Dear Members and Friends, Thanks for your support of KMUW as a member, listener, donor or volunteer. The public radio community you help create is an invaluable resource for Wichita and the surrounding area. We appreciate your participation in the work we do, whether you volunteer at an event, provide feedback on a story you heard, or contribute the dollars it takes to operate the station. A decade ago, the programming staff at the station began a concerted effort to focus KMUW on news and information by building the lineup of national and international programs. Our listeners responded positively, and now we are serving a larger audience than ever. Three years ago, staff conducted a strategic planning process to help KMUW through the ever- changing landscape of public radio and the evolving forms of information delivery. KMUW is facing more competition than ever before – from satellite programs, podcasts, webcasts, and blogs, as well as magazines and newspapers. We recognized that the key to long-term viability would be our coverage of local news, our production of local music programs, and our community engagement. We strive to be a trust- ed source of in-depth local news and music, as well as a provider of programs from NPR and other national distributors. As a result, KMUW has increased its local content in a number of ways. We’ve added more in-depth features, more reports for our local newscasts, more commentaries and more website content. We now offer 25 hours of locally-produced music programming each week and nine hours every weekend. And we’re not stopping there. Our new host, Briana O’Higgins, will soon go beyond Morning Edition reporting in an upcoming health series. All of this is to say that – at a time of unprecedented change in the world of broadcast and other media – when anyone can say just about anything through just about any technology platform and call it “news” – when information about local, national and world events and culture are more critical than ever, requiring more solid, professional and accurate journalism – KMUW and its staff are committed to bringing you the most honest, accurate, intelligent and relevant reporting of local news and information and the broadest local cultural programming you will find anywhere in the area. It’s all for you. And where we go from here is up to you, too. Thank you for embracing the journey. Sincerely, Mark McCain General Manager 2 MISSION STATEMENT Wichita Public Radio is a trusted source of local, national and world news, providing its audience with a broad discussion of ideas, and a distinctive blend of diverse music and entertainment, while operating as a significant public service of Wichita State University. VISION To fulfill its mission of public service, Wichita Public Radio will expand the reach and quality of its local news and informa- tion programming to become the standard for local reporting of substantive issues, current events of interest to the community and coverage of the arts in and around Wichita. KMUW will: • Define its local music programming focus to reflect its mission to provide a unique blend of jazz, blues, world and adult-acoustic-alternative, with consistency of style, content and quality of presentation • Reflect the core values of public radio in all programming elements • Maximize staff capabilities through station-wide application of the core values of public radio, ongoing skills training, and continuing education opportunities to deliver identified results • Evaluate allocation of resources within the station's key strategic areas to meet growth oppor- tunities identified by the strategic plan • Provide staff with contemporary and reliable technology to develop and deliver content to better serve the audience through various delivery systems • Develop a strong, diverse and reliable resource base to ad- equately meet the current and future demands of the station KMUW ranked 19th in the Winter 2010 AQH Share, Metro 12+, diary-based markets by Arbitron of more than 800 non-commercial radio stations 3 Commentaries: • Local bluegrass musician and cartoon- O’Higgins Movin On Down ist Richard Crowson joined KMUW’s roster of local Morning Edi- tion commentaries. The Road Crowson’s thoughts More Local News, Music run a lively gamut from humorous to political & Community Events every other Friday. • Tanya Tandoc, local food star, shares her cur- rent food obsessions in the form of ethnic and off-the-beaten path restaurant reviews, alternating News & Features: Fridays with Crowson. • Briana O’Higgins took over as Morning • Crowson and Tandoc join Chris Heim’s Music Edition host this spring. She comes to KMUW Roundup of weekly regional concert listings, Jim fresh from her experience at public radio sta- Erickson’s Movie and Sarah Bagby’s Book reviews. tions KUSP in Santa Cruz, Calif., and WYSO Look for the additional content at www.kmuw.org. in Yellow Springs, Ohio. O’Higgins is on the streets as a reporter as well. She has reported on such varied topics as wild mustangs and I have had so many lovely comments about the local politics. interview that Carla Eckels did with me and the Crowson • Frank Dudgeon, former Morning Edition way that she covered the Komen Race for the Cure. host, moved to host All Things Considered. KMUW is my very favorite radio station. I feel Dudgeon spent more than seven years rising that it is a priceless value, and I know so many before the sun and is enjoying his new gig, other people who feel that way. which allows for more news and political - WSU First Lady Shirley Beggs reporting. • Fletcher Powell transitioned from Music Programming: his position as • KMUW listeners have been getting to know a board opera- the new contemporary and local music scene tor to a producer of more since Strange Currency host Jedd Beaudoin Kasellfeatures and on-air seg- expanded the program beyond its original two- ments. Powell’s contribu- hours-a-week slot to six-days-a-week. The two- tions now include news and hour show now airs Monday through Friday from cultural affairs stories. 10pm to midnight, and Saturdays from 8pm to 10pm. The program also boasts another ad- dition in the form of Currency Exchange, in which an informal performance of one of Strange Currency Beaudoin’s guests is recorded at the station and is available in video and audio form online. 4 O’Higgins Movin On Down Strange Currency’s expansion in July afforded Beau- doin the opportunity to draw from a broader musi- music from legends such as Aretha Franklin, Ste- The Road cal selection and to dedicate more time to local and vie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, as well as contem- regional music including Kira Small, Chris Opper- porary gospel favorites like Yolanda Adams and More Local News, Music man, underground legend Peter Case, and Chad BeBe and CeCe Winans. “Even though many of Bryan of The Ants. “The response to the expansion the soul icons are still producing new music,” she & Community Events of the show has been overwhelmingly positive,” says, “there’s a lack of radio stations that actually Beaudoin says, “and I hope that in the coming year play their product, so I’m delighted to be able more listeners will find time to tune in.” to do so.” Soulsations airs from 6pm to 7pm on Sundays. In addition to Strange Currency, Beaudoin has been hosting Wichita Sessions on KPTS Channel 8. • In addition to new music hours, KMUW has KMUW’s Director of Engineering Jon Cyphers re- made an impression with one of its favorite offer- cords the show and the audio portion is broadcast ings that has already stood the test of time. Global during Strange Currency. Local groups featured Village, the world musical adventure hosted by have been Moreland and Arbuckle, The Sluggos, Chris Heim weeknights at 9pm, has been rede- Gooding, Split Lip Rayfield and Elliot Road. signed for a national audience and has already been taken into the broadcasting schedule by other public radio stations - a sign of true quality. Crowson• Even more local music comes in the form of a new jazz show, Straight No Chaser, hosted by Bill Pearce. The local jazz aficionado and former jazz show host offers straight ahead jazz from 10pm to midnight on Sundays. Kasell • A new program to hit the airwaves is News • Barry Gaston’s Jazz Cafe and Moonglow continue Producer Carla Eckels’ Soulsations. “I wanted to the jazz tradition on KMUW. fill a void on the KMUW airwaves for old school From airwaves to Internet waves, KMUW has and new soul,” says Eckels. “Also, as a former made long strides in bringing the best locally gospel announcer of over 20 years, I wanted to created music programming to its coverage area, maintain gospel music programming. Thankfully, and as interest continues to grow, KMUW will I was allowed to produce both!” Eckels features Strange Currency do the same. R&B, Motown and gospel music in her program, which began in August of 2009. Soulsations offers 5 National Broadcasts of Local Stories by Carla Eckels New School Greensburg, KS Shirley Phelps Roper in Court Martin Luther King Lost Tapes Banning Teen Cell Phone Use While Driving Undertaker Wants to Revive Kansas Town WSU 1970s Memorial-- 40th Anniversary, WSU Football President of NOW in Wichita Players and Administrators Killed in Plane Crash Air Quality Rating Dr. Schnieder and His Wife Several spot stories - Tiller Death Sentencing Selected Feature Stories By KMUW Staff - Goyle Pompeo Debate at WSU - Wichita Smoking Ban - NBC World Series Tournament - Sister Mary Ann Catherine - WSU First Lady Shirley Beggs, Race for the Cure - Alex Taylor, Mentholatum Factory - Kansas Dropout Prevention Summit Lyle Lovett, Flinthills Symphony On The Plains - Katrina Brown’s Emmy Nominated Film - Jay Price - Wichita’s Lebanese Heritage - WSU Professor Adopts Haitian Child - Wichita Art Museum’s 75th Anniversary - Earth Day, Goddard High School - Flinthills Symphony on the Plains - Smart’s Palace Venue, Recording Studio - Josh Tickell, Documentary “FUEL” - WSU’s Marilyn Yourdin, H1N1 Virus - J Mosch, Heart of America Men’s Chorus - Susan Dyer, 5th Kansas Author Dinner Sister Ann making neighborhood rounds – Northern Flyer Alliance Rail Service - WSU’s Dr.