THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 2, 1996 TAG: 9610020635
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: 127 lines
To all those public radio fans forced to switch stations in the Albemarle this summer, it's time to reprogram car radios and home stereos.
WRVS-FM is back.
The Elizabeth City State University radio station - one of the nation's only college-owned public radio affiliates - is expected to return to the airwaves Thursday morning.
The station has been off the air since July 3, when a nearby office fire at Williams Hall caused severe smoke damage to radio equipment at the station, also housed in the building.
General Manager Edith Thorpe said that costs for equipment cleaning were still being tabulated. The toll the fire took on listeners, she said, was easier to pin down.
No matter where Thorpe was this summer - on campus, at church, at home or in the store - people would come up to her and ask, ``When are you coming back?''
``It was really a travesty for the station to have that happen to us, but it was good to know that people missed the station and recognized that we do serve the community,'' Thorpe said Tuesday.
The student-run station is hoping to cash in on that support during its fourth annual Successfest, an on-air fund-raiser scheduled for Oct. 27 through Nov. 3.
``We've had an opportunity to really plan it like never before,'' Thorpe said.
The 10-year-old radio station, located on the ECSU campus and served by a 40,000-watt tower, has an estimated audience of 35,000, comprised mostly of 18- to 24-year-olds. Nearly half of all listeners live in Hampton Roads, Thorpe said.
The signal, picked up on 89.9 FM, is broadcast within a 100-mile radius of Elizabeth City. The next closest public radio station in northeastern North Carolina is in New Bern.
In the past three years, student-produced programming has received regional honors from the Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals.
This year, Echos of Excellence Awards were given to the sports talk show ``In The Locker Room'' and ``An Important Date In Black History.''
While the station was off the air this summer, the staff sent out 1,000 listener surveys. Six hundred have been returned to date.
The survey centered on NPR programming, generally considered the staple of public radio stations.
Among the findings: Listeners preferred news digests over longer ``All Things Considered,'' a longer program.
``They definitely want the information, but they want it short and sweet,'' Thorpe said.
In response, national news updates are woven into weekdays' locally produced ``The Morning Show'' from 6 to 9 a.m. and ``Afternoon Traffic Jam'' from 3 to 7 p.m. The latter also includes an hour of ``All Things Considered.''
In between, listeners will be treated to ``Morning Joy'' from 9 a.m. to noon and ``Mellow Moods in the Afternoon'' from noon to 3 p.m.
Evenings are rounded out with ``The Hip Hop Connection'' from 7 to 10 p.m. and ``Nite Winds'' from 10 until 1 a.m.
Two national programs returning on weekends are ``Jazz Set With Branford Marsalis'' at 1 p.m. Sundays and ``Live Jazz from Lincoln Center'' at 7 p.m. the same day.
Another survey finding was the lack of listeners offering financial support.
``There is a large percentage of people who want NPR, but they do not want to support public radio,'' Thorpe said. ``We need to educate our listening audience about what the `public' in public radio means.''
Unlike commercial radio, which relies on advertising for revenue, public radio and television must use fund-raisers to offset state and federal monies.
Because the station is operated primarily by minorities on a historically African-American campus, WRVS qualifies for a substantial discount on NPR programs.
Still, the station pays about $13,000 to $15,000 annually for its current lineup of NPR shows.
Thorpe, who has served as general manager for eight years, is hoping to raise $30,000 by the end of this year for operating expenses. That's double last year's efforts.
Among methods designed to raise money are receptions by listeners, to be held during SuccessFest '96. Groups of 10, normally from the same business or organization, meet to collectively donate $890.00 ($89.90 each) to the radio station. Donors then are announced on the air.
Ten receptions already have been confirmed, Thorpe said. ``We're excited. And we're more than ready to go back on the air.''
As for the future, Thorpe is hoping to someday up the wattage of the station to 100,000. That will require a new tower to be built off-campus, preferably on donated land.
She also would like to see the station remain on-air for 24 hours daily. It's quiet now from 1 to 6 a.m. ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC
THE PROGRAMS
WRVS-89.9 FM has been off the air since July but will return
Thursday with the following public affairs programs:
``Categories Live'' - A one-hour live, call-in talk show on
information and concerns in the Albemarle area.
``Target 2000'' - Two-minute segment offering advice on living to
African-Americans.
``Issues in Black Child Development'' - Two-minute program on
education and parenting.
``Family Commentary'' - Three- to four-minute program offering
advice on family relationships.
``Family Health'' - Three- to four-minute segment that answers
today's medical questions.
``Focus on Women'' - Two- to three-minute show featuring positive
role models for African-American women.
``In Black America'' - A 30-minute talk show on issues affecting
African-American communities.
``Like It Is'' - A 30-minute talk show featuring prominent
African-American leaders and speakers living on the Eastern Shore.
-------------------- ``Your Story House'' - Half-hour of
storytelling for children.
``Health Beat'' - A minute-long show on health issues frequently
encountered by African-Americans.
``ECSU Highlights'' - Two-minute program spotlighting Elizabeth
City State University achievements.
``The People's Pharmacy'' - A 30-minute talk show featuring
health care professionals.
``Rethink Recycling'' - A two-minute program focusing on
recycling.
``Job Bank'' - A five-minute program featuring job opportunities
listed at Employment Securities Commissions of North Carolina.
``Power Minutes'' - A motivational 60-second show aimed at
empowering listeners.
``Important Date in Black History'' - Spotlights important events
in black history.
For airtimes of these and other music and entertainment shows,
call the station at 335-3517. by CNB