BRATTLEBORO — Sitting in the control room of WVEW LP, 107.7 FM, behind the console, I see the walls decorated with flyers for particular shows, upcoming music events, and announcements for the D.J.s. There is a shared-living-room kind of feel about the place.
Pitching in is an everyday necessity. One of the announcers decided to clean up the studio while her show was on last week. Another noticed the need for blinds in the windows, and made some. An air conditioner appeared in one of the windows after a weekend announcer had trouble working in the heat.
I delight in playing old vinyl records. There are two turntables in the control room and racks of vintage material in the lobby, which are, more or less, in alphabetical order. Mailboxes are set up in the hall, and it's good to check and see if there's a message on the website as well.
Sometimes it's a matter of improvising during the live program, as some of the equipment has known to be temperamental.
But all in all, I fully agree with program host Aron Riain when he describes Brattleboro Community Radio as “a labor of love that touches people.”
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Billie Holiday fades into Bob Dylan. Reggae meets alternative rock. Blues, big band, and bluegrass styles are all welcome, as community radio continues to evolve in Brattleboro. The programming here is so varied, it makes public radio look tame by comparison.
What had started as Radio Free Brattleboro has morphed into a 100-watt station where all the decisions are made by consensus of the announcers.
“Community radio provides full access to the airwaves for people and reflects our diverse population.” says Program Coordinator Larry Bloch.
I'm one of those diverse people, known as “Unkle Al” on the airwaves. Since I enjoy finding music I've never heard before, and playing many different styles, I host a program called “Hodgepodge” on Saturday mornings. During the week I'll try to come up with a theme or listen to three or four albums from different artists I might like to play.
After 25 years of working in radio, I find this station unlike anywhere else I've ever broadcast.
For those who've worked in commercial radio, the freedom of not having a play list or program director can be an opportunity to let one's personality shine.
“I much prefer working for community radio, because nobody can hand me a playlist. I play whatever I want, and what the community wants – taking requests for different types of music,” says D.J. Cam, who hosts Carousel Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“Right now we reach from Northfield, Mass. in the south, into Hinsdale and Chesterfield, N.H. and to the north through Windham, Townsend, and Putney,” Riain says. The station, on the second floor of the Brooks Building overlooking Main Street, also reaches out worldwide at www.WVEW.com, and streams 24 hours a day.
At 100 watts, WVEW is not exactly booming through southern Vermont, but Riain says that's not the point.
“All access, non-commercial, free-format community radio is liberating and beautiful,” he says.
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People might remember the headlines when Radio Free Brattleboro was broadcasting without the permission of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The station's organizers felt their authority to be on the air should be derived from the people, not the federal agency.
It all started back in '97 when flyers were posted, asking people if they'd like to discuss the idea of starting a radio station. The original power was one-third of a watt, some 300 people took part, and broadcasting came from the teen center.
Into this peaceful scene FCC agents arrived.
After the FCC's visit, station organizers turned to the community. Some 3,000 signatures were collected. At Representative Town Meeting a 2-to-1 majority voted to support Radio Free Brattleboro.
But none of this mattered to the FCC, which took the matter to court. A judge signed an injunction to force the station to stop broadcasting, and in came the agents to seize the equipment.
About this same time, the FCC developed a new 100-watt Low Power license, and in September of 2006 one was issued to Vermont Earth Works, giving birth to WVEW. The nonprofit charity holds the station's non-transferable license.
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One program originating at WVEW has gone on to syndicated success: “This Show is So Gay,” hosted by Ken Schneck.
“This Show is So Gay has listeners around the world, and I'm constantly surprised at who's out there,” says Sheehan, who recently left the show.
It's a blend of music and humor with serious topics sandwiched in between. Legislation affecting the gay community and interviews are featured.
It's struck a chord with many people, Sheehan says.
“We got a letter from a boy in Florida and another from a man in Texas who were feeling isolated,” she says. “They said just hearing the show helped them a lot.”
“Our whispers are helping people, making them feel better…getting them involved…making them care,” she adds.
This is all the more remarkable, since before learning at WVEW, Sheehan had absolutely no radio experience.
“I answered an ad for a co-host, and the station community has always been supportive. I've enjoyed working with people from all walks of life at WVEW that I probably otherwise wouldn't have met,” she says.
“I couldn't think of this happening anywhere else. WVEW is a fantastic place, and an exercise in democracy,” Sheehan says.
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A special event that also gets a lot of attention is Open Mic Night at Mocha Joe's.
“We try to keep it informal, anyone can some down, and there's been poetry, rap, prose readings, and live acoustic music,” host Lou Erlinger says.
Open Mic Night is always held on a Friday, usually somewhere in the middle of a month.
“Open Mic Night increases the visibility of WVEW and draws a pretty good crowd,” Erlinger says. Starting this month, “we're looking forward to broadcasting the show live from Mocha Joe's, using the Internet. If it works, we may use the same equipment for broadcasts during Gallery Walk,” he says.
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The station broadcasts other efforts, like “Democracy Now,” a show that “covers news that is unpleasant for the mainstream news to cover,” says John Penford.
Aired weekdays on WVEW from 5 until 6 p.m., “Democracy Now” is a national, daily, independent news program now on more than 700 stations in North America.
“I'm more than just a fan,” says Penford, who believes “mainstream news is corporate controlled and listener funded.”
“Democracy Now” provides what some would call a liberal voice to the news. Recent headlines included:
• U.K. deputy prime minister calls Iraqi invasion illegal.
• Record foreclosures expected in 2010.
• Anti-mountaintop removal candidate enters race for Byrd's Senate seat.
Penford listens on the job at the Brattleboro Post Office when the delivery trucks come in. “It's the best newscast internationally. Far and away the best you can find,” he says.
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On Sundays from 5 until 6 p.m., the “Write Action Poetry Hour” brings poetry and prose to a WVEW broadcast.
“It's an open forum on writing, featuring interviews with local and international artists,” according to Edmund Brelsford, a retired Marlboro College professor who coordinates the program.
The Poetry Hour grew out Write Action, a community-based, grassroots writer's organization formed in 1999 “to strengthen a community of writers in Brattleboro and the surrounding area; and to nurture, encourage, and promote the literary arts,” according to the group's website.
Now with more than 400 members, the organization has a 10th anniversary anthology that will debut at the Brattleboro Literary Festival this fall.
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Most shows on the station fall into two patterns.
Some shows offer a central theme or musical style, such as Steven Twiss's “Recycled Radio,” with swinging big bands (6 to 8 p.m. Saturdays) or Effie Michot's “Muddy Water,” featuring Cajun, Blues and New Orleans Brass (3 to 4 p.m. Sundays). Similarly, “Monkey and Mama” (noon to 1 p.m. Fridays), hosted by a mother and her young daughter, offers music, stories and poetry for the very young.
Other shows find unique ways to blend styles. Some hosts just like to go where the mood takes them in programs like Don Nolan's “Sunday Morning Radio Show” (8-10 a.m., on Sundays, of course). On Thursdays, “Jinn's Afternoon Delight” is on the air from 3:30 until 5 p.m., and from 6 until 8 p.m., “Charlie's Busy Doing Nothing.”
When a live DJ is not in the studio, an automated system plays music programmed into the computer by the announcing staff.
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It's not all easy going. There are a few challenges to be overcome.
For me, the lack of someone in charge is hard to get used to. At announcer meetings, participatory democracy can seem to take an awfully long time for people to come to any conclusion. It's hard to know whom to ask when you have a question.
Coming from commercial radio, I'm constantly amazed that WVEW's system of management - or lack thereof - can work, but it does. That magic of radio is definitely here, and because of some very dedicated people, everything seems to get done.
Program host Aron Riain has a similar feeling when it comes to Vermont Earth Works, “an educational non-profit serving the communities of Southern Vermont,” according to the station's website, whose mission is to “increase public access to educational, cultural, and environmental opportunities.”
“Nobody seems to know what Vermont Earth Works is, or what they do,” Riain says. “They're great people, but have nothing to do with [the operation of] WVEW. Management of the station is completely left to the program hosts. I'm appreciative of them holding the license, but feel like we're an anarchist collective in search of a board.”
These concerns may be addressed. From the summary of the DJ meeting posted on the bulletin board in the control room, I found the following:
“We now have many new members, underwriters and more visibility in the community, and we need to become more organized to survive. To this end, more people have been added to the 'parent' company's board, Vermont Earth Works, Inc., the majority of whom are D.J.'s, and we have been studying how other community stations operate.”
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It seems more and more people are tuning in and becoming aware of this cultural asset, but for those responsible for paying the bills at WVEW, it's sometimes a struggle to face the bottom line.
“When the economy went south, support for non-profits went down,” reflects Bloch, stressing, “We're not going off the air, but we do want to get better organized.”
Jim Maxwell, who hosts “Art Talk” on Friday afternoons, looks for businesses who would like to underwrite the station's offerings. Underwriters are mentioned regularly on the air and Maxwell says there are plans to enhance the benefits they receive, including putting their logos on WVEW's website.
“Our underwriters are an essential part of our budget, and I feel they reflect the programming diversity and forge a link between the station and community.” explains Maxwell.
“There's also a new way for individuals to become members of the station. It'll be a new way for listeners to participate,” Maxwell says.
A big membership drive is planed for September.
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WVEW will continue to be a platform for the community's voices in Brattleboro as much-needed changes in the organization of the station are being made.
“Everyone who goes on the air is raising the energy level, so someday we'll have a tower on Wantastiquet,” Riain says.
“In a nutshell, I enjoy the sound because announcers get to pick what they want to play, and have their own type of show, while on commercial radio you hear the same songs over and over again,” says Kevin Vitalis, one big supporter of WVEW who works in the deli at the Brattleboro Food Co-op.
I never take the ethereal magic of radio for granted as music comes out of the air. The diverseness and Brattleboro(ness) of 107.7 is unique - and that's the idea.
Stay tuned.