THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 20, 1996 TAG: 9604200383
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MYLENE MANGALINDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
If you haven't watched or read about Hampton Roads' discussion of regionalism, now you can listen to it.
WHRV-FM, channel 89.5, aired its first radio roundtable entitled ``Hampton Roads: What's in it for me?'' on Friday. It's the radio station's attempt to discuss the pitfalls and benefits of regional cooperation and economic development. WHRV's television affiliate WHRO, channel 15, ran a program in January under the same title but in a studio panel format.
``The objective of doing this is to continue the community discussion and point to the next regional town meeting,'' David Ferraro, WHRO's executive producer and manager of local programs.
``We're going to talk about different topics that pertain to regionalism and economic development. To paraphrase, `It's about jobs, stupid.' ''
Four people participated on the radio studio panel: Brad Face, president of the Future of Hampton Roads; Dr. Bill Winter of the Joseph Center at Christopher Newport University; James K. Hall of the accounting firm Edmondson, LedBetter & Ballard; J. Brewer Moore, commissioner of Hampton Road Sanitation District.
Some call-in listeners shared their thoughts too, and that will continue as part of the interactive format for the station's one-hour discussions Fridays at noon.
Transportation was identified as one of the most pressing issues that will face the region. Competitor cities and the role of public officials and the private sector in the regionalism effort was also discussed.
In the next five weeks, programs will introduce global perspectives. They will lead up to WHRO's next television town meeting on regionalism, which will air May 21.
``We often compared ourselves to Richmond, Charlotte,'' Ferrarro said. ``We need to compare ourselves to London, Hong Kong. It's a global economy and it's about economic city-states.''
``We're really competing in the world, not just down I-64 or 95,'' said Betty Luse, one of the radio program's producers.
KEYWORDS: REGIONALISM TOWN MEETING COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS by CNB