newport, and extraordinary views of New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline. The cruise is being coordinated by long-time WRVO members Martha and Brad Boyer through their online travel service, www.boyertravel.com. Passengers will be transported to and from the ship by motor coach with a stop at the Freedom Memorial in lower Manhattan prior to boarding. If you are interested in joining our group, please contact Martha Boyer at 956-4418 or toll-free at 866-452-2274. You can also email Martha at [email protected]. A portion of the cruise Caribbean Princess in price will support WRVO technical operations. New York Harbor
Contact WRVO at 1-800-341-3690 or e-mail to [email protected] Catherine Loper to Head WRVO News Catherine J. Loper, a 20-year veteran broadcast journalist with experience that includes coverage of the U.S. Congress and the White House, has joined WRVO as Director of Regional Content/News and Public Affairs. Loper was Director of News in the Washington D.C. bureau of the Fox News Network and directed White House coverage for the network. She has worked in public radio and for Canadian Television and APTV. Loper is responsible for directing news and public affairs programming for the entire WRVO broadcast coverage area including newscasts, community forums, and special events including local and state elections. She will manage a team of full and part-time reporters based in various communities served by the WRVO network of stations. She will also work with Capital Bureau correspondent Karen Catherine Loper Dewitt and others.
Catherine Loper has a M.A. in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield and a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and History from the University of Southern California.
WRVO to return to Glimmerglass Festival in August WRVO’s Discovery Tour will return to the Glimmerglass Festival at Cooperstown this summer for two outstanding matinee performances in the Alice Busch Opera Theater. Performances include The Music Man on August 6th at 1:30 PM and the triumphal opera Aida on August 14th, also at 1:30PM. Each tour includes a backstage tour, private preview and catered lunch prior to the day’s performance. The Music Man is Meredith Willson’s Tony Award-winning story of an itinerant con man who falls for the local librarian.
A classic American musical, performed with full orchestra and no amplification, The Music Man will feature Cooperstown native Dwayne Croft in the title role. Croft is a world-class baritone with more than 400 performances at the Metropolitan Opera to his credit.
Aida, the wrenching personal drama of a captive princess, takes center stage in this intimate new production of Verdi’s epic masterpiece, Presented in Italian with projected English translation. Michelle Johnson, Grand Prize Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions 2011, will play the lead role with Noah Stewart as Radames, Eric Owens as Amonasro, and Daveda Karanas as Amneris.
All inclusive tickets are $125 and include a $50 tax-deductible donation to WRVO. Purchase tickets online at WRVO.org or call 1-800-341-3690. WRVO Discovery Tour Backstage
Contact WRVO at 1-800-341-3690 or e-mail to [email protected] 2 WRVO Honors Michel Martin
Michel Martin, Host of NPR’s ‘Tell Me More,’ addressed a packed luncheon at the Genesee Grande Hotel in Syracuse April 12th as a guest of WRVO. Martin was in Syracuse to participate in a lecture series at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University. The luncheon event provided WRVO listeners who have identified themselves in membership correspondence as fans of ‘Tell WRVO Members Lisa Miller, Me More’ an opportunity to meet Michel Martin personally. Chuckie Holstein, Rhea Jezer Martin described how ‘Tell Me More’ was created and why it has with Michel Martin become an important platform for discussing issues of particular significance to minorities.‘Tell Me More’ has quickly established itself as a uniquely original discussion forum that now airs on more than 100 public stations nationwide. Recent guests have included President Barack Obama.
A number of community leaders attended the invitation-only luncheon. In opening remarks General Manager Michael Ameigh reported that Michel Martin is building a following locally, attracting new WRVO members for whom Tell Me More is appointment listening. He urged those present to engage with WRVO to help expand reporting on important work they are WRVO Member Janet Reilly WRVO Member Joan Miller doing to revitalize the Syracuse community. with Michel Martin with Michel Martin
Donate A Vehicle to WRVO Whether it’s a classic or a junker, you get a tax deduction and WRVO gets the proceeds from the sale. Consider donating your vehicle to WRVO. Turn it into great NPR news and information programming. Programs like “Morning Edition,” “All Things Considered” and, of course, “CAR TALK!” Cars, trucks, SUVs, boats, RVs, Camper trailers and other vehicles or equipment are welcome. In most cases, your vehicle can be picked up at no cost to you, making the process even easier Here’s how it works: w You call Insurance Auto Auctions at (315) 699-2622. w Tell them you’d like to donate a vehicle on behalf of WRVO. w They arrange to pick up and auction your vehicle at a time convenient to you. w WRVO is notified by the auctioneer when your vehicle is sold. w We send you an acknowledgement letter within 30 days of receiving notification of the sale. The form you receive is your 1098C for tax purposes. It’s that easy! If you have other questions about donating a vehicle, feel free to call us at 1-800-341-3690 or check out the vehicle donation section of our website, WRVO.org.
Follow WRVO online at www.facebook.com/WRVOPublicRadio and twitter.com/wrvo 3 Your Support of WRVO Syracuse Studio Site Public Media is Critical in Planning
WRVO keeps you Planning is well underway for a informed and WRVO studio and office complex entertained every in the SUNY Oswego Metro day. We bring you Center on Clinton Square in NPR’s ongoing downtown Syracuse. The facility, coverage of national located in the Atrium building, will and international house a talk studio, control room, news events, from editing facilities for reporters, and historic uprisings in workspaces for underwriting the Middle East that and administrative personnel. are sure to change the face of geopolitics It will serve as a remote studio to devastating for live hookups with NPR and earthquakes and other program producers seeking other natural to interview central New York disasters and their residents. A conference area for aftermath. small networking events and WRVO and NPR are your source for accurate information and similar activities will also be in-depth analysis. And now it is more important than ever to included. The facility is expected support the in-depth news and information you get from WRVO to open in late summer or early and NPR. fall.
Your tax-deductible investment will ensure that when you tune to WRVO, we’ll be there to keep you informed with stories that are trenchant and touching, humorous and heart-warming.
WRVO is listener-powered radio. We rely on our members for over half of our overall operating budget. This year, WRVO will spend close to $500,000 to bring you programs like Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Car Talk not including the money we need to keep the lights on and the transmitters working.
Public radio works best when everyone does his or her part. $500,000 may seem like a lot of money but when thousands of people just like you join the WRVO community and chip in what they can afford, we can continue to serve Central and Northern New York with the programming you expect.
Your donation to WRVO is tax-deductible. Gifts of cash, stock and securities are welcome anytime. You can make your donation in the return envelope inserted in this newsletter, or contribute online at WRVO.org. You can also call us at 1-800-341-3690.
Remember: All donations are tax deductible, and thank you.
Contact WRVO at 1-800-341-3690 or e-mail to [email protected] 4 A Look at Who is Listening to WRVO From time to time we analyze data gathered from We are making a concerted third-party audience surveys to monitor who we are effort to become more reaching and gauge listening patterns. Doing so relevant to all listeners helps us make programming decisions and identify in our program selection clusters of potential listeners we are not reaching. and by adopting new Our mission is to serve the entire community, and so distribution technology that we have an obligation to reach out to those who do make our service available not listen, for whatever reason, just as we work to over smartphones, iPads serve our core audience. and other mobile devices. Here is what we know. Our core audience comprises In this age of online Michel Martin with WRVO General Manager adults aged 50 plus. Education and professional streaming our audience is Michael Ameigh achievement markers are high, and audience loyalty growing outward, too, well is outstanding. Our audience has been growing for beyond the reach of our broadcast transmitters. In years, a trend that continues. recent years we have attracted members from every county in New York State, almost every state, and We do need to attract more younger adults. New beyond national borders (note: WRVO has always had media technology is shifting the way all of us get a significant audience in southern Ontario, Canada). our news and information, and so-called Millennials Local ‘snowbirds’ now take us with them to Florida, are leading that march. Still, there is reason to be Arizona and other winter havens. WRVO is ‘going optimistic. We should not assume they are marching viral.’ Very cool. These are truly amazing times. away from us. Finally, I want to thank Matthew Seubert and Recently Fred Vigeant and I attended a talk by Elizabeth Christensen, long-time coordinators of Michel Martin, host of NPR’s ‘Tell Me More,’ development and underwriting services here at one in a series of lectures at S.U.’s Newhouse WRVO. Both have moved on to new positions with School. The hall was filled with students. When other organizations in recent months. Matt and Liz Michel acknowledged our presence and mentioned anchored on-air fundraisers, were familiar voices on the WRVO call letters, the students broke into the station, made huge contributions to our success. spontaneous, sustained applause. We were stunned We wish them the very best. - and delighted. It is clear they ARE listening - and responsive to what they are hearing. And thank you for your ongoing support of WRVO Public Media. It is extremely gratifying to learn first-hand that WRVO is appreciated by college students, especially - Michael S. Ameigh, General Manager WRVO since they do not show well in radio surveys. Public Media [email protected]
5 Reporter Ryan Delaney Follows the Upstate Economy
WRVO Innovation Trail Schenectady, and the central region represented by reporter Ryan Delaney WRVO. reports on economic issues affecting central and northern Innovation Trail is funded in part by the non-profit New York. He recently sat Corporation for Public Broadcasting. One of seven down with William Dudley, Local Journalism Centers, or LJCs, around the president of the Federal country, Innovation Trail is promoting collaborations Reserve Bank of New York, among public stations that produce news and public Dudley was in Syracuse for a affairs programming. Over the past year its reports series of talks on the economy. have aired on all five Innovation Trail stations and Referring to central New on NPR’s flagship programs Morning Edition and All Ryan Delaney York Dudley declared, “The Things Considered. educational establishment is Originally from Burlington, Vermont, Ryan joined world-class and the amount of innovation that those WRVO in January. His reporting has also aired institutions are driving is substantial.” on New Hampshire Public Radio and Vermont Delaney’s full report on Dudley’s remarks is available Public Radio, and his work has been honored by for download from WRVO.org, as are many others the Syracuse Press Club. Ryan has a degree in that track developments on the regional economy. broadcast journalism and international relations from Ryan is one of a team of six reporters assigned to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications public stations in Buffalo, Rochester, Binghamton, and the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.
New Station WRVH to Serve Thousand Islands Region
WRVO’s newest repeater station, WRVH, will sign on the air this spring with service to the greater Thousand Islands region of northern New York and southern Ontario, Canada. WRVH, broadcasting from Clayton, New York, will be heard at 89.3FM. At nearly 8,000 watts it will be one of the most powerful signals in the WRVO nine-station network, second only to the primary 50,000 watt transmitter at Oswego. WRVH will provide service to a number of areas where signal coverage from other WRVO repeater stations has been weak to non-existent, particularly on the western edges of Cape Vincent and within the St. Lawrence River valley. It will also provide stronger coverage in the Watertown and nearby Fort Drum areas.
With the addition of WRVH, WRVO Public Media will have nine transmitters serving more than 15 counties of upstate New York. Transmitters are located at Oswego; Syracuse; Utica; Copenhagen (Watertown); Watertown; Hamilton; Geneva; and Norwich. The WRVO signal is also rebroadcast part-time by stations licensed to Colgate University and the State University of New York at Cortland.
Contact WRVO at 1-800-341-3690 or e-mail to [email protected] 6 WRVO to Host Diane Rehm in October
Diane Rehm, highly acclaimed host of The Diane Rehm Show, one of NPR’s premiere discussion programs (heard Monday through Friday from 10AM - noon on WRVO), will be a guest of WRVO for a series of events including a public appearance at Syracuse Stage on Tuesday evening, October 23rd. Tickets will be available at WRVO.org. Diane’s visit will include a private reception for Cornerstone Society members and other events. Diane Rehm began her extraordinary career in public radio in 1973 as a volunteer at WAMU in Washington, D.C. where her program continues to originate. She began hosting the program in 1979 when it was titled Kaleidoscope. The program’s name was changed to The Diane Rehm Diane Rehm Show in 1984. Diane speaks openly about her chronic vocal malady, spasmodic disphonia, a condition that affects the character of her on-air voice. She took a hiatus from the program in 1998 to undergo treatment, and since returning to the air she has hosted the program continuously. More information about Diane’s visit to to the area will be posted at WRVO.org in the near future.
Spring Fundraiser a Success
Thanks to all who contributed during the spring 2012 fundraiser. Culminating in a one day on-air ‘Thousand Member Thursday,’ the fundraiser began on February 1st with WRVO’s traditional ‘Foneless February’ call for support. Our goal to raise more than $200,000 and sign up 1,000 new members was met, assuring that WRVO will continue to provide the full schedule of NPR and other programs our listeners have come to expect.
Funds raised in our on-air appeals are used to pay for programming. WRVO spends more than $500,000 annually in fees to NPR, American Public Media, Public Radio International, and other producers. Additional funding sources include grants, event proceeds and program underwriting revenues that cover technical and payroll expense.
WRVO is non-profit. All proceeds from all sources are used for station operations. Our mission is to inform, educate, enlighten, and entertain listeners with high-quality balanced programming with broad appeal. To learn more about WRVO, visit WRVO.org. To review our audited financial statements, select the ‘about us’ link at the bottom of the page.
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