WMPG - Greater Portland Community Radio

USM President Selma Botman interviewed on WMPG's Big Talk

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 Radio Open Mic Live! Brought in the crowds!

On a Thursday afternoon, December 11th, the sixth edition of WMPG's Radio Open Mic took place and brought the open mic genre to the WMPG airwaves. In front of a live audience, at the University of Southern Maine Portland Woodbury Campus Center Amphitheater act after act made their way to the mic and showed us and the world what they had!

For people and acts that couldn't make it, we had mp3s that had been submitted that were played in between live acts. There was no admission to give it more of a Coffeehouse feel. Coffeehouse fare was available in the food court nearby.

Check back here for audio from the event as available!

FMI: RadioOpenMic@gmail.com

Second Annual Lesbian All-Star Review - December 6th - One Longfellow Square

On Saturday , December 6th, WMPG's Lesbian Radio Program present the Second Annual Lesbian All-Star Review at One Longfellow Square in Portland. This year we'll have Jesse Mallory, Chris Rutecki, Lib Jamison, Goldie Peacock, Denise Dill, Giorgi & Downeast Dykes, Jo Moser, Lady Zen, Katie Diamond, Vanessa Torres and Touching Ground all performing. Show start at 8pm. Get your tickets in advance as last year's show sold out early! Tickets by phone (207) 761-1757 or on the web OneLongfellowSquare.com. After-party at the White Heart with H++L

WMPG to broadcast USM Sports!

WMPG is pleased to announce that coverage of selected sports events will be broadcast at the times listed below on WMPG Greater Portland Community Radio, 90.9 and 104.1 FM, and streamed live at wmpg.org. Regular programming will be pre-empted to broadcast these following "away" events:

2008/2009 WMPG Radio Sports Broadcasts
Friday, December 12th  -  Men's Hockey @ Salem State  6:45 pm
Tuesday, January 13th  -  Women's Hockey @ Colby College   6:45 pm
Friday, January 30th  -  Men's Hockey @ Colby College   6:45 pm
Tuesday, February 3rd  -  Men's Basketball @ Colby College   6:45 pm

We are also looking for people interested in joing the WMPG/USM Internet Sports Teams as a basketball analyst for the upcoming season. Anyone interested should get in touch with us as soon as possible to set up a time to meet with me about the game broadcasts.If you have any questions or would like to help out with our broadcasts send an emailto: radiojimward@yahoo.com.

This is a link to USM Sports Broadcast -

WMPG CDs & Record sets news records!

Last year's sale was crowded!

The humungous 13th annual WMPG CD & Record Sale! happened Saturday - November 8th at the USM Portland Sullivan Gym and drew more than 400 people and raised more than $7000 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 thirty tables of goodies it is always a fun event. As usual there was a feeding frenzy on all the great deals! Picture a church rummage sale at the opening...

Din't make the show but still want to help out your friends at WMPG! - Donate your records and CDs to WMPG for next year's sale. If you have records, cassettes, 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. If you would like to donate records or CDs to WMPG for this year's sale, 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 everyone who came to this years sale and especially to everyone who donated the records and CDs!

WMPG Election Coverage 2008

Election coverage WMPG-style. There were several elements: first, in the week leading up to voting day each day at 8:30am and 5pm each weekday were highlights from WMPG campaign reporting, including conversations with major candidates from Blunt Youth Radio. On Tuesday November 4th, we had hourly five-minute updates from the Pacifica network on how the vote was going, starting at 1pm and aired at the top of each hour through the afternoon. Then, in the evening, five hours of continuous coverage from 7pm to midnight was a mix of national returns from Democracy Now and local reporting from the WMPG news team. And, finally, Jim Pinfold and Chris Busby of The Bollard did an hour of election post-mortem Wednesday morning, from 7:30 to 8:30, during Jim's show Reasonable Music. Nobody else does local like WMPG, Greater Portland Community Radio - tune in! 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.

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.

WMPG Fall Begathon has more than $26,000 pledged!
WMPG is 35 years old!
Happy Birthday to us!

Fall Begathon 2008 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 $26,000 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 envelopes being sent out next week. Please make the Begathon complete by mailing in your pledge. WMPG is located at 92 Bedford Street in Portland. You can mail donations to:
WMPG Begathon!
96 Falmouth Street
Portland, ME 04104

We are pretty happy with this total given the crazy state of things around here! We still need to reach our goal of $30,000 so if you didn't make a pledge you can still do it now on-line by clicking the donation button below. (WMPG Thanks you!)
Listen Local! WMPG is 35 Years in Your Ears!

We also would like to thank the following businesses for helping out WMPG during the begathon! TONY'S DONUTS, The Works Bakery Cafe, ARAMARK, Pepperclub, Costa Vida, Silly's, Bintliff's American Cafe,Haggarty's, Local 1888, The Great Lost Bear, Bingas Wingas, Buck's Naked, Gritty McDuffs, Portland Pie, Tony's Donuts, Sebago Brewing Company, Standard Baking, Buckdancer's Choice Music Company and the Dogfish Bar and Grille.

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

Amy Goodman - the Democracy Now host and executive producer draws more than 400 to Portland for WMPG benefit!

Democracy Now's Amy Goodman

Amy Goodman came to Portland for a joint benefit appearance for WMPG and CTN Channel 4. The Democracy Now host and executive producer gave a talk on Friday evening, September 12th, at Portland High School Auditorium from 7 to 8pm; the talk was followed by a book signing of Amy's newest book (with her brother, David Goodman), Standing up to the Madness, Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times, presented in conjunction with Longfellow Books. There was also a reception before the talk which was a chance to meet and talk with Amy one on one in a more casual social setting, with refreshments.

Together WMPG and CTN Channel 4 raised more than $5000 at this event! Thank you to everyone who came and made this night a great success.

WMPG is grateful, as always, to the many partners who contributed to the success of the events for Amy Goodman's visit and send out a huge "Thank You" to:
Dollaros Bakery on Forest Ave. thanks for the delicious pastries
Rosemont Market and Bakery of Portland and Yarmouth, 774-8129 for the marvelous deli trays
Vox Photographs for the welcoming the reception party into your gallery

WMPG Reporter Jessica Lockhart co-produces national broadcast from the St. Paul during Republican Convention

Jeremy Alderson & Jessica Lockhart at the Republican Convention

WMPG reporter and engineer Jessica Lockhart co-produced a two hour live broadcast in St.Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday September 2nd. Lockhart volunteers with the Homelessness Marathon which produced the program in conjunction with a protest rally organized by the Poor People's Economic Human Right's Campaign. The rally called "The March for Our Lives" was one of several taking place during the Republican National Convention.

Jeremy Alderson is the director of the Homelessness Marathon and the Live coverage of the poor people's rally says: "We were very pleased with our Live From The March for Our Lives broadcast from St. Paul, outside the Republican convention. The March for Our Lives did make it into the mainstream news, but only because after it was over, the remnants of the crowd (including our crew) got tear gassed and pepper sprayed (some of you may have heard my reporting on this during the regular Pacifica convention coverage). This later development was especially unfortunate, because the march had been entirely peaceful and it did not deserve to be sensationalized in that way. Needless to say, we feel that the poor deserve to be heard not herded"

Police Line

Police making a stand at the rally

Click Here to listen to first hour of show!

Photo credits - Adam Lockhart

WMPG Needs Your Car!

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.

Counrty Rock legends Chris Hillman and Herb Pederson visit the Kitchen Party!

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

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!

WMPG 6th Annual Bluegrass Spectacular packs the St. Lawrence!

The Grassholes at the Bluegrass Spectacular

This Year's Bluegrass Spectacular filled the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center to the rafters and didn't disappoint the sold out house as some of the finest bluegrass talent in southern Maine took to the stage for the 6th annual WMPG Bluegrass Spectacular on Monday, June 30th.

The Jerks of Grass, The Grassholes and the Stowaways all headlined the show, with additional 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. All Proceeds from the Bluegrass Spectacular benefited WMPG. Thanks go out to all the bands - uou can visit their web pages at myspace.com/thegrassholes or jerksofgrass.com and the The Stowaways.

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.

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

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 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

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

Looking for a gift for someone who's got everything?

Looking for a gift for someone who's got everything? WMPG's Blues Review is available at these local music outlets - Bull Moose Music, Border's, Newbury Comics or the USM Books Stores. You can also click below if you want to order the CD directly from WMPG. The perfect gift for any blues fan.

This CD features a great set from local blues legends Jimmy & the Soul Cats and Rick Miller & Gate Street Blues. With services graciously donated by recording wiz John Etnier of Studio Dual and mastered by local guru Bob Ludwig of Gateway Mastering, WMPG proudly presents one of the best blues releases in many years. CLICK TO HEAR SAMPLES!!!

If you would like a cool WMPG t-shirt, winter hat, laptop bag, slinky, sweat shirt or other strange WMPG item to go with that Blue's Review CD why not stop by the WMPG offices at 92 Bedford Street during business hours 9-5, Monday through Friday.

LORENZO hosts radio OPEN MIC 5 - Friday Night - November 16th

Katherine Rhoda's rare 19th century play-by number instruments, the guitar-violin and the Marxophone

Radio Open Mic 5

On Friday night, Nov. 16th 7:30 to 9:30 the fifth edition of Radio Open Mic takes to the WMPG airwaves! Be there and be on the radio! What is Radio Open Mic? It's exactly the same format as open mic night at your favorite club, only on the radio. Except we don't serve Hampshire Ale. Sorry. Who's responsible for this? Lorenzo Raffa (The Lorenzo Commentaries) is the creator, producer, and host. The program is engineered by the talents of Isaac Shainblum (The Locals) and Jamie Lebish. Who can perform? Anyone!...Read More

ROM4 (Memorial Day 2007)

For its first Spring edition, ROM4 aired on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28 in South by Southwest's usual time slot, 8:30-10:30AM (thanks, Lincoln!). Host Lorenzo Raffa presented for two hours of unscripted, off-the-cuff performances by local musicians, comics and whoever else shows up at the studio, as well as MP3s sent to radioopenmic@yahoo.com.

Read More and Download Audio

Steve Hirshon interviews 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.

SoundExchange offers temporary reprieve on 'Net radio royalty increase

In the wake of an appeals court's decision not to delay the imposition of a new, expensive royalty scheme, Internet radio broadcasters got an unexpected bit of good news from an unlikely source. During a Congressional roundtable initiated by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), SoundExchange executive director Jon Simson said that the licensing group will not enforce the new royalty scheme. Instead, the rate hikes will be postponed indefinitely while SoundExchange and the webcasters attempt to hammer out a more equitable rate schedule.
Click here to read more on reprieve

For information on who to contact, click the link below.

Contact Info for your Representative

Silence is not golden.
Want more information on this issue - check out these sites:
www.savenetradio.org
Internet Radio Industry About to Go on Diet
When Copyright Law Reform Goes Terribly Wrong
David Byrn of Talking Heads addresses issue

The humble Farmer, Robert Skogland visits Home Dad

MPBN's The humble Farmer, Warren and Home Dad host Chip Edgar

On Tuesday, May 1st The humble Farmer Robert Skogland was a guest on Home Dad. Famous for his downeast Maine humor,commentary and music program on MPBN radio, he recounted a few humorous moments and discussed his future.

Many of you may be aware of what's been going on with Robert Skoglund, aka the humble Farmer, and Maine Public Broadcasting. If not, here it is in a nutshell:

The Humble Farmer is a weekly radio show that has been on the air for 28 years. Skoglund has a very dry sense of humor, and he features his commentary between a pretty eclectic mix of jazz standards. The commentary is sometimes humorous Maine stories, and other times it drifts into something can be loosely regarded as political. Skoglund has been critical of the Iraq war, as well as the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. read more

courtesy of mainewebreport.com

Click here for MP3 Homedad Archive Downloads including The humble Farmer program

Homedad and "the Community Television Network" have partnered up to bring you the Homedad Show to TV. If you have cable TV in the greater Portland area you can now watch the Home Dad program.

Homedad Community Television Network (CTN) Channel 4 schedule:

Friday's 4am, 10am, 7pm, 10pm

Homedad Portland Public Access Channel 2 schedule:

Tuesday's 1am, 3pm, 7pm
Wednesday's 1am

Click here for the Community Television Network daily schedule
Click here for the Portland Public Access Channel 2 schedule

Long time WMPG Technical Director remembered with Memorial Stone

Phil Hersey 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.

Click here to listen to full recording of event
Click here more WMPG Audio Archives

15 Million viewers from French national tv channel TF1 visits WMPG's "A La Votre"

Click here to watch a "Youtube" video of French TV TF1 visit.

On Friday October 6th, 2006, a news tv crew from TF1, the major French national tv channel came to shoot some images of "A La Votre" , the WMPG French Program, hosted by Jacques Santucci and Marc Beltrante, airing weekly, Friday morning at 10:30am out of Portland, ME radio WMPG. TF1 was in town to prepare a news program about the revival of the French culture in the USA and particularly in Maine. WMPG French program is part of this trend that also includes the creation of a French school and other initiatives. More information at

www.francoinfo.com
www.efdm.org

Click here to watch a French TV TF1 News Feature.

WMPG supports Community Television's Film Festival Gala

Jim Morrissey, Laurie Morrissey, Jessica Porter, Gail Worster, Chip Edgar and Dawn Smith

Member's from WMPG's Cinema Hits and Misses and Home Dad helped Community Television Network (CTN) celebrate their first annual Take One Film Festival Novemeber 18th at a gala event in USM's Abromson Center. WMPG was pleased to sponsor a table to show support for another media outlet whose mission is similar to WMPGs'; letting the community have a voice in the media. Community Television Network and WMPG also work together by sharing programs. Videographer Jim Morrissey films Home Dad with Chip Edgar, one of WMPG's weekly talk shows, and then broadcasts it on CTN. WMPG's own Cinema Hits and Misses movie reviewers Jessica Porter and Gail Worster participated in judging the 40 entries to the film festival. The awards gala gave out 4 first place awards to local filmmakers, including WMPG volunteer Charlie Ashlin. Radio and Television collaboration at its finest.

WMPG's Dave Wade interviewed independent journalist 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

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!

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

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