EMU Radio Station to Broadcast 24/7
WEMC general manager Jon Kauffmann-Kennel finetunes changes in the non-commercial station's program lineup. The station is now on the air 24 hours a day.Photo by Jim Bishop
The new year brings a number of programming changes to 91.7 WEMC, the radio voice of Eastern Mennonite University, including broadcasting 24 hours a day.
The overnight programming will initially be the British Broadcasting Corporation’s World News Service.
"As we celebrate WEMC's 50th anniversary on the air, this is a great opportunity to extend the services that we provide to the community," said Jon Kauffmann-Kennel, WEMC general manager. "The BBC is among the most highly regarded news organizations in the world, providing a significant international perspective and stories often not covered by the mainstream U.S. media."
WEMC had begun its broadcast day with BBC news and features at 6 a.m. and signed off at midnight. Kauffmann-Kennel noted out that WEMC will now be on the air for those who awaken earlier than that. WEMC may ultimately decide to provide a mix of music and news overnight, he added.
WEMC went on the air the fall of 1955 as the first public radio station in Virginia. Today, the station provides a mix of alternative news sources, including programming from the BBC and National Public Radio, and music blocks that includes classical, jazz, folk and world music.
While the station has been testing the overnight broadcast this week, other new-year changes are effective Monday, Jan. 2:
News and Information
New among the news and public affairs programs is "Fifty-One Percent," a national program that takes a global look at the lives and concerns of women - 51 percent of the world’s population - from human rights and politics to the arts and literature. It will air 6:30 p.m. Mondays.
"A World of Possibilities" moves from that timeslot to Thursdays at 6 p.m., with "Alternative Radio" moving to 10 p.m. Saturdays. Returning to the WEMC lineup is the "Sunday Night Special," featuring a variety of specials, documentaries and "best of{" programs, airing 10 p.m. Sundays/
Also joining the lineup is "Word for the Wise," a two-minute look at language—word origins, language myths and stories about words. It will air Monday through Friday afternoons at 12:06 p.m., replacing "Weather Notebook," which is ending production.
Music Programs
New to WEMC is “Acoustic Cafe,” a two-hour national program showcasing new acoustic music, including rare acoustic cuts, classic tracks, plus exclusive live in-studio interviews and performances each week. It will air 8-10 p.m. Saturdays. "Wavelength" moves up from that slot to 4-6 p.m. Saturdays. Host Ted Grimsrud features a strong mix of folk music with blues, country and rock, focusing on a particular theme each week.
Another folk program joining WEMC is "River City Folk," hosted by musician Tom May, featuring interviews and in-studio performances with musicians. It will air Saturdays at 6 p.m., replacing "Loafer’s Glory," a program that host Utah Philips no longer produces.
WEMC will broadcast the 2005 Cleveland International Piano Competition on Sundays at 3 p.m. The 13-week series will take listeners through the initial rounds of the competition, the semifinals that include concertos performed with The Cleveland Orchestra, then the final four. The last program is the Winner’s Recital featuring Chu-Fang Huang.
WEMC’s complete program schedule in available at the station’s web site, www.emu.edu/wemc.
