A Conversation With Robin Turnau

On Wednesday, April 6th at 2:00 I’ll be taking listener calls, and I welcome your thoughts and ideas. Every day we get email messages and Facebook comments about our programming. I thought I’d share a sampling of comments that we’ve received in the past few weeks to get you thinking about what you like and don’t like about VPR, VPR Classical, and VPR.net.

“Please get rid of “Speaking of Faith, “The Story”, and that bad space music show on Saturday night.”

“VPR is a wonderful community resource and an honest source of accurate, unbiased news.”

“Please dispense with the mind-numbingly vapid local commentaries.”

“As much as I have loved My Place over the years, it seems like it’s become more and more common to hear music from the 40’s and 50’s. Is that really what listeners care about??”

“The best of VPR Classical are the local programs. The worst is Bill McLaughlin. Second worst is From the Top. Performance Today is so-so.”

“I am very upset that you have not yet provided the whole state with the classical music station except for HD radio.”

“I find the idea of VPR as “too liberal” to be totally false. In fact, it seems to me that conservative viewpoints get more coverage than liberal and no one at all covers anything that might be considered “radical”."

“I really love NPR but I find the on-air fundraising SO annoying. Anything you can do to shorten or eliminate fund drives would be enormously appreciated.”

“When (not if) your public funding is cut, you need to get rid of your duplicate radio service for classical music. This is exactly why I haven’t joined NPR – though I listen A LOT – if you have $$ to double the # of stations that you used to have, you don’t need additional funds.”

“During the recent pledge drive, we were told that Car Talk is your most expensive program. If you ever have to cut any programming to save money, Car Talk should be the first to go.”

“Garrison Keillor is tiresome and smug. Please drop Writer’s Almanac and the Prairie Home Companion.”

“Why so much jazz?”

“Your local news is too fluffy and not that newsworthy. Stop talking about having a feed from the floor of the legislature – boring.”

“The Statehouse stream is great to listen to when I'm interested in a vote but can't get there.”

“I think that having a daily Vermont Edition was a very good idea; Jane Lindholm does a terrific job. I also really enjoy Mitch Wertlieb in the morning.”



Let me know your thoughts by emailing me in advance at conversation@vpr.net, or call Wednesday afternoon between 2:00 and 3:00. And thanks!

Robin Turnau, VPR President

Federal Funding Update: March 15

The past week has been very difficult for public radio. The unfortunate events at NPR have put the public radio system in greater jeopardy of losing federal funding, and have eclipsed the incredible service provided every day by the reporters, producers, and hosts at VPR, NPR, and at public radio stations across the country.


Federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting provides approximately $600,000 annually to VPR, and these funds, combined with listener contributions, business underwriting, and some foundation giving provide the essential revenue VPR needs to bring you the news, music, and cultural programming you count on every day. If CPB funding were lost, VPR would need to make cuts that would affect our program schedule and newsroom. 
 
This week, the U.S. House will take two very important votes regarding funding for public broadcasting:

On Thursday, the House is expected to vote on a “Defund NPR” measure that would prohibit any CPB funds from going directly to NPR and that would prohibit stations from using CPB money to buy programs from NPR, including programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

The House will also consider H.J. Res 48, a three-week continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the government through April 8th. While we are pleased that this legislation preserves the FY11 funding for CPB ($430 million), it eliminates funding for the Public Telecommunications Facility Program (PTFP), which has helped VPR repair, rebuild and/or replace critical broadcast equipment. Vermont’s harsh winters are tough on our broadcast equipment, and the mountainous terrain means that we need more broadcast facilities to provide a clear strong signal throughout the region. Most recently, PTFP funding allowed VPR to double the power of WRVT 88.7 in Rutland, increasing the quality of the signal for all listeners and expanding the coverage area to bring public radio to some residents of that area for the first time.


These two votes will have lasting implications for the future of public broadcasting. Please contact your Members of Congress in the House today to express your opinion. You'll find links to take action at www.170millionamericans.org or at the170 Million Americans Facebook page.

Thank you for all you do for VPR and public radio!

Federal Funding Update

We’ve heard from many listeners who share our concern about the potential loss of federal funding for public broadcasting. The situation in Washington is fluid, so I wanted to update you on the latest news.

In an effort to avoid a March 4 shutdown of the federal government, the House passed a short-term, continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government for two more weeks. While this stopgap measure cuts $4 billion in discretionary spending for FY 2011, it continues to fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) at current levels.

This is not a guarantee that public broadcasting won’t be targeted for elimination again in a few weeks, but this short-term CR gives us more time to speak up and spread the word. The good news is that your efforts are helping! In the VPR listening region and around the country, public media users have contacted their representatives to voice their support of federal funding.

The exclusion of public broadcasting from the list of targeted cuts in the short-term CR is a clear victory. But the battle is far from over and we still need your help. The threat remains real as the Senate will likely be asked to vote on the CR that the House passed in February, which eliminates all federal funding for public broadcasting.

The total federal appropriation for public broadcasting for this fiscal year comes out to just $1.35 per American citizen. This compares to Germany’s $25, Canada's $44, Japan’s $60, Britain’s $80, and Denmark’s $100 per person investment in their public media.

I know that times are hard and tough choices need to be made. But I also believe the return on the investment made by the federal government in public broadcasting does more than fund station operations; it strengthens communities and provides the educational, economic, and cultural impact we need - especially now.

I believe our country needs public media today more than ever, and I hope you will sign up at 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting to stay informed about the situation.

Many thanks for all you do!

Conversation with Robin

I’ll be taking listener calls tonight at 7:00, and I welcome your thoughts and ideas. Every day we get email messages and Facebook comments about our programming, and now you can easily add your voice to the mix. What programs do you look forward to, and what programs are you happy to miss? What do you want to know about VPR? Are you curious about why Radio Lab isn’t on every weekend, or how VPR is doing financially, or why we’ve added more VPR news at 4:04 and 5:04 in the afternoon? You can write to me in advance at community@vpr.net, or call Wednesday evening between 7:00 and 8:00.


Looking forward to hearing from you!

Robin Turnau

VPR President & CEO

VPR Classical Coming to Central Vermont

Vermont Public Radio has entered a purchase agreement to buy WCVR 102.1 FM, based in Randolph.

The new frequency will bring VPR Classical to a large swath of central Vermont centered around Randolph, from Northfield south to Woodstock, from Route 100 in the west almost to I-91 in the east.

Pending approval of the purchase by the FCC, we expect VPR Classical to begin broadcasting on 102.1 FM this summer. WOXM 90.1, a new station based in Middlebury, will also go on the air this summer, bringing VPR Classical to Addison County (coverage map is below).

With these two new stations, more than 150,000 listeners will have now have access to VPR Classical, moving VPR closer to its strategic goal of making this important resource available statewide. VPR continues to assess other areas of the state including Rutland, southern Vermont, and the Northeast Kingdom.

Stay tuned for more details as these new stations get closer to going on the air!

Conversation with Robin

I’ll be taking calls tomorrow afternoon at 2:00, and I welcome your thoughts and ideas. It’s easy to sit back and enjoy the programming that comes to you every day on VPR and VPR Classical, but it’s important for your voice to be heard. Let me know what programs you can’t do without, as well as those programs that have you reaching for the off button on your radio. Are you curious about how VPR is doing financially, how VPR is run, or how to volunteer your time? You can write to me in advance, or call in Wednesday afternoon from 2:00 – 3:00.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Robin Turnau
VPR President & CEO