Nathan Moore From WORT Nominated for Affiliates Seat on Pacifica National Board Written by Diane Reinhardt Nathan Moore, who was recently nominated as affiliate representative to the Pacifica National Board, is the News and Public Affairs Facilitator at WORT, 89.9FM, community radio, in Madison, Wisconsin. He brings to the network production experience earned at one of community radio’s most established stations.
"We’re living in precarious times,” Moore observes, “and Pacifica programming needs to be the strong cup of coffee that wakes us up out of our national hangover.” Broadcasting with a 2,000 watt, omni-directional signal from a 1,000 ft. high tower on Madison’s southwest side, WORT currently serves a weekly listening audience of 36,000. WORT was founded in 1975 by five community activists, including one, John Ohliger, who had been news director at the Pacifica stations in California. Collective in principle and practice from its start, WORT has a Staff Collective and a Board of Directors in place of a General Manager and a Programming Committee, supported by a Music Director and a News Facilitator, in place of a Programming Director. WORT runs over 80 programs of jazz, folk, blues, soul, gospel, and classical music. WORT also provides the area’s most extensive coverage of state and local news, including the week-nightly “In Our Backyard.” WORT airs Spanish-language news programming with “En Nuetro Patio,” and “Hmong Radio” brings information and music to Hmong refugees and local families. One of WORT’s most notable accomplishments is its all-volunteer news department. WORT’s reporters air about 21½ hours of locally produced news and public affairs programming weekly. Moore supports these efforts from behind the scenes, providing background, suggesting guests, demonstrating editing techniques. Moore describes the team effort as “tough but rewarding.” All news programs are produced by collectives. While some producers have set positions, other teams ensure that all members are trained in all roles. “It helps a lot if you honestly feel you’re friends with the people you’re working with, “ Moore comments. “It’s perhaps too often overlooked, but it really makes news production easier.” Consequently, Moore reports, “peer checks work.” Standards are set and monitored by volunteers. “Our volunteers are sharp, well-informed critical thinkers.” WORT employs “stratified block programming” wherein five different hosts offer shows of a similar genre at the same time of day each day of the week. The variety addresses diverse audiences while still fulfilling the expectation of consistent programming. This policy has produced strong listenership in parts of the day not normally considered prime time and suits the station’s commitment to challenge assumptions and represent the under-represented. Operations Coordinator Norm Stockwell explains, “WORT is activist radio. We give information about the issues that affect people’s lives and the tools to take action concerning those issues.” And Moore comments, “WORT’s broad news areas cover more of the community than other stations, certainly more than commercial broadcast news.” WORT’s democratic unstructuring has made the station particularly effective in mustering community support. With only 6 full-time staff members, 4 part-time, and 9 volunteer Board members, WORT is fueled by over 300 volunteers, including many family delegations. Facilitated by Volunteer Coordinator Glenn Mitroff, volunteers create over 93% of programming. Listener-sponsors donate over 60% of the station’s operating budget. Volunteer Tracy Dietzel tells of offering a spot to 13-year-old Marta Honer and how Marta, today 16, is still WORT’s youngest regular music programmer. Dietzel says, “Marta grew up listening to WORT. This is a living example of what three decades of community access radio means.” Volunteer Nancy Mae notes, “WORT brings the community together and it shows at pledge drive time: phone answerer spots fill up right away, and the most interesting contributions come from listeners, origami boxes and organic beef.” Volunteer receptionist Marilee Harrison notes, “Every day I get to hear the gratitude of our listeners.” In fact, Stockwell calls this “rich treasure trove” the secret of the station’s survival. “Our on-air voices are the voices of volunteers. We seek to honor their contributions.” WORT staff is active in both the National Federation of Community Broadcasters and the Grassroots Radio Coalition (GRC), activist media organizations that WORT was instrumental in establishing. Nathan Moore is a coordinator for this year’s GRC Conference in Madison. Norm Stockwell has, for many years, been a valued member of the World Association of Community Broadcasters (AMARC), and WORT has recently joined with a sister station in El Salvador. Stockwell characterizes Pacifica as “the historical grandfather of community radio.” In 1987, WORT aired live Pacifica’s broadcasts of the Iran-Contra Hearings, and Stockwell recalls editing the reel-to-reel tapes made from the live feed into half-hour summaries. Stockwell is the intellectual author of the Pacifica AudioPort. In 2005, at an NFCB Conference, Norm introduced the idea of creating an Internet distribution system that would serve as a program exchange for Pacifica affiliates to Pacifica staff, outlining its elements on a paper napkin in a bar. And Moore sees, in the growing affiliates program, “the potential that exists for Pacifica to strengthen a media-based movement for social change, democracy, and justice.” WORT is now entering its fourth decade. Stockwell observes, “We serve the community as best we can by opening our doors.”
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