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WRNC expands programming by becoming a Pacifica Network Affiliate

February 17, 2009

WRNC 97.7 FM, the Northland College community supported radio station, has become a Pacifica Network affiliate station, joining nearly 150 other independent radio stations around the nation and world sharing resources and shows. Pacifica is the oldest public radio network in the country and a leader in commercial-free community supported radio.

Although WRNC already airs "Democracy Now!" and "Free Speech Radio news," two of Pacifica's most popular shows, becoming an affiliate gives the radio station access to a wider variety of media produced by the affiliate stations. Some of the new shows already on the air include "Sprouts," a weekly program of varying subject matter that is produced by a different affiliate station each week. It airs on Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. Also new, "This Way Out, the International Gay and Lesbian Magazine," is broadcast on Fridays at 3:30 p.m. Interested listeners can also now hear "Letters From Washington: The First 100 Days," a special Pacifica program that focuses on the first 100 days of the Obama administration, which currently airs weekday mornings at 6:30 a.m. A complete programming schedule, as well as streaming internet radio, is available at wrnclp.org.

"Pacifica affiliation patches us in to an incredible network of community radio stations across the country and world," says Ed Morales, station manager at WRNC, "it will help us increase the regionally and nationally relevant cultural and current events discussions we offer, and it will help us develop our own local news programming."

Besides contemporary Pacifica programming, WRNC programmers now have access to an archive of Pacifica's past shows, one of the largest and most treasured radio archives available. It features years of historic broadcasts, such as interviews with Martin Luther King and Allen Ginsberg, as well as news broadcasts, event coverage, and discussions. Since 2002, Pacifica has been revisiting and restoring this collection of 40,500 audio tapes, many recorded as early as the 1950s, with the hope that they will provide social, cultural and artistic nourishmentfor those that hear them.

Becoming a Pacifica Affiliate marks another step in growth for WRNC, which has been broadcasting under its current Federal Communications Commission license since May of 2005. WRNC expanded to 24-hour broadcasting in January of 2008, using its automated music library to fill the schedule gaps. Since its creation, the station has added many more programmers and pre-recorded shows, tailoring to the diverse interests of listeners. Much of the station's success and growth has been fueled by the efforts and input of community members, and anyone interested in becoming involved in the station or working on producing a local radio news program should contact WRNC at radio@wrnclp.org.