Comprehensive COVID 19 and its impact: coverage and live interviews; new local shows from producers working at home, and evergreens to keep listeners connected.
These are unprecedented times and while we, your community radio station, are hampered in some important ways we are doing everything we can to bring you needed information and resources. The staff at WJFF has added national state and local news coverage and local resource information as we work with our volunteer program hosts and producers remotely.
Jason Tougaw, host of The Mixtape presents a new two-hour episode Friday, April 17 7-9 p.m. THE GOOD STUFF: Aretha, Bowie, Prince, Elton John, The Pretenders, Billy Paul. It’ll be two-hours of soul-fortifying music that’s shaped the culture for half a decade—with plenty of grooves you can dance to.
Hosts Rosie Starr ( Farm & Country Saturdays at 11 a.m.), Angela Page (Folk Plus – Saturdays at noon) and Graham Rice (Wagonload of Monkeys Sundays at Noon) – and others including Selector Starkey & DJ Chucks (Old Skool Sessions Saturdays at 10 p.m.) produce in other remote locations. They are at the forefront of providing new music and commentary show content at a time of constraint. For everyone else who produce their shows in our Jeffersonville and Honesdale studios, it has been a challenging time. Happily, with help from volunteers and friends, and new technologies, more of our hosts are learning how to create their shows just with their laptops and other common devices. As of this writing they include John Gordon (Ramble Tamble Thursdays at 7 p.m.), Thane Peterson (Living Jazz Fridays at noon) Brad Mann (Neonatal Pulse Sundays at 7 p.m.), Sonja Hedlund (Ballads & Banjos Saturdays at 7 a.m.) Doug Sandberg, host of Let’s Talk Vets, (2nd Wednesdays at 7 p.m.) also recording from home, will interview this month Hudson Valley Legal Services and the mother of Folk Plus host Angela Page, a WWII veteran of the RAF discussing the sacrifices of British citizens during the war, to help put COVID 19 in perspective. For other shows, replaying evergreens has served our air well. As we move forward and more of our volunteers learn new skills, you should be hearing more familiar voices going this route.
Building on the 47 WJFF live interviews or special coverage segments on COVID 19 news and related information already produced and aired, WJFF is engaging more with federal, state and local officials, community resources and businesses, keeping the community informed. Our website has been enhanced and provides audio of our interviews and links to important resources.
During this time, we are compelled to ask our listeners for their support, though given priorities we have seriously toned down our request to you for donations. Still, we depend on our annual pledge drives for most of our income and continue to quietly conduct our spring drive. To those of you who are Sound Supporters or who have already given, we thank you deeply for your generosity. Please donate what you can. Thank you all for listening and be safe!