WMPG - Greater Portland Community Radio


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WMPG's 15th annual Fat Tuesday Party Tuesday February 9th! 12pm-3pm (note: this is one week prior to the actual "Fat Tuesday" date due to the USM vacation schedule) the....Friday night Cajun Dance Party at the Empire Dine and Dance with the Cajun Aces!
WMPG mardi gras

WMPG, southern Maine's Communty Radio station, has hosted this late-winter party for 15 years as a way to celebrate Mardi Gras with our volunteers, listeners and the greater Portland Community. We will be broadcasting Mardi Gras and Carnival music (from all over the world) that day, from the site of the celebration, USM's Woodbury Campus Center. Local restaurants prepare their best Cajun fare for this event! All of our listeners and supporters (including the USM student body) are invited to attend, sample area chefs' New Orleans style cooking, and vote for their favorite. There is no admission fee, but a suggested donation of three dollars will be appreciated and will benefit WMPG's Power Up! campaign. Last year's party drew more than five hundred revelers

All day we will be broadcasting Cajun and New Orleans music for those who can't attend.

2007 & 2008 winner - The Bayou Kitchen

There will also be raffles and giveaways. Students from the USM Pre-Med and Health Students Association will be selling strands of Mardi Gras beads to raise funds for Partners in Health Haiti Relief

Click here for more information or to paricipate in the contest!

Click here To listen to the previous WMPG broadcasts of the WMPG Mardi Gras day!

Click here for photos from previous Cajun Cookin' Contest by WMPG US Folk producer and host, Chris Darling

Click here for a bunch of videos from previous Cajun Cookin' Contest also by Chris Darling

Here is a list of restaurants from past year's events. This year's participants include Silly's(2009 Winner!), Bayou Kitchen(2007 & 2008 Winner!), Empire Dine and Dance, Bintliffs American Cafe , Pete & Larry's, Po' Boys & Pickles , Gritty McDuff's, Great Lost Bear, Izzy's Cheesecake , USM Dining, and more!

Any restaurant, individual, or organization is welcome to enter the New Orleans Cooking Challenge with about ten gallons of Cajun food. There is no monetary fee to enter the Cajun Cooking Challenge. All entries must be pre-cooked and set up on the table by 11am. It is recommended that you staff the table from 11:30am-3pm. Entrants are welcome to bring banners and promotional materials (flyers, paper menus, etc.). Winners will be announced on-air between 3 and 4pm.

FRIDAY Night: New Orleans style DANCE @ The Empire Dine and Dance!


On Friday February 12, from 8 PM to 1 AM - dance the night away with WMPG at the Empire Dine and Dance. $7 at the door to benefit the WMPG Power Up! campaign. we are hosting this event to help raise funds for the Power Up! project to strengthen our broadcast signal. When completed, the WMPG signal will reach just about all of southern Maine and parts of central Maine and even into New Hampshire, bringing the sound of radio made by local volunteer hosts and producers to about five times as many listeners as it now enjoys. Ê

Portland's Cajun laureate, Robert Sylvain, begins the night with a set of acoustic Cajun tunes from 8 to 9. Then, at 9pm, Sylvain and the Cajun Aces present a Portland-style take on classic Cajun material with full blast crazy Cajun mayhem. Sylvain will be flanked by Portland music scene veteran Haakon "The Hawk" Kallweit on fiddle, local drumkit murderer Jason Stewart on skins and the multi-talented Pip Walter on bass. Sylvain and his group deliver raw Cajun music, bridging the divide between North and South that kept the two parallel Acadian French cultures apart since the great deportation of 1755. In their new configuration, the ÒAcesÓ will be celebrating a name change to "The Acadian Maniacs" with a night of unstoppable stomping Cajun dance music.

Contact Dale Robin Goodman at 780-4151 for questions or to register. You can register by eMail at development@wmpg.org


WMPG producers win both first and third place in the Public Affairs category of the 2009 Maine Association of Broadcasters' Annual News and Creative Awards.
MAB

We are pleased to announce that station producers won both first and third place in the Public Affairs category of the 2009 Maine Association of Broadcasters' (MAB) Annual News and Creative Awards. First place went to long-time WMPG collaborator and independent producer Rob Rosenthal for his documentary Malaga Island: A Story Best Left Untold. Third place went to volunteer Alison Hinson and her sound-mixer/producer and volunteer Michael Manning for an episode of her Wednesday night financial advice show, Money Talks.


MAB gives these awards each year to member stations to honor the best of Maine broadcasting. The judging is done by broadcast associations from other states.



WMPG' begins to "Power UP!"

On December 17, 2008, USM Community Radio Station WMPG was awarded a construction permit by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to relocate its main 90.9 FM transmitter and antenna from Gorham to Blackstrap Hill in Westbrook and increase power from 1.11 kW to 4.5 kW. The power increase and antenna relocation will dramatically increase the number of potential listeners in the station's signal range, from 35,000 to 185,000. To complete this project WMPG will immediately begin a major capital campaign. The total costs for the project (including costs already incurred in the application process) will be more than $200,000 and will include replacing the current transmitter and all associated transmission equipment. The FCC has given WMPG three years to finish the upgrade; the station intends to complete it within two.

People wishing to support the community radio WMPG power upgrade in advance should call (207) 780-4424 or send donations to WMPG Power Upgrade, 96 Falmouth St., Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104-9300 or online at WMPG.org.

Click here to view a map of WMPG's current signal coverage.

Click here to view a map of WMPG's possible new signal coverage after moving transmitter and increasing the power!

The maps show where the 60dbu and 80dbu listener areas are. The FCC considers the 80dbu area to be where an excellent signal will be.

We are so happy to thank the following local businesses and bands as recent "Power UP!" supporters! Port City Music Hall; Jonathan's Restaurant; One Longfellow Square; Portland Museum of Art; Space Gallery; Maine Root; Leonardo's Pizza; Tony's Donuts; Geno's Rock Club ; Honey Clouds; Man-Witch; St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center and Huak

WMPG Needs Your Car!
WMPG Car Donation
Call 1-888-WMPG-Auto, we'll do the rest!

Your old car -- think it's not worth much? Well it may be gold to WMPG! If your car has an engine and is towable... and you have the title, call 1-888-WMPG-AUTO to see if your old wheels may be eligible for a tax deductible donation to WMPG.

You make the call... and we take care of the rest!

WMPG has teamed up with the friendly folks at The Center for Car Donations to coordinate this effort.



WMPG CDs & Record Sale a raging success!
WMPG Record Sale
Last year's sale was crowded!

The humungous 14th annual WMPG CD & Record Sale! happened Saturday - November 21st at the USM Portland Sullivan Gym. And like last year's event drew more than 300 people and raised almost $8000 for WMPG. This annual event regularly astounds people with the thousands and thousands of records, CDs, books, magzines and other music related material. With dealers converging from all over New England and WMPG setting up more than thirty tables of goodies it is always a fun event.

Didn't make the show but still want to help out your friends at WMPG! - Donate your records and CDs to WMPG for the sale. If you have records, CDs or old turntables taking up space and you don't know what to do with we will take them. The sales from the event go to help WMPG obtain equipment and offset other fees. Call (207) 780-4424 or e-mail the stationmanager@wmpg.org. Our crack team of drivers will quickly arrive at your house to clean away all those old records that are taking up space! We will then give you a receipt which can be used for a tax deduction! Thanks again for to everyone who already donated the records and CDs!



Ron "Stuck in the Eighties" Raymond Interviews The English Beat's Dave Wakeling
Dave Wakeling

On Monday, November 16th, 2009, exactly one week before The English Beat took Portland's skanking concertgoers by storm, Ron Raymond, Jr., host of WMPG's Sunday night radio program STUCK IN THE 80s, interviewed Dave Wakeling, the voice of legendary 80s bands The English Beat and General Public. "Save It For Later Ron" and Dave talked about Margaret Thatcher, John Hughes' massive no-particular-order record collection, how Miles Copeland of I.R.S. screwed him over for a lot of money, and how he wouldn't partake in VH1's Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s list - because he isn't one! It was a great interview on November 16th and an incredible show on November 23rd.

Ron would like to send special thanks out to Dave Wakeling and The English Beat, WMPG, and Hannah Brotman and Laura Fagins with the English Beat Publicity team for setting Ron up with the interview and the opportunity to meet Dave after the show. For more information on Dave Wakeling or The English Beat, go to davewakeling.com. Full Interview Link



WMPG presented "Watch Your Language!" at Portland Community TV station
Watch Your Languagewhatstheword.jpg
Suzanne Murphy host of Watch Your Language

"Watch Your Language! a local radio word game show was performed in front of a live audience on Sunday, November 15 at the Community Television Network, 516 Congress St., Portland. "Watch Your Language! is a game show celebrating the complexity, beauty and downright weirdness. WMPG Greater Portland's Community Radio is home to this locally written and produced radio word game show. It follows in the tradition of NPR's "My Word" and "Says You," which are no longer aired in Maine.

The show is hosted by Suzanne Murphy of WMPG's public affairs program, Big Talk, written by Kate O'Halloran of Big Talk and Joanne Fedorocko, and played by Margaret Cleveland, MaryBeth Davidson, Alan Brewer, Caroline Tedeske and Marcia Goldenberg.

The show was open to the public and a nice crowd turned out. All proceeds benefited WMPG's Power Up! signal improvement campaign. Through a transmitter move and power increase, Power Up! will bring a strong WMPG signal to five times as many Southern Maine listeners as receive it now. The station needs to raise $250,000 to fund the upgrade, and the new transmitter is required by the FCC to go on the air no later than December of 2011

And if you would like to find out about "Watch Your Language!", call WMPG Program Director Dave Bunker at (207) 780-4598 or e-mail him by clicking here.



USM Media Studies class spend a semester at WMPG! Check out their podcast.
MES220
front row-Kelly McDevitt,Carey Corrow, Sarah Radovich, Charlene Smith. back row: Jason Engler, Charlie Widdis, Christine Bullard, Stephanie Pennell, Jason Kenyon

Nine USM media studies students have been taking a university class at WMPG called Audio Production 1. The students are learning the art of radio and have learned how to produce music and interview programs. To get their work out into the community they created a pod cast called "The Buzz" that features nine daily installments of their recent public affairs interviews.

USM's media studies 220 audio production class podcast. Nine interviews discussing topics concerning the greater Portland community. Each show is 15 minutes and was produced by the class.

The "The Buzz" podcasts can be found at: Podcast Link


WMPG Record Sale
"humble Farmer" Tuesdays 2-3pm only on WMPG



WMPG and FinalRune Productions presented a special SPOOKTRAVANGANZA! - a "Halloween Radio Theater Presentation" at USM's Portland Talbot Hall in Luther Bonney
WMPG Halloween Broadcast

On Halloween, FinalRune Productions teamed up with WMPG and members from the Mad Horse Theater Company for a live spooktravanganza. The 2-hr live radio event featured original work from writers Fred Greenhalgh, Mark LaFlamme, Kevin Anderson, and Roger Gregg. Stories Include:

    Presented was:
  • The Ghost Behind the Black Door by Roger Gregg A couple from the city moves to a mansion in the countryside only to find that things are not all as they expect... a spoof on the classic horror meme.
  • Leaving You is Hell by Fred Greenhalgh - A dark retelling of the myth of Orpheus inspired by the classic jazz tune "St James Infirmary." A man in New Orleans is doomed to keep falling in love with the same woman and seducing her to her death.
  • Bone Lake by Mark LaFlamme - The ice fishing's going well on Bone Lake, until a man comes from the winter's night looking for a very strange catch.
  • Third Shift by Kevin Anderson - A company will sell you very efficient workers at a bargain price. Just don't send the living to check out their work.

Missed the show - no problem we recorded it and you can listen to it here:
Click here to listen to program

Fall Begathon brings in $27,000 in pledges!
WMPG Fall Begathon
Pledge early - Thanks!

Didn't get a chance to pledge - make your donation right now! Pledge here with an on-line plede today. You can keep community radio alive and well in Maine!

Fall Begathon 2009 is now over and we have to thank everyone who made a pledge or mailed in a donation or volunteered answering phones or donated food and gift certificates and of course all the programmers who made it all happen! In all, we've received more than $27,000 in pledges and donations. To make the event a complete success we ask that you come by the station between 9am and 5pm weekdays to pick up your gift. If you can't make it during those hours give us a call at (207) 780-4916 to make other arrangements. If you haven't paid your pledge you will soon receive a business reply envelope being sent next week. Please make the Begathon complete by mailing in your pledge. WMPG is located at 92 Bedford Street in Portland.

Click HERE to view the Fall Begathon Tees, Hats and Mugs!

WMPG sends out big thanks to the following businesses for their generous donations to the BEGATHON!
Bintliff's American Cafe; BOGUSHA'S POLISH RESTAURANT 825 Stevens Ave, Portland; Costa Vida; Gritty McDuffs; Coffee By Design; The Great Lost Bear; Haggarty's; The Good Egg; EL Rayo Taqueria; North Star Cafe; Izzy's Cheesecake; Bagelworks; Pizza Joint; LA FAMILIA 906 Brighton Ave. Portland; Bam Bam Bakery; Local 188; Silly's; Beale Street BBQ; Spartan Grill; Seadog Brewing; Empire Dine & Dance ; ARAMARK/ USM Dining; Standard Baking; Amigos; Tony's Donuts; The Udder Place Coffee Company; The Good Egg ; Buckdancer's Choice Music Company; Cinemagic; Portland Ovations; Great Northeast Productions;

FMI Contact: Dale Robin Lockman 207.780.4151 or e-mail development@wmpg.org


7th WMPG Radio Open Mic Live fills the Campus Center!
Open Mic

On Thursday October 8th we presented the seventh edition of WMPG's Radio Open Mic. It was in front of a live audience, at the University of Southern Maine Portland Woodbury Campus Center Amphitheater and broadcast live on WMPG

To participate performers just showed up at the USM Portland Woodbruy Campus Center Ampitheater and boy did they. We had more than twenty performers that day. If you missed the show - no worries - we recorded it and is linked below. Enjoy and thanks to everyone who made it a success.


Click here to listen to the recording of Radio Open Mic 2009!

Hosted by Lorenzo Raffa ("The Lorenzo Commentaries")

FMI: RadioOpenMic@gmail.com



WMPG's Steve Hirshon interviews Portland City Councilor Anton live at The Good Egg
Open Mic
Steve Hirshon

On September 24th, Steve Hirshon, host of WMPG's Thursday early morning radio program "Hukkin' a Chainek" took his show on the road. Well in town, anyway, he broadcast live from the Good Egg Cafe at 78 Middle Street in Portland. The show featured a Steve's regular collaborator, Lorenzo(of the Lorenzo Commentaries) along with other special guests Portland City Councilor John Anton and Peter Brown from the Mad Horse Theater. The morning also included live music from members of Over a Cardboard Sea. The show was part of the WMPG Power Up! fundraising campaign to relocate and increase the power of the WMPG broadcast signal.
Click here to listen to full program . If you are looking for the John Anton interview refered to in 9/25/09 The Daily Sun, fast forward to the 1:44:00 portion of the show.
Click here to read a news feature about the program from The Daily Sun and Portland City Councilor John Anton's comments.
Click here for the song "Bacon & Eggs" from Over a Cardboard Sea
Click here for the song "I Wonder" from Over a Cardboard Sea
Click here for the song "Tiger Rag" from Over a Cardboard Sea
Click here for the Lorenzo's Commentary "Goodnight Jonny"


WMPG Volunteer Fred Greenhalgh wins the "Ogle Award" an International Award for Radio Drama
Waiting for a Window
Fred shows off his new Ogle with Master of Ceremonies, Jerry Stearns

Fred Greenhalgh, volunteer producer of the program Radio Drama Revival on WMPG, has won the Gold Ogle Award, an international audio drama award for Best Fantasy Audio Drama. He won it for "Waiting for a Window," a surreal tale of Norman, a sailor who finds himself stranded on a strange tropical island where no one ever seems to leave. The half-hour drama was produced by Greenhalgh's Portland-based FinalRune Productions. It was recorded entirely on location in the Portland area -- at marinas, marshes, the beach, and an abandoned mill space in Biddeford. It debuted on WMPG, and features a talented local cast including Ed Patterson, Bill Dufris, and Philip Hobby. Greenhalgh had the opportunity to personally receive the award in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the CONvergence festival.

The "Ogle" is named for Charles Ogle, who played the first Frankenstein's creation in Edison's silent 1910 film of the famous science fiction horror novel. The award celebrates the best fantasy/audio production of the year. Greenhalgh's program can be heard each week on WMPG, Thursdsay afternoons from 1 to 1:30pm.

Click here to listen to "Waiting for a Window,"


WMPG's Evenin' Sun DJs check out the North Atlantic Blues Festival
Open Mic
Suzanne Walcott with Eden Brent, Suzanne and Myron with the Legendary Bobby Rush, Suzanne (Mon ESB), Myron (Weds ESB) and Dave (Tues ESB) at the North Atlantic Blues Festival July 09

Living the Blues! Recently, the hosts of WMPG's Evenin' Sun Blues block, which airs 5 to 7 pm Monday through Saturday, attended the North Atlantic Blues Festival. Thanks to The Blues Doctor for sharing these photos with us. Blues my foot! These folks do not look as though they have the blues!!


USM Free Press publishes feature on WMPG.

The USM Free Press is the University of Southern Maine's campus newspaper. They recently published a feature on WMPG. Give it a read and see what else is happening on the USM campus!
Click here to read WMPG feature,


USM President Selma Botman interviewed on WMPG's Big Talk
USM President Selma Botman
USM President Selma Botman - Photo Courtesy of USM Free Press
On Thursday Decenber 4th, USM President Selma Botman was interviewed on WMPG's longtime public affairs program Big Talk. Selma discussed her plans for USM and how she is dealing with the current financial crisis facing it. Big Talk host and longtime USM employee Claire Holman conducted the interview.

Click here to listen to the interview:


WMPG 7th Annual Bluegrass Spectacular fills the St. Lawrence!
2009 WMPG Bluegrass Spectacular
Monday May 4th, St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center

On Monday, May 4th WMPG presented the 7th annual Bluegrass Spectacular at the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center. This annual event always fills the place to the rafters and this year was no different as the finest bluegrass talent in southern Maine took to the stage supporting WMPG.

A big thanks goes out to all the WMPG Volunteers who made the evening go smooth, especially to Merrill Marsh who annually produces this event and Craig Springer who engineered the show and Lorenzo Raffa who made sure all the bands were well fed and that we had some fine photos.

We also want to thank all the bands for donating their talents to WMPG - The Jerks of Grass, The Grassholes, Squash and Gourds and the Stowaways and our special guests from 317 Main Street in Yarmouth. The Bluegrass Spectacular was MC'd by WMPG's own Blizzard Bob, host of the Wednesday morning "Blue Country" show for the 7th year in a row. And of course a big thanks to the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center and Flatbread Pizza for the huge stack of pizza they donated to the event!

All proceeds from the show benefited WMPG and all told we raised over $1300. More information on the bands at myspace.com/thegrassholes or jerksofgrass.com and the The Stowaways.

Click here for a photo spread from the event


WMPG presented the fifth annual Fashion Show !
2009 WMPG Fashion Show

WMPG, Greater Portland's Community Radio presented its fifth annual Fashion Show on Saturday, April 25 at Space Gallery, 538 Congress Street in Portland. Doors opened at 8 pm and the show began at 9 pm.

Each year, Fashion Show Director Paul Drinan gathers Maine designers of clothing, jewelry and accessories to present their creative fashions on the Space runway. "None of that 'off-the-rack-schmack'", muses Drinan, "This is the real deal!"

This year's event brought out a large crowd to witness exciting all-original clothing, jewelry and accessories designed by local artists. This year's added touch of pre-show entertainment by Quasar with an interactive, improvisational musical extravaganza, makes this year's show a "Powered Up" experience. WMPG is kicking off a two year "Power Up!" fundraising effort to boost their broadcast power with a new transmitter and stronger signal.

A huge "thank-you" goes out to everyone who made the show possible including all the fashion designers, models and especially producer Paul Drinan. The WMPG Fashion Show is annually produced and directed by former runway pro and WMPG Volunteer, Paul Drinan.

All proceeds went to WMPG and our "Power Up!" campaign!

FMI Contact Paul at wmpgfashion@gmail.com.


Premier of Malaga Island: A Story Best Left Untold, a radio and photo documentary produced by WMPG-FM in collaboration with the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Aired February 26th, 7:30pm on WMPG.
Deuce of Spades
"There are a remarkable number of photographs of the Malaga Island community. Newspapers published several dozen photos over the years sometimes in a kind of newspaper photo-spread unusual for the time period. Photos were also taken for postcards. This postcard image was titled "The Deuce of Spades." In the picture is probably Annie Parker holding Pearl Tripp. Some contend this picture was posed purposefully in an animal pen. Photo Courtesy Maine Historic Preservation."

In 1912, the state of Maine evicted about forty-five people from Malaga Island off the coast of Phippsburg. The island residents were poor, black, white, and mixed race. The eviction is typically viewed as a shameful moment in the state's history. WMPG-FM, in collaboration with the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, announces the premier of Malaga Island: A Story Best Left Untold, a radio and photo documentary recounting this infamous event and its impact on several generations of descendents.

Malaga Island: A Story Best Left Untold includes an hour-long radio program plus a gallery show featuring photographs, audio, and a panel discussion. The radio documentary aired on WMPG, February 26th. A gallery opening will took place at Salt.

"This is one of those stories where people say 'That happened in Maine?!' or 'The state did what?!' Then they say 'Tell me more,'" said Rob Rosenthal, radio producer for Malaga Island: A Story Best Left Untold....

Read More.

Music Reviews by WMPG DJ's
THE CURE THE CURE
4:13 Dream
Suretone/Geffen Records; 2008
By Ron Raymond
WMPG Music Director

How does a 32-year-old alt-rock/goth band get the fans excited about a new album months in advance of the album’s release date? Well, to prepare for the 13th album by 80s alt-rock/goth heroes The Cure, 4:13 Dream, the 4-man band led by Robert Smith, released singles on the 13th of each month leading up to the album’s initial release date of September 13th. Each of these singles had non-album B-sides, which have always been a Cure staple. However, the album got pushed back to October 13th and was ultimately released on October 28th. After a remix EP was released on September 13th to tide fans over, the album arrived and is the first album since 1989’s Disintegration that, for the most part, sounds like The Cure we used to know.

4:13 Dream opens up like several Cure albums past – with a long track. In this case, it’s the song “Underneath The Stars.” The song echoes back to Disintegration, by far the band’s biggest album to date. First single “The Only One” also echoes back of Cure days past, to songs like 1985’s “In Between Days,” 1987’s “Just Like Heaven” and 1992’s “High.” It’s refreshing considering how awful 2004’s self-titled album was. There was maybe one good song on the whole thing. It’s nice to see Robert Smith and Co. going back to basics.

The album does, I feel, take a couple of missteps in the songs “The Real Snow White” and former single “Freakshow.” These songs sound like the more recent Cure offerings and they don’t feel like they belong in any album. They just seem out of sorts compared to all of the other great cuts. Other highlights on 4:13 Dream include the sweet but short “Sirensong”; one of the singles and my favorite song on the album, “The Perfect Boy”; the simple but lovely “This, Here And Now, With You”; and, “Sleep When I’m Dead,” which sounded to me at first like an older Cure song – and now I know why. Upon further reading, “Sleep When I’m Dead” is actually a song that was originally written for the 1985 album The Head On The Door.

Do I think like The Cure are headed back in the right direction? Yeah, I do. 4:13 Dream is the first studio album that reunites original member Porl Thompson with the band since 1992’s Wish. And, strangely enough, in Spain, where the Cure have never had much success, the first three singles off the album have all gone to #1, with “The Perfect Boy” reaching #2. This album makes me look forward to their next effort, so I can applaud that one as well, because I believe the Dream is real – that The Cure can (and will) still make some truly good music.


WMPG has a new news training project, and as our reporter trainees finish their training they are producing feature reports on a wide variety of subjects. Each piece airs several times on our air, and is also posted on the web. To visit WMPG's general news page, click here.

On a related note, WMPG's 2008 Election Project has begun. Our volunteer reporters will bring you wide-ranging truly local coverage through election day and beyond. The reports will air as we have them in regular slots in our air schedule: 8:30am and 5pm Monday through Friday. On the days we have no fresh reports, none will air, but if you make a habit of tuning in at those times you'll hear all of our coverage. And, all the reports will be posted on line as well, along with episodes of our established public affairs shows which include election coverage. To go to the WMPG Election Project 2008 page click here.

And if you would like to find out about becoming a citizen reporter yourself, call WMPG Program Director Dave Bunker at (207) 780-4598 or e-mail him by clicking here.


Counrty Rock legends Chris Hillman and Herb Pederson visit the Kitchen Party!
Chris Hillman and Herb Pederson
Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen playing Tamborine Man on WMPG

WMPG's Thursday morning "alt country" program the Kitchen Party had two of the originators visit us on 8/7/08! Frequent musical collaborators Chris Hillman who has played with the likes of The Byrds, Flying Burito Brothers, Manassas, Souther Hillman Furay, Desert Rose Band and Herb Pedersen who has played with David Grisman's Smokey Grass Boys, The Dilliards, Manassas, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Jackson Brown, John Denver, Desert Rose Band and more stopped by for a long interview and to play a few songs including Tamborine Man and If I could Win Your Love. They were in town promoting a show at One Longfellow Square. Everyone was thrilled to have such musical legends honor us with a visit and songs!

Click Here To Listen to the show!


Okbari brings the Mideast to Downeast!
AMos Libby
Amos Libby

WMPG's Friday morning global music show, Shaken and Stirred, hosted by DJ Adira welcomed two members of Okbari to the studio on August 1. Amos Libby on the oud, and Eric LaPerna on percussion filled the station with the sounds of the Middle East. Find out more about them at www.okbari.org
Eric LaPerna

Okbari Amos Libby and Eric LaPerna perform Armenian and Anatolian folk music, classical Middle Eastern music and traditional folk and contemporary songs from the Greek, Arabic and Balkan traditons. Okbari also presents multi-instrumental original music inspired by the musical systems of the Middle East and India. They perform on the oud, clarinet, duduk, bouzouki, doumbek, riqq, tabla, ney, mridangam, and several other instruments from around the world. Okbari was formed in 1995 and has independently released four albums: 'Among the Believers', 'By the Banks of the Red River', the self-titled 'Okbari', and, most recently, 2007's 'Armenian and Anatolian Folk Music.' Okbari also appears as a traditional Armenian and Turkish dance quartet featuring former Bardezbanian ensemble violinist Michael Gallant and noted guitarist Michah Blue Smaldone. Okbari has a long partnership with Maine's most beloved belly dancer, Jamileh. Okbari are from Portland, Maine and has performed throughout the Northeast. To further their studies, Okbari traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, where they shared the stage with the Kemani Serkan Roma Ensemble at Ikinci Bahar in the famed Cicek Pasaji as well as with the Oudi Hasan Roumeli Kef Ensemble at Roumeli Meyhane.

Click Here To Listen to the show!



Underwriter Profile:
Intructions at Pilates

By Dale Robin Lockman, Development Director

Portland Pilates
49 Dartmouth Street
(207) 772-8950

On the second floor at 49 Dartmouth Street, on the corner of Forest, there is a bright, welcoming room busy with quiet activity. When you arrive, a friendly sign urges you to remove your street shoes, and as you enter, you can see what private and group instruction in the practice of Pilates looks like.

Pilates is a system for strength and fitness that was developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s and 30s, and focuses on breath control and muscle control as basic skills for core strength and wellness.

Nancy Etnier is the owner of Portland Pilates, and is the brains and energy behind its programming. During a recent visit to the WMPG studios, Nancy sat down with us, and reflected on the history and philosophy of her Portland Pilates studio.

Read more about Portland Pilates

You can find out more about Portland Pilates at their website, pilatesportland.com or by calling 772-8950.
Read More Underwriters Profiles:
Full Circle Synergy Profile
Portland Ovations
Gritty McDuff's Brew Pub & Restaurant
Enterprise Records
Coffee By Design
The Rosemont Market and Bakery
Ferdinand
Jay York



Volunteer Profile: Roberto Mendoza, Host of "Eagle, Quetzal, Condor
Roberto Mendoza

Volunteer Roberto Mendoza hosts Eagle, Quetzal, Condor Monday mornings from 10:30am to noon each week on WMPG. He describes it as a show of news, music, and commentary from an indigenous perspective which covers the Western hemisphere. With this show Roberto seeks to generate renewed interest in indigenous values and to promote dialog between descendents of all the different ethnic groups which, at various times, have come to this part of the world. On Friday, June 27th, 2008, Roberto had a conversation with WMPG Program Director Dave Bunker about these topics and more besides.

Click here to listen to the interview.

You can hear Roberto Mendoza's show: Eagle, Quetzal, Condor Monday from 10:30 AM 'til 12 PM.

Read More Volunteer Profiles:
Ruby Simkoff
"Blizzard" Bob Wade
Steve Hirshon
Stef Stylee
Nate Cory
Valerie Cartonio
Chris Darling
Madeleine Winterfalcon
Chip Edgar
Anne Sielaff
Thaian Vu
Roberto Mendoza


Return your returnable bottles & cans and support WMPG!

Next time you bring back bottles and cans you can help support your favorite local community radio station...And you don't even have to get dirty! CLYNK, a new local redemption program, will let you turn in a bag of bottles and/or cans at any participating Hannaford and will credit it to WMPG. There are special bags, which you can pick up here at WMPG, that have a barcode. Want us to mail you a few of them - no problem! Shoot us an e-mail to WMPG Station Manager. When you fill them up and drop them off the barcode will credit your (5 and 15 cent) returns to us! It's that easy.

Participating Hannaford stores include: Biddeford, Brunswick, Buxton, Falmouth, Lakes Region (Windham), Portland (Forest Ave), Saco, Sanford, Scarborough (CLYNK's flagship location), South Portland (Mill Creek), Topsham, Westbrook, Yarmouth, and York.

A big thanks to Jan, host of Local Motives, who had some quick thinking when she learned about the program and added us in!


USM Jazz Lab Ensemble & USM Jazz Ensemble were broadcast live on WMPG from USM Hannaford Lecture Hall on April 22nd - listen to it in the WMPG Archives
USM Music Department

On Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 the USM Lab Jazz Ensemble, directed by Larry Williams, and the USM Jazz Ensemble, led by Dr. Doug Owens, raised the roof of the Hannaford Lecture Hall in the Abromson Community Education Center on the USM Portland campus with a swingin' set apiece. WMPG was there, broadcasting live. We also recorded both halves of the concert, which can be downloaded here:

Click here to go to WMPG Archives


Malik Rahim and Robert King Wilkerson interviewed on WMPG
Robert King Wilkerson & Malik Rahim at WMPG

On Friday April 18th Malik Rahim and Robert King Wilkerson visited WMPG for an interview with Hashim Allah. The interview was a riviting look at the American Justice System and how a person can spend more than 30 years in jail for the possession of a $5 bag of marijuana...

In 1970 Malik Rahim was a co-founder of the Lousisiana Black Panther Party. Today Malik continues struggling for social and ecological justice in his community. One week after Katrina, Malik co-founded Common Ground Relief. Over the pst 2 1/2 years, Malik has worked endlessly to bring the story of post-Katrina New Orleans to the world.

Robert King Wilkerson is a former member of the Black Panther Party. He spent 29 years in solitary confinement in the Louisiana State Prison aka Angola Prison for a crime he was later exonerated for in 2001. He is one of the widely written about Angola 3. Since he was released King has worked to free the other two former Black Panthers who are still incarcerated.

Both men are in town for a discussion at the Meg Perry Center located at 644 Congress Street in Portland. FMI 930-5232 Click here to listen to the 30 minute interview
Click here to watch a 24 minute video shot by WMPG DJ Chris Darling

WMPG collaboration with Portland Harbor Museum on the Homefront Veterans Oral History Project wins MAB 2007 1st place award for Features!


MAB

The Maine Association of Broadcasters holds an annual conference to highlight some of the years best work in radio and television. For 2007, WMPG staffer Stephanie Philbrick was honored with a First Place Award for Feature reporting for her production of "The Homefront Veterans Oral History Project, Episode 1". This five part series was a collaboration between WMPG and the Portland Harbor Museum and funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

WWII turned the greater Portland area into a boomtown. Thousands of people flooded into the area to take jobs generated as we geared up for war. Old professions became new again when two large government shipyards were built in South Portland. Thousands of men and women from all over New England came to build the Liberty ships that supplied allied troops overseas. Many ships were built between 1942 and 1945. Portland Harbor Museum and WMPG are recording interviews with the Homefront Veterans who built the Liberty ships.

Woman Worker
Woman Ship Builder
These are the stories of how local people - our mothers,fathers, grandparents and neighbors -- contributed to national and world history. This important community collaboration brings WMPG and Portland Harbor Museum together to collect and preserve our local history. This series first aired over the winter on WMPG. If you missed our spring rebroadcast you can also download the entire series by clicking below.

Homefront Veterans Oral History Project Audio here.


WMPG presented a "Speak Out" on diversity - @ USM's Gerald E. Talbot Lecture Hall
Speak Out on Diversity!

The WMPG "Speak Out!"
What exactly is racism?

What exactly is discrimination? In today's multi-ethnic society, sometimes it is hard to know how communication and actions are going to be received and perceived. On Sunday, December 9th, WMPG presented a live, moderated panel discussion in which people from various ethnicities and cultures talked about their experiences in the contemporary culture of the U.S. They discussed what they particularly value about their ethnicity, what they find challenging or difficult about their ethnicity in the setting of the U.S. today, and what words or actions they have experienced which they never want to have repeated.

The purpose of this speakout was to foster open discussion, mutual understanding, and respect. It will be conducted in front of a live audience at the Gerald E. Talbot Lecture Hall on the USM Portland Campus and was broadcast live on WMPG, as a special feature during the Mama Africa show. The live event was free and open to the public, and the broadcast on WMPG's two frequencies, 90.9 and 104.1 FM, and on line at www.wmpg.org. The show is posted for download on the audio archive page at wmpg.org and available now.

Click here to listen to full recording of event

Steve Hirshon interviews Roger Bowen Roger Bowen

USM's Convocation opens this year with a keynote speech by Roger W. Bowen, a former university president and former general secretary of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). He will speak on "Academic Freedom and Academic Democracy" on Thursday September 20. The morning of the speech he talked with WMPG volunteer Steve Hirshon on his show Hukkin' a Chainek. That interview can be heard here. Download here

Steve spoke to Daily Kos blogger Bill from Portland

Steve Hirshon speaks with Daily Kos front pager Bill in Portland, Maine. Bill writes Cheers and Jeers Tuesday through Friday. Daily Kos is one of the top ten most read blogs on Earth.

To listen click here.

The interview aired on Steve's show Hukkin a Chainek, Thursday August 24th.

Long time WMPG Technical Director remembered with Memorial Stone

 

For more than ten years WMPG DJ's had Phil Hersey to thank for keeping all the equipment up and running. Phil's favorite time at WMPG was either late at night repairing equipment or when a band was playing and he was the engineer. Phil was the WMPG Technical Director and engineer for our Local Motives program, the program dedicated to live local music. If you were in a local band around here for the last decade, chance are Phil made you sound good. He was an institution within the local music scene. Phil passed away in 2004 and last year WMPG DJ Lars Lindgren completed this monument to him. If you want to hear some of Phil's work just call one of our DJs and ask for some local music. We have more than 500 recordings in our library which he mastered. We miss ya Phil but are happy that your passion and love for live music has lived on here at WMPG!

 

Pulitzer nominated author Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng, one of 17,000 Lost Boys of Sudan - speak at USM
Valentino Achak Deng
On Sunday, February 25th, 2007, author, Dave Eggers, and Valentino Achak Deng spoke to a packed house at USM's Hannaford Lecture Hall. Deng a Sudanese "lost boy" is the hero of Eggers' new book What is the What. Eggers and Deng spoke conversationally about Deng's life, mixing his first person stories with readings from What is the What. The evening concluded with questions from the audience.

"I cannot recall the last time I was this moved by a novel. What is the What is that rare book that truly deserves the overused and scarcely warranted moniker of "sprawling epic". Told with humor, humanity, and bottomless compassion for his subject, one Valentino Achak Deng, Eggers shows us the hardships, disillusions, and hopes of the long suffering people of southern Sudan. This is the story of one boy's astonishing capacity to endure atrocity after atrocity and yet refuse to abandon decency, kindness, and hope for home and acceptance. It is impossible to read this book and not be humbled, enlightened, transformed. I believe I will never forget Valentino Achak Deng." --KHALED HOSSEINI, author of The Kite Runner

This was a fundraising event for The Telling Room, a Portland-based writing program for young people.

WMPG's Dave Wade interviewed independent journalist Dahr Jamail Dahr Jamail

On Wednesday, September 27th, WMPG's Dave Wade interviewed journalist Dahr Jamail. Jamail is one of only a few independent US journalist who has spent time in Iraq during the war. His MidEast Dispatches have become critical material for publications such as The Nation, The Sunday Herald, Islam Online and the Guardian.

Jamail is in Portland to speak at USM at the Abromson Community Education Center. Before the evening event he visited us.

To listen click here.

Take a virtual tour of WMPG's facilities!
Click here to watch a "Youtube" video tour of WMPG Radio

Have you ever wondered what WMPG's music library looked like or perhaps the on-air studio? If yes, then here it is, we recently took out our digital camera and took a walking tour. Take a look at our 67,000 cds and 30,000 lps! Check out our new audio console compliments of the Maine Association of Broadcasters. Meet a few of the people that keep WMPG running! Thanks to Stephanie Sample for the creative editing of the video.

Day of the Dead...A Radio Drama
"Day of the Dead" was written, directed, and produced by Frederick Greenhalgh, a USM student (now alum!) and WMPG volunteer. The radio drama, inspired by the myth of Orpheus, tells the story of a young man from Maine as he journeys through New Orleans in search of his missing lover. "Day of the Dead" was recorded in both Louisiana and WMPG's studios, and features performances by Mark Krasnoff, Charles Grant, Barry Hilton, Philip Hobby, Casey Turner, David Howley, Kateri Valliere, Donald Murphy, Jason Elvin, John Coons, Joshua Force, and Braden Biddings.

LISTEN TO IT NOW! Download the 96 kbps .MP3 (35MB)

For more information or to contact Frederick go to http://www.finalrune.com/dead

Zippy interviewed the late Barry Cowsill
Barry Cowsill

During the summer of 2004,the Thursday Evenin' Sun featured an imaginary roadtrip throughout the southern states with the Zipdawg at the wheel. On one such ride,July 1st, Zip picked up Barry Cowsill hitchhiking. Barry graciously chatted and played a couple songs live to earn his fare. Straddling the line between reality and fiction,this interview becomes more relevant and poignant now that Barry Cowsill has passed on at the age of 51. Listen and enjoy,sharing a few minutes with Zipdawg and Barry Cowsill (1954-2005).


Click here to download Barry Cowsill 15 minute Interview and Barry playing a couple songs.

18th and Vine: Kansas City's 'Creole Corner'
Oak City Band
Oak City Band

Written by: John Mooney, WMPG Volunteer DJ For Tuesday's Groove Yard Shift 6:30-8:30 am

Long ago, Kansas City, Missouri lit up the American musical scene as never before. The city's 18th and Vine district became second to none with its jazz influence. Jam sessions would swing the masses into what would become the signature of Kansas City as well as our nation.

Click here for the entire story!

WMPG starts up the HD RADIO transmitter!
Digital

In June, WMPG completed the installation of our new analog/digital 90.9 IBOC FM transmitter. Brian Dyer, WMPG’s long-time Chief Engineer, began installing the equipment this past spring and we have been tweaking the signal and making adjustments to the digital broadcast.

For you, the listener, the transition should have been seamless as we continued broadcasting in analog. The new transmitter broadcasts in both analog and digital . If you want to hear WMPG in digital you'll need to purchase a digital radio. There are a number of models available from Kenwood and a number of new autos that offer digital radios, too. You may also install a digital converter. This will allow an analog radio to receive digital signals. As for other WMPG plans related to our digital upgrade, we are planning on purchasing a number of digital radios and placing them around town as “listening booths” and when they become available we'll be offering digital radios as Begathon premiums....

Click here to read more.

Steve Hirshon interviewed Sean Wilsey

On Thursday, July 21st, WMPG's Steve Hirshon interview Sean Wilsey, editor at large at MC Sweeney's Quarterly. He talked with Steve Hirshon about his memoir "Oh, The Glory of it All(Penguin)" on the Thursday morning drive-time show Huckkin' A Chainek prior to his Portland reading at Space Gallery.

Sean Wilsey's writing has appeared in The London Review of Books, The Los Angeles Times, and McSweeney's Quarterly, where he is the editor at large. Before going to McSweeney's he worked as an editorial assistant at The New Yorker, a fact checker at Ladies' Home Journal, a letters correspondent at Newsweek, and an apprentice gondolier in Venice, Italy. He was born in San Francisco in 1970 and now lives with his wife, Daphne Beal, and his son, Owen.
Click Here to download interview

What's in the Future for WMPG?

WMPG's 5 Year Plan is available here for you to read. Learn more about what the future holds for Greater Portland's community radio station.

You will need Adobe Acrobat to read the file. You can download a free copy of Acrobat Reader here.

Click here to read the plan

University of Southern Maine

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Malaga Island: A Story Best Left UntoldA Radio & Photo Documentary

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