Dear President Bennet,
I’m writing to voice my strong concern about your proposal to associate WESU with NPR affiliate WSHU. It’s hard to see what educational purpose such an arrangement would serv—s I recall, you can already hear two NPR-affiliated stations in Middletown. But it is clear that the move would shrink the amount of space available to student and community programmers, and sacrifice local control over the programming grid.
I don’t doubt that you have picked up on some real problems facing WESU. You would be hard-pressed to find a community radio station anywher—uch less a volunteer-run college statio—hat doesn’t hit a rough patch from time to time. But don’t let that distract you from WESU’s strengths: For 65 years, the station has lit up the dial with locally produced programming, providing a creative outlet for its volunteers and a forum for the community at large. Even at its worst it provides a place on the dial where listeners can expect to be surprise—t its best it has provided a place where we can expect to be inspired. And it has persevered with minimal infrastructure, no paid staff, and only the most limited access to training, mentorship, and technical support.
Your solution to the challenges facing the station, as far as I can tell, is to lease away half of its airtime for roughly $50,000 a year-—chump change for an institution whose annual budget is nearly $150 million. The petty investments that students have asked for—decent facilities and a salaried manager—are a small price to pay to keep the station independent. If you’re serious about your commitment to quality educational programming, then dedicate resources to training and developing local programmers. At Wesleyan, WESU has access to a large, smart, motivated volunteer base—there’s no reason why, with competent management, the station can’t start paying its own way and further Wesleyan’s educational mission by serving as a hands-on adjunct to classroom instruction.
Brian Edwards-Tiekert
Environmental Reporter, KPFA 94.1 FM
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