PRESS RELEASE: After 48 Years, WGDR/WGDH Now Officially Community-Owned

Vermont Listeners and National Community Radio Community Rejoice!

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 – Plainfield, VT: WGDR/WGDH listeners near and far, station programmers, and fans of community radio world-wide celebrated the ownership transition of the station from Goddard College to Central Vermont Community Radio (CVCR) this week.

The station was built and operated by Goddard College for nearly 50 years as a college/community station. In late 2020, Goddard initiated the gift of the station to the local community via this new non-profit, CVCR. After six months of planning and now FCC approval, WGDR/WGDH is now the only full-power, community-owned and operated non-commercial station in Vermont.

“It has been an honor to help this station continue and expand its role and legacy in the community. We hope that this gift to CVCR will sustain WGDR/WGDH well into the future,” Goddard President Bernard Bull said.

“We thank Goddard College for this most generous gift to central Vermont!” said CVCR Board members. “We look forward to working with the entire community to provide lively, dynamic, informative radio along with inspiring, diverse music programs, long into the future.”

A Rare Ownership Transition in Community Radio

This transfer marks a huge milestone nationally for the public and community media industry. In the last couple of decades, many university and college-owned stations sold off their college radio stations to meet budget shortfalls. 

“Higher education continues to face a range of challenges nationwide. Goddard College joins Antioch and a select group of institutions in saying their commitment to residents, students and the local culture is far greater than money. When institutions like Goddard say they want to pass the torch of media access in this way, it’s worthy of thanks and celebration,” remarked Ernesto Aguilar, Executive Director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters.

The impact of this gift will be felt for generations to come, as WGDR/WGDH will be able to continue to broadcast a diversity of ideas, stories, culture, and more to Vermonters across the rural hills and valleys of the northern part of the state. 

Programming That Inspires and Informs

Radio has a unique and powerful impact in our communities and on individuals. As a free media source, it draws in listeners to expand their thinking, connect with their community, and awaken activism on issues of the day. It evokes the imagination and an intimate human connection that cannot be done in any other medium.

Radio is more relevant and relatable today, especially on a local level. When you tune in to community radio, you hear the voices of your neighbors, which, during the pandemic, has proven to be a powerful tool in remaining connected.

Renowned poet and former Vermont Public Radio “Friday Night Jazz” host Reuben Jackson shared, “When Marconi invented radio, he had stations like WGDR/WGDH in mind. Soulful, informative, varied, and unpretentious programming. Voyages for the heart and mind. Thank goodness- some things never change.” Jackson, a sustaining donor of the station, was a WGDR Programmer from 1975-1978 and got his start in radio when the station was first on the air.

The station’s rich 48-year history of producing eclectic and vibrant music and local talk radio for Vermonters will continue under CVCR’s ownership. As one of the rare Pacifica Network affiliates in the state, WGDR/WGDH is able to provide free access to award-winning national programming like “Democracy Now.”

“When my wife and I came to Vermont in 1989, we became daily and dedicated listeners to WGDR. It was then--and remains today--a vital and essential example of community-based radio with both a local and world-wide vision promoting human rights, free speech, world peace, climate justice, and citizenship action,” said David Connor, a listener and station donor.

Each week, 50 local programmers produce talk or music shows that broadcast to nearly 60 cities and towns across 3 counties in Central Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom. Many of these shows have been on-air for decades, building loyal fan bases worldwide thanks to streaming. During COVID, 30 of these programmers stayed on the air, broadcasting from home, keeping the community connected and informed during the severe isolation. 

“I’m an avid fan of the call-in community info shows, such as ‘Gathering Peace’ with Joseph Gainza, ‘Relocalizing Vermont’ with Carl Etnier, and well thought out and presented musical programs, such as ‘Acoustic Harmony’ with Mark Michaelis and so many others. Thanks to CVCR we can continue to enjoy, and be educated by, the programming we have come to love and appreciate from our beloved WGDR/WGDH. This is independent community-supported media at its finest,” said Mary Gagnon, a listener and station donor.

Sustaining the Mission of WGDR/WGDH

Central Vermont Community Radio (CVCR) will continue the mission of the station, providing a forum that cultivates social justice, stewardship of the natural world, and the arts and music in Vermont. As an independent station, WGDR/WGDH will be able to pursue a variety of ways to diversify not just what is broadcast, but who is given a voice on the air, uplifting the stories of those who are underrepresented in the current Vermont media landscape.

As a non-profit, CVCR is charged with building a sustainable strategy to fund the station’s current and future needs. To kick it off, they have launched a “WGDR/WGDH 30x30” fundraising challenge, aiming to raise $30,000 in the first 30 days of the independence on the air. This will help with station operating costs, while CVCR  focuses on new programming, future staffing, and a successful emergence from COVID restrictions. Individual donors and underwriting support from businesses and organizations will help CVCR reach their goal.

CVCR takes this deep responsibility of community radio to heart as it takes on ownership of WGDR/WGDH. CVCR invites all to tune in to help program what comes next.

More information on how to give or underwrite, listen to, and support the station is at WGDR.org. 

More information about Central Vermont Community Radio

Central Vermont Community Radio (CVCR) is the new non-profit managing the community-owned radio station of WGDR, Plainfield/WGDH, Hardwick. The station provides a forum for the cultivation of social justice, stewardship of the natural world, and the independent arts. Programming is intentionally diverse, with shows focusing on music, stories, news, and public affairs. Through the universal language of music WGDR/WGDH seeks to bring people together in celebration of our common humanity. More information on the history of the station transfer can be found at WGDR.org.

More information about Goddard College

Since 1938, Goddard College has worked to advance cultures of rigorous inquiry, collaboration, and lifelong learning, in which individuals take imaginative and responsible action in the world. More information at Goddard.edu.

We did it! WGDR/WGDH is now owned and operated by the community.

The FCC has approved the station ownership transfer from Goddard College to Central Vermont Community Radio (CVCR), the non-profit that will manage WGDR/WGDR!

This is historic for our station, for Vermont, and nationally. We are forever thankful to Goddard College for this gift to the community.

Now, is the time to help us meet our "30×30 fundraising challenge." We will raise $30,000 in our first 30 days of station independence from listeners and supporters like you. This will fund the basic operating costs of the station for the rest of the year (6 months) and keep local and national programming uninterrupted and on the air.

Please give online today or if you prefer, by check. Checks should be made out to our fiscal sponsor, "Local Futures" with "WGDR" in the memo line and mailed to 123 Pitkin Rd. Plainfield, VT 05667.

Note: For anyone who was a past monthly donor to WGDR via Goddard College, you will need to stop your gifts to Goddard by emailing advancement@goddard.edu and then set up your sustaining giving via CVCR's online secure giving platform. 

Sign up for station updates to be sent to your inbox about programming, events, and CVCR's work.

If you have questions about giving or underwriting, please contact us.

Station Launch Challenge: $30,000 in 30 Days

The FCC will approve the station transfer in just a few weeks this spring. Help CVCR smoothly transition to ownership by helping us raise our station launch 30x30 fundraising challenge.

Month to month basic operation of the station will cost us about $5,000. We aim to raise our first six months in our first 30 days from our listeners, long-time supporters, underwriters, and new donors. Your support keeps local and national programming uninterrupted and safely on the air, operational expenses paid, and helps us begin to build toward our annual operating budget. Please give today to this 30x30 challenge.

This is an exciting time for WGDR/WGDH and every donation helps us reach that $30,000 goal. Thank you!

If you have questions about giving or underwriting, please contact us.

CVCR Purpose & Programming

CVCR has been formed exclusively for the purpose of continuing the operation of WGDR & WGDH as locally owned and operated non-commercial educational stations which will continue to provide a community radio station service that serves the people of central & northern Vermont and beyond. 

This will be accomplished by providing a forum for cultivating social change, stewardship of the natural world, and the independent arts. Through the presentation of diverse music; cultural, news, and public affairs programming and production, CVCR intends to continue to provide the residents of central & northern Vermont (and beyond) the unique opportunity to hear programs developed by local community members; that advocate for the natural world, that advocate for and educate others about underrepresented and disaffected peoples, that provide a forum for community building and that provide a safe space for fostering cultural literacy.  This type of programming is not available elsewhere to residents of the listening area.

Below are examples of the variety of programs that have been aired on WGDR & WGDH and will be continued by CVCR:

NEWS / SOCIAL JUSTICE 

• Democracy Now! (National)

• Letters And Politics (National)

• Rising Up With Sonali (National)

COMMENTARY / INTER-ACTIVE LISTENER DISCUSSION

• The Magical Mystery Tour (Locally produced/nationally aired)

• Personal And Political (Local)

• Gathering Peace (Local)

• The Quilting Hour (Local)

• Relocalizing Vermont (Local)

• Spanning The Chasm (Local)

• The Thom Hartman Program (National)

EDUCATION AND CULTURE

• Moccasin Tracks (Locally produced /nationally aired - Native American issues)

• Curse of the Golden Turnip (Local - gardening & social issues)

• Amy's Kids Show (Local)

• Bon Mot (Local - forum for the literary fine arts)

• Big Picture Science (National)

• New Dimensions (National)

• The Children's Hour (National)

• TUC Radio (National)

• Peace Talks Radio (National)

• Making Contact (National)

MUSIC

Numerous local and nationally produced music programs are broadcast weekly, covering a wide variety of genres not found on commercial radio stations in the area, including an extensive world music library.  There is a focus on supporting local and independent artists within our locally produced content.  Additionally, several of our locally produced music programs are available on Pacifica's Audioport syndication platform and are aired on other stations across the country. 

In spite of the ongoing pandemic and its surrounding issues, current weekly content is regularly produced by over 30 local community members and plans are to increase locally produced content in all areas of programming in the future.

FUTURE PROGRAMMING

Central Vermont Community Radio is committed to increasing the diversity of local programmers to include more people of color and people from the LGBTQ+ community. 

WGDR not only has served its listeners through unique programming, but also students from local high schools have been served through our academic program known as Indie Kingdom.  In this semester-long course that WGDR developed and sponsored several years ago, high school students learned technical radio and audio production skills; including recording, research and writing for radio, interviewing, logging, editing, sound designing, and working with broadcast deadlines, all according to the course syllabus.  In addition to technical skill-building, students were immersed in the art of telling stories through sound, practicing deep listening, various forms of audio storytelling, and how to give and receive meaningful feedback with peers.  Each student completed high-quality radio stories, which were broadcast on WGDR and posted as online podcasts for streaming.  Plans are to revive and expand this program in the future.

CVCR's intent is to increase locally produced programming and to continue to offer programming that is the soundtrack of social justice, environmentalism, multiculturalism and responsible community action in central and northern Vermont and beyond.  Our programming will continue to contribute to collaboration and life-long learning opportunities, not only for our local listeners but also listeners well beyond Vermont with content available through our online streaming service.

Current Station Streaming

Until the FCC license transfer is complete, all streaming of the station can still be found at WGDR.org’s current website here.

WGDR/WGDH History

In the summer of 1970, Goddard College hosted the landmark Alternative Media Conference, sending ripples of inspiration around the campus for independent media creation.

Three years later, in 1973, Goddard acquired an FM full-power license for a radio station: WGDR at 91.1 FM. Since then, WGDR has broadcast out of the bottom floor of the Elliot Pratt Center (library) on Goddard Campus, co-creating with the community an alternative, progressive calendar of public affairs and music programs. In 2010, the station expanded its reach into the Northeast Kingdom by acquiring WGDH, Hardwick at 91.7 FM.

In 2021, after 48 years as a college/community station owned by Goddard, WGDR/WGDH is preparing to go independent as a community station, under the new non-profit Central Vermont Community Radio (CVCR).

CVCR will carry the station’s mission forward and maintain the two broadcast signals at 91.1 FM and 91.7 FM, which reach 25 Vermont cities and towns, across 6 counties. For years, over 50 community volunteers contribute to each week’s broadcast, providing programming that reflects the unique and independent spirit of the Central Vermont community. During COVID-19, a dedicated 30 programmers have submitted shows remotely, ensuring our content remains current and in some cases, done safely, still live from the studio.

Make your donation today to support independent community radio.

If you would like to become a WGDR volunteer or programmer, please contact us!

WGDR Programming and Community
The station actively supports program content related to women’s issues; itinerant agricultural workers in Vermont; the LGBTQ+ community; housing insecure folks; young people; Native Peoples; and the poor. Our very popular Indie Kingdom project has helped countless young Vermonters make audio stories and get on the air. We proudly broadcast “Democracy Now” and other Pacific Radio Network programming as a member station and are part of the National Federation for Community Broadcasters.

Funding 

WGDR is funded by donations from listeners like you, underwriting by local organizations and businesses, and partnerships with the community.