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. 

Goddard College Transfer of WGDR to CVCR

A Brief Overview

At the close of 2020, WGDR/WGDH’s long-time grant from the Corporation for Pubilc Broadcasting (CPB) ended. This led Goddard College to decide to transfer ownership of WGDR/WGDH, the broadcasting licenses, station equipment to the community, via the new non-profit Central Vermont Community Radio (CVCR).

CVCR is made up of long-time local programmers and listeners of the station. With approval from the FCC this spring, CVCR will take on ownership of the station to continue the community-based and national programming from the Pacifica Radio Network that listeners love.

Transition Brief History

The community met the challenge placed by Goddard to raise $50,000 by January 1, 2021 to help fund the station expenses through the first quarter of the year, as the FCC reviewed the transfer application.

In the spring of 2021, the FCC is expected to approve the formal transfer of WGDR and WGDH from Goddard to CVCR. At that time the station will become fully independent, with CVCR incurring all station management, infrastructure, programming, and expenses. The station will remain members of Pacifica Affiliate and National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), with programming uninterrupted through transfer.

One owned by the community, the station will be a non-profit, seeking annual funding and resources to operate the station and fund future staff costs directly from donors, underwriters, and the larger community.

Make your gift today to help the station go independent successfully!