Love Notes From Listeners

Friends of WGDR/WGDH -

One of our favorite parts of doing On Air Drives is the notes of love you send us with your gifts. We got 52 notes last month and wanted to share our favorites:

• Thank God for the Magical Mystery Tour.

• Great station, keep up the good work!

• Avid Curse of the Golden Turnip listener, a tether to something in tempestuous times

• Listening to "The Curse of the Golden Turnip" is an essential part of our Sunday mornings!

• From the librarian upstairs in Pratt--a big thank you to Mark Michaelis for his show Acoustic Harmony!

• WGDR continues its original commitment to building community, even as that commitment faces challenges at Goddard. Special appreciation to Joseph Gainza for his Gathering Peace program.

• Great fundraising - Llu 's talk w Tonio Mark's pitch last Saturday (and more of course) - got to me

• Thanks for being such a unique radio experience! One of the many reasons I miss Vermont. WGDR is the best. Keep rockin'!

• Thanks for the diversity of thought and action.

• I LOVE this station!!!

• Terrific station. And, as a pro sound engineer, I'd like to compliment the technical staff on the quality of the audio.

• Thank you for all the great programming: music & commentaries!

• I spend this much on a cell phone that I never use. I would give more if I could.

• I love your programming! i listen regularly to Maura Quinn's programs

• Thanks for being such a dang fine radio station!

• Amy's Kid's show rocks even for seniors

• Hurrah community radio!

After all the numbers were crunched, checks cashed, and donor data double-checked, here is where we ended up for the Fall On Air Drive.  We surpassed every goal we set thanks to you!

• $8,735 ($8,000 goal)

• 11 new sustaining donors (goal of 10)

• 25 first-time donors (goal of 25)

• 122 donors (goal of 91 donors)

• the average gift was $95

• 39 Vermont towns represented among our donors

• 15 out-of-state donors

• 60% of programmers and 100% of the board and staff give

Community support is what makes community radio possible. We humbly thank you for giving and continuing to give to Central Vermont Community Radio. Stay tuned, we have some exciting things in the works in the coming weeks and months, that your funding is helping make happen.

As always, thanks for tuning in.

Llu Mulvaney-Stanak, WGDR/WGDH Station Manager

Llu@WGDR.org, 802-276-0365

The Fall On Air Drive starts today!

Saturday, October 1, 2022

Friends of WGDR/WGDH -

This morning long-time programmer Amy Hornblas helps us kick off our Fall On Air Drive during her show "Amy's Kid's Show" at 8am. Amy's show is part of what makes our station so special.  Nowhere else in Vermont community radio can you hear a show made specifically for kids. Her show is just one of many shows that you can only hear on WGDR/WGDH. "Curse of the Golden Turnip," our legendary call in gardening/farming show, interview shows like "Magical Mystery Tour" and "The Quilting Hour," and our many eclectic music shows like "Long and Winding Road" and "InCommon Sounds" provide listeners with ways to engage, learn, and rock out. Help us keep great shows like these on the air by making your gift to the Fall On Air Drive right now.

During this drive, you are going to hear more voices on the air, as we welcome back live guests and invite listeners to call in and share why they love the station.

We're going for $8,000 as our goal, along with 10 new sustaining donors and 25 first time donors. To make it easy for our live and remote programmers, we are asking everyone to please give directly online or by check to "CVCR" mailed to WGDR/WGDH at 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield, VT 05667.

Listener support from you during this drive means we get to focus on curating and expanding locally made programming for the station into the end of the year, instead of worrying about paying the bills.

If you give during these two weeks of the drive, you will be entered to win:

🎙️2 tickets to see Lee Fields on November 13 at Higher Ground.

🎙️ A banner or poster from the Bread & Puppet print shop.

🎙️ A $25 gift certificate to Guitar Sam.

🎙️ 2 tickets to Dance of Hope in April 2023 at the Barre Opera House.

As always, thanks for listening!

In great gratitude,

Llu Mulvaney-Stanak

Station Manager WGDR/WGDH

WGDR/WGDH broadcasts at 91.1 FM in the greater Plainfield area, 91.7 FM in the hollows and hills of Hardwick and beyond, and at WGDR.org to the whole world. Our studio is located at the Eliot Pratt Center on Goddard College campus at 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield, VT 05667.

Follow us on social media at on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @WGDRWGDHVT

Station Email Update: This fall is all about getting more local content on the air.

Friends of WGDR/WGDH -

This fall is going to be all about getting more locally made shows on the air and community support to expand our impact on listeners. Read on for station updates!

WEC Community Fund Profile: “I love WGDR, and the chickens love it, too.”

We were featured in the Washington Electric Coop member newsletter last month. It is a really great piece that captures the soul of the station and our vision for what is coming next.

"The nature of community ownership, Mulvaney-Stanak suggested, points to a symbiotic relationship between WEC and Central Vermont Community Radio. Both were formed by people who realized that their communities were missing a key service and decided to provide it for themselves. For WEC, that was electricity; for WGDR, it was media. Both are owned by and accountable to their own community members.

This is why Central Vermont Community Radio appreciates ongoing support from WEC’s Community Fund, Mulvaney-Stanak said. “How we do anything is how we do everything,” they said. “That goes for what we put on the air, the vibe and culture of the station, and how we fund this and resource ourselves. When mission-aligned organizations support each other, we uplift the community. We show there are better ways to do things.”

Read the article here.

More Locally Made Shows and Content This Fall

We are overjoyed to prepare to expand our schedule with more locally made content. This includes the return of live guests to the air and new programmers.

Were you a programmer on the station in the past? Or have you always wanted a show? We are gearing up to accept new show applications this fall and we want to make sure you know about it. Email Llu to be added to the call for shows: Llu@WGDR.org.

Equipment Improvements

Thanks to the extra funds we raised during the January transmitter drive, we are able to finally upgrade our phone system at the station to put callers on the air. This project will be completed this fall. We've also invested in a number of upgrades at WGDH to improve the reliability of our signal up in Hardwick. These long-needed capital improvements are a direct result of the generosity of supporters like you. We are dedicated to carefully investing every dollar raised directly back into the success of the station. Thank you!

Volunteer For The Station

We are continuing to look for skilled and eager volunteers from the community to help us with ongoing or one-time projects. Tasks include tech, fundraising, outreach, carpentry, cleaning, music library TLC, and more. We have things that can be done remotely or at the station. If you are interested in any of these roles and have the time, please email Llu: Llu@WGDR.org.

Fall On Air Drive Coming Soon

Back to school, crisper nights, apples, and the Central Vermont Community Radio On Air Drive? These are all signs that fall is in the air and soon on the air. Our second drive of the year is coming up October 1-16 and we'll have some fun prizes and surprises in store for you.

We'd love to put YOUR voice on the air telling listeners why you love the stations. You can call our office line: (802) 276-0365 after hours (after 3pm on weekdays or anytime on weekends) to record a voice message (3 minutes) sharing why you support WGDR/WGDH. We'll share these as part of the lead-up to the drive as a chorus of supportive community voices!

As always, thanks for listening!

Warmly,

Llu Mulvaney-Stanak, Station Manager

Llu@WGDR.org, 802-276-0365

WGDR/WGDH broadcasts at 91.1 FM in the greater Plainfield area, 91.7 FM in the hollows and hills of Hardwick and beyond, and at WGDR.org to the whole world. Our studio is located at the Eliot Pratt Center on Goddard College campus at 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield, VT 05667.

Follow us on social media on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @WGDRWGDHVT

WEC Community Fund Profile: “I love WGDR, and the chickens love it, too.”

Central Vermont Community Radio is WGDR, if you’re listening in Plainfield, or from about Cabot to Northfield, skirting the top of Orange County. It’s WGDH, if you’re listening in Worcester, Woodbury, or the southern corner of Orleans County. For around half a century, Central Vermonters have tuned in to shows painstakingly programmed by their neighbors and broadcast from a basement station at Goddard College in Plainfield.

Since the spring of 2021, the radio station has officially operated under the nonprofit Central Vermont Community Radio. “I’ve described it much like running a start-up that’s 50 years old,” said station manager Llu Mulvaney-Stanak. Under Goddard’s auspices, the station leveraged a Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant as its primary funding source for years. But when the college moved to a low-residency model, it couldn’t justify charging students the activity fees that had provided funds required to match the grant, explained Rick Agran, who hosts the spoken word show “Bon Mot.” The funding loss forced the station and college to come up with new funding ideas. And according to Mulvaney-Stanak, budget pressures from the pandemic hastened a necessary transition.

Goddard could have sold the station to the highest bidder. There are a limited number of radio frequencies, and they’re very valuable. WGDR/WGDH could have become “a radio clone,” said Agran, one of “300 stations across the nation saying the same thing at the same time. That’s terrifying to me.” But the college didn’t sell the station. Mulvaney-Stanak credits then-station manager Kris Gruen with advocating to Goddard leadership to let the listeners assume ownership of the station. It was a huge gift, Mulvaney-Stanak pointed out. “What Goddard did hasn’t really been done before: gifting it to the community, letting us continue to use the space,” they said.

So, quickly, community members came together to form the nonprofit board, do all the paperwork, meet FCC filings, fundraise, and continue to program shows – all remotely – as the pandemic continued.

And the community has come through. Through volunteer efforts, grantors like WEC’s Community Fund, and individual donations, Central Vermont Community Radio is finding the resources it needs to stay on the airwaves. Mulvaney-Stanak said they get notes all the time that show how embedded the station is in its community. A favorite said, “I love WGDR, and the chickens love it, too. I play it in the barn for them.”

Radio personalities

Mulvaney-Stanak is a seasoned nonprofit consultant, though they may be as well known throughout Vermont as a DJ for events and radio. When they caught word that WGDR/WGDH was transitioning to community-owned radio, they offered to volunteer their services – and soon, the board was able to offer them a paid fundraising gig, and then asked them to manage the station. 

It’s their dream job, they said, and it’s satisfyingly full-circle. “I got my start as a high school programmer on WGDR,” they remembered. “I grew up in Barre, and in high school my mom would drive me to Plainfield to do probably the worst radio show of the 90’s.” As their taste and expertise developed, they continued to stay involved in community radio, helping form low-power radio stations in Burlington and programming shows all the while. One thing that makes Central Vermont Community Radio special, they said, is that it’s a full-power station with substantial reach – different from most community-owned radio stations, which reach listeners in only about a 10-mile radius.

What else makes WGDR/WGDH special? Programmers who reflect back to the community exactly who they are. “There’s a vibe, a sound to WGDR. It’s so Central Vermont,” Mulvaney-Stanak said appreciatively. “There’s this attentiveness to place, to community, to social justice, to having complicated conversations. The eclecticness of our programming is in tune with the community already.” There’s the host who leaves kohlrabi outside the station door and invites listeners to come snag one. Music heads whose shows range from grassy Dead Hours to all-electronic instrumentation to freeform shows that refuse to stick to one genre. 

There are also many talk shows. Some are on topics of intersectional community interest: the land and our relationship to it, rights and justice, current events, and experience – such as Indigenous life, queerness, feminism, childhood and parenthood.

Others are specifically steeped in art and culture. Rick Agran compiles his “Bon Mot” program thematically, like a scrapbook of recordings, weaving together clips from old records, internet spoken-word archives, music, and recordings he’s made in person of poetry readings and conversations. 

Tonio Epstein, a WEC member from Middlesex, has programmed “Magical Mystery Tour” for about 10 years. Every week he reads a book, takes lots of notes, processes his notes, interviews the author, and then edits his hour-and-a-half long show down to an hour for syndication on the Pacifica network. “I interview authors who I find to be particularly interesting, creative, on the cutting edge of new ideas and new ways of approaching the problems of the world, people who are deeply caring and trying to bring about change and inspire others to live up to that in their own personal way,” he explained. He’s interested in education, parenting, psychology and neuroscience, and spirituality, and he likes to go deep into his conversations. “I get to read about things that I would be interested in, anyway. And now I can share it with people.”

Epstein finds much media toxic. Most media platforms bombard us with information, much of which is calculated to trigger a reaction in us, he explained, and frequently on topics that are outside our control. The breaking news cycle wears us down and makes us less tuned into our own communities, he suggested. He talked about this in reference to TV news, but it’s true of social media newsfeeds as well. “I just love the medium of radio. It allows a more personal engagement without having your nervous system hijacked so profoundly,” he said. And community radio is different still. “Our sources of media are extremely important, and we should be intentional about how we choose them,” he said. “For those reasons, WGDR is an important voice. It’s really important to have alternative issues and also different, alternative perspectives. It’s why I feel motivated to do all the work I do in my show to offer a counterbalance to the bombardment of horrors.”

An intimate broadcast

Community radio is a platform for holding conversations on topics overlooked by mainstream media. It’s also a platform for holding a community that can’t physically be together, as programmers and listeners found when beloved “Lost Highway” host Ken Feld died in February. The station held what Mulvaney-Stanak called a “live radio wake.” Programmers Dave Tucker and John Foster hosted a live show, playing music their friend used to play as family members and friends called in with remembrances. “We provided that connective power for two hours and did all those things that help create closure, sharing love of things, reminiscing. That’s the uniqueness and adaptability community radio can have,” Mulvaney-Stanak said.

At the core level, Mulvaney-Stanak loves radio because of its intimacy. “As humans, we’re literally wired to connect to human voices,” they said. “When there’s no visual element to distract you, radio makes it just like, it’s me and you. I’m talking just to you, I’m playing just for you. You’re invited into the conversation in this undeniably intimate way. And most likely in Vermont, you know that person on the air, or you know who they are.”

The nature of community ownership, Mulvaney-Stanak suggested, points to a symbiotic relationship between WEC and Central Vermont Community Radio. Both were formed by people who realized that their communities were missing a key service and decided to provide it for themselves. For WEC, that was electricity; for WGDR, it was media. Both are owned by and accountable to their own community members. 

This is why Central Vermont Community Radio appreciates ongoing support from WEC’s Community Fund, Mulvaney-Stanak said. “How we do anything is how we do everything,” they said. “That goes for what we put on the air, the vibe and culture of the station, and how we fund this and resource ourselves. When mission-aligned organizations support each other, we uplift the community. We show there are better ways to do things.” 

Depending on your location, you can find Central Vermont Community Radio on the dial at WGDR 91.1 FM and WGDH 91.7 FM. You can also stream it at CentralVermontCommunityRadio.org.

To support Central Vermont Community Radio with a donation or volunteer interest, visit CentralVermontCommunityRadio.org.

Central Vermont Community Radio, 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield, VT 05667

About WEC’s Community Fund

WEC’s Community Fund is made up entirely of member contributions. About 1,400 members choose to donate their capital credits to the Community Fund; others make donations out of pocket. This generosity allows WEC’s fund to make grants to small nonprofits in the Co-op’s service area. 

To learn how to donate your capital credits, or to make a contribution to WEC’s Community Fund, call 802-223-2322 or email Rosie Casciero at rosie.casciero@wec.coop.

More info.

Station Email Update: Our new mission & increasing local community content.

Friends of WGDR/WGDH -

We have had a busy summer at the station and have much to update you on. Read on to learn about our second live studio, how to get your community content on the air and even a show this fall, and other station upgrades.

CVCR's New Mission Statement

With all the bustle of our first year, we'd been operating off of the old station mission statement. The board, with input of programmers, completed a process last month to update the mission to better align with where we see the station striving for in content and engagement in the years to come.

The newly updated mission of CVCR is to provide a community radio station which serves the people of north central VT and beyond; to provide a forum for cultivating social change that re-harmonizes human communities with the natural world, supports the independent arts and celebrates diversity, creativity, and freedom.

We inform, entertain and educate through the presentation of alternative news, artistic expression, and public affairs programming.

Approved by CVCR Board – 7/4/22

More Community Content on the Radio!

We need your help getting more happenings and needs from the community on the air. We are looking for events (can be ticketed) and content for public service announcements (info about non-profits, causes, etc.). This is a free service of the station. More info and how to submit content here.

Tune in Saturday for Brody's First Show!

This spring, Brody Moran interned with the station to learn the basics of how to create a show. All done remotely, Brody learned how to interview and curate music from current WGDR/WGDH programmers. His final project is a special one-hour show, airing this Saturday, July 17 from 1-2pm. It features a fantastic interview with a local psychiatrist, an original song by Brody, and great music. Congrats to Brody on graduating and we wish him the best for what comes next!

Bringing More Programmers On the Air

Thanks to a big Vermont Arts Council Grant, funded by the state of Vermont's covid relief for cultural institutions, we are converting our production room into a second live broadcast studio. We were one of about 40 organizations who were funded, out of over 100 applications. With some tweaks, this will allow us to bring back more live programmers on the air, without impacting folks safety around covid. The funds will help us buy extra gear, and support staff and engineering time to make this happen. This funding was approved by the Vermont legislature this past spring, so thank your state representatives and state senators for supporting community radio! We are excited to bring back programmers who couldn't make the switch to remote broadcasting, folks from past years, and soon, new programmers too! If you are a past programmer or want to become a new one, email Llu to be added to the call for shows later this summer: Llu@WGDR.org.

CVCR Statement On Roe vs. Wade

“CVCR’s mission stands firmly in line with social change that re-harmonizes communities. As such, the US Supreme Court decision to strike down Roe vs. Wade is a direct affront to the health and well being of Vermonters. It is a direct attack on the fundamental right to bodily autonomy and the critical access to reproductive healthcare. It significantly and disproportionately impacts pregnant BIPOC people, LGBTQ people, and those living in poverty.

As a community radio station, we are committed to creating air time to bring discourse on this issue and to provide information on community resources for Vermonters to take action and seek care.

Reproductive choice is a right all should have and access to abortion care and birth control is critical health care. CVCR stands in support of reproductive justice efforts here in Vermont and nationally and is ready to do our part to raise voices toward this cause.” - CVCR Board

WGDH Sounding Better?

For our 91.7FM and Hardwick area listeners, can you hear that? We've upgrade gear for that signal and it should be coming through much clearer and in stereo. Let us know how it sounds!

Looking for a Baby Grand Piano?

Buy our well loved and cared for Yamaha C3. We don't have space at the station to keep it and want to send it to a good home. $6,000 OBO, buyer must move it from the Pratt Center. More details and the link to share to help us get the word out here.

Call for Volunteers!

We are looking for a few skilled folks to help us with one time or on going projects in IT (software/computer systems), equipment upkeep (gear and gadgets), and some basic carpentry (hanging a new interior door). We will also need help with general volunteer work to clean up our music library and clean out our old storage rooms. If you are interested in any of these roles and have the time, please email Llu: Llu@WGDR.org.

Check out WGDR.org for some new features!

• A new "chat the programmer" feature in the lower right of front page.
• Our new and improved stream: full stereo and highest quality now.
• A "Now Playing" widget on the left side of the front page for music shows.
• And a new programmer page. Put a name with a voice of your favorite shows.

As always, thanks for listening!

Warmly,

Llu Mulvaney-Stanak, Station Manager

Llu@WGDR.org, 802-276-0365

WGDR/WGDH broadcasts at 91.1 FM in the greater Plainfield area, 91.7 FM in the hollows and hills of Hardwick and beyond, and at WGDR.org to the whole world. Our studio is located at the Eliot Pratt Center on Goddard College campus at 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield, VT 05667.

Follow us on social media at on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @WGDRWGDHVT

CVCR's Statement on the repeal of Roe vs. Wade.

“CVCR’s mission stands firmly in line with social change that re-harmonizes communities. As such, the US Supreme Court decision to strike down Roe vs. Wade is a direct affront to the health and well being of Vermonters. It is a direct attack on the fundamental right to bodily autonomy and the critical access to reproductive healthcare. It significantly and disproportionately impacts pregnant BIPOC people, LGBTQ people, and those living in poverty.

As a community radio station, we are committed to creating air time to bring discourse on this issue and to provide information on community resources for Vermonters to take action and seek care.

Reproductive choice is a right all should have and access to abortion care and birth control is critical health care. CVCR stands in support of reproductive justice efforts here in Vermont and nationally and is ready to do our part to raise voices toward this cause.”

— CVCR Board