Station Update: WGDR is 50!
Friends of WGDR/WGDH -
This is a huge year for us. WGDR is turning 50 years old!
5 decades ago WGDR, Plainfield (then WGOD), went on the air at Goddard College at 91.1 FM on the local radio dial. In the years that followed, the station became not just the heart of the local community, it became the voice of generations of Vermonters sharing their stories, thoughts, and love of music.
We are looking to celebrate this milestone in creative and connective ways and we need your help.
We want to hear your stories about how WGDR has impacted your life. Why do you keep listening? How has WGDR connected you to the community and happenings locally, in Vermont, and around the world? Send us an email or leave a voice message after hours on our office line at 802-276-0365 and we’ll share your stories on the air throughout the year.
We’re looking to party too! If you want to help us plan ways to celebrate the station, email station manager, Llu Mulvaney-Stanak and get involved in the fun: Llu@WGDR.org.
New Local Shows Are On the Way
It may still be winter here in Vermont, but we're already feeling a sense of spring renewal and growth here at the station. This is because our Programming Committee just approved 24 new locally-made show applications, which doubles the number of locally-made shows on the air. There is an amazing mix of show ideas, proposed by Vermonters of diverse backgrounds. These folks will be in training for the next few weeks, with a big schedule change coming in April. Get excited about what's to come!
Changes to Bob’s Weather Watch
Long-time listeners know the friendly forecasting voice of Bob Mitsenbeger, providing a daily forecast for WGDR/WGDH Monday-Fridays at 9am and Sundays at 7am. Due to volunteer limitations, we need to scale back the live forecasts temporarily while we await our slate of new programmers to join us.
NFCB Features Our Approach to Creating Change In Community Radio
Back in December NFCB interviewed our station manager, Llu Mulvaney-Stanak, about all the changes happening at WGDR/WGDH and how Central Vermont Community Radio has approached the work. The full interview is available on our website. Here is a snippet:
Lisa: What's your approach to change management?
Llu: I think the best strategy for change management is modeling, persisting, and being very patient. In my career, I've been part of organizations, for one reason or another, that have been in an inflection moment, a change moment. People are can get uncomfortable trying new things. Sometimes people want to be quick to be critical because something didn't work, as opposed to reflecting and saying, "Hey, why didn't work, should we just toss it out? Should we try again?"
The challenge is this – how do we hold space for all of that, but also be accountable, and not allow negativity and resistance to impact moving forward – because, you're not going to get everybody to always agree, and at the end of the day there still needs to be someone who's in charge of making decisions.
The whole point of community radio is right in the title – community. You've got to come together and be in space together. We're building authentic connections, relationships, and trust with each other at the station, even remotely. I see many signs of success in these moments. I feel like radio could be, dare I say, fun! Most importantly, we are putting out a product that we're all feeling really proud about. That's the direction I keep trying to move people in.
I'm such a 90s kid, but I think about Captain Planet a lot. The concept of "the powers combined." He doesn’t have his power unless all five people come together with their elements. I often think about that as an analogy – I cannot do this by myself. The concept of power hoarding, which is often what people run up against, is of no interest to me. I think the trick about change management is reminding people that they've had the power all along. That's what makes successful organizations. Finding that sweet spot, when people feel empowered and when they actually are empowered."
Central Vermont Community Radio is the non-profit managing WGDR/WGDH. Our community-owned stations broadcast 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 in Plainfield, Vermont.
Follow us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook at @WGDRWGDHVT
