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WBCR-news: February 2012

Coming to you live from the studios of WBCR-LP, 97.7 FM, Great Barrington…

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This spring, students from Bard College at Simon’s Rock and Monument Mountain Regional High School are getting ready to go on the air with a series of Citizen Journalism Project news shows, broadcasting stories of local, national and even international interest from the studios of WBCR-LP , Berkshire Community Radio.

Students will be learning the process of producing radio stories, from conceptualizing and pitching interesting ideas, to interviewing and structuring the script, to recording, editing and putting it all together live on the air, led by Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez, media studies faculty at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, and Mike Mooney, journalism faculty at Monument Mountain Regional High School.

What could be more fun?

But also, what could be more important for young people than to hone their civic engagement skills through becoming not just consumers, but also producers of informational media on topics that really matter?

Kudos go to the WBCR-LP volunteer programming committee staff, especially Ananda Timpane and Nick Ring, who are contributing their time and talents to getting the students trained and on the air in just a few short weeks.

When internet radio burst on to the media scene a few years back, some predicted the end of old-fashioned broadcast radio.

But there’s still something very special about being part of a community radio station grounded in the heart of a particular dot on the planet, where the people who live there are the ones running the board, conceiving and hosting the shows, and pumping out the music–not for money, but for the sheer joy of it.

When you drive through Great Barrington and tune in to 97.7 FM, it’s your friends and neighbors you’ll be hearing on the radio. And now, some cheerful, intelligent and very media-savvy students, too!

If you miss the live broadcasts, or you live far away, we’ll be archiving our shows here at WBCR-LP later this spring.  Come by and check us out!

→ Posted on Mon. February 13th, 2012 by wbcr-web.