News and Community Affairs Programming on WORT Community Radio

Nathan Moore, News and Public Affairs Facilitator

"What's going on in the news department? Read Nathan's WORT News blog!"

WORT-produced Programs:

Insurgent Radio Kiosk
Five minute segment featuring a commentary, history notes, and calendar events for the day. Airs at 5, 6:30, 9 am & 2 pm weekdays.

8 O'Clock Buzz
The 8 O'Clock Buzz is a one-hour, morning drive-time show focusing on accessibility and serving as a forum for community members to discuss the events of the day and issues of importance to the community featuring volunteer hosts with a wide array of experience and connection to the community.

The show's format is a mix of music, culture, information, news and interviews. The show seeks to give voice to groups often excluded from mainstream media - including women, people of color, working-class and low-income people, ethnic and religious minorities, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, persons with disabilities, and both youth and elderly people.

With access being the key focus, it is the volunteer hosts' responsibility to seek out guests who normally wouldn't have access to radio and to educate listeners on under-represented or unrepresented issues or organizations. The goal of the Buzz is to challenge cultural and intellectual assumptions of our listeners through unique and diverse programming.

WORT 89.9 FM, as a station mission, is committed to radio programming with a human perspective - respecting all peoples and their environments.

Hosts:

A Public Affair (APA)

A Public Affair aims to engage listeners in a conversation on issues of international, national, & local importance with some novelty shows thrown in. The guests range from local activists and scholars to notable national & international figures. The hosts alternate throughout the week as do the focuses and topics. It is a call-in show that airs Monday through Friday from 12:05 to 1:00 pm. It is encompassed by BBC News and the Insurgent Radio Kiosk.

Hosts:

In Our Backyard
WORT's locally focused news show Monday through Thursday (6:30-7 pm) The mission of IOBY is to give an alternative look at Madison news. It aims to give under-represented people a voice. On Tuesdays tune in for "En Nuetro Patio," a special hour-long local Spanish-language news show for the Latino community from 6-7pm.

Access Hour
The show airs Monday nights from 7 to 8 p.m. The mission of the show is to get members of the community that don't usually have any connection to radio on the air. It features community groups, musicians, aspiring D.J.s, story-tellers, & anything else you can think of.

Radio Literature
This show focuses on authors, including local authors and books. The show airs from 7 to 7:30 pm on Tuesdays.

Labor Radio
 Friday afternoon news by, for, and about working people (5:30-6:00). Labor Radio's mission includes strengthening local unions, increasing the breadth and depth of media coverage on labor issues, and providing for the information needs of the community.

Queery
The show features local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender news & information. Queery covers local and national news affecting Madison's LesBiGayTrans community. The show airs on Wednesdays from 7 to 7:30 pm followed by This Way Out, the international gay/lesbian news magazine. The first show of every month is music.

Healthwriters
This show aims to empower people by giving background and resources to ensure affordable health care. Currently the show airs on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month from 7:30 to 8 pm, following Making Contact.

Perpetual Notion Machine
This science show looks at contemporary scientific issues and discoveries accessible, understandable and entertaining to the non-scientists of the listening community. The show currently airs on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday of every month from 7:30 to 8 pm, following Making Contact.

Mel & Floyd
Two wacky guys sit down each week to discuss news, views and things you need to know. The show isn't live due to Mr. Smartypants work schedule, it is recorded on Thursday nights. The show airs Fridays from 1 to 2 pm. You can download old shows here: Mel & Floyd Archive

Her Turn
This is a show produced by women and is about women. Everyone is encouraged to listen, though. It airs Sundays from 11 to 11:30 am.

Third World View
Third World View covers issues relating to the 'Third World' (very broadly-defined), the "new world order," international relations, and Third World communities in the United States from a critical left, anti-interventionist and anti-imperialist perspective. We bring to the Madison area Third World-focused news and public affairs programming rarely found in commercial and mainstream media, often focusing on oppositional movements and movements for social change. We provide a forum for progressive international scholars, solidarity groups, and others. Our program is run by a collective of volunteers who meet monthly to decide programming, policy and staffing. Third World View airs every Sunday 5-6pm.

Hmong Radio
The show is in Hmong and reaches Hmong refugees/families. Included in the show are: news, job announcements, cultural information, & music. Hmong Radio airs from 6 to 7 pm on Sundays.

Syndicated Programs

Free Speech Radio News
National and International news coming from over forty freelance reporters in 14 states and four continents - aired from 6:00 to 6:30pm Mon-Thu and Fri 5:00 to 5:30 pm.

Workers Independent News (WIN)
 gathers news by and about working people and creates a daily 3-minute headlines segment. WIN covers workplace issues, organizing, workplace democracy, and more. WORT airs WIN every Monday-Friday at 8:00am. You can also listen to WIN's newscast at http://www.laborradio.org/files/lo/winsheadlines.ram. (Requires Real Player.)

Democracy Now!
A national, listener-sponsored public radio and TV show, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the country - aired Mon-Thu 1:00 to 2:00 pm. Minds Eye Radio airs the 2nd Monday of each month in this timeslot

BBC News
The headlines are used at 7 am and at noon for news updates throughout the day. BBC news airs from 5:00 to 6:00 pm Monday through Thursday. This program provides southcentral Wisconsin with an international perspective to the news. Many listeners wished we carried more news from an non-American viewpoint.

Mind's Eye Radio
A compelling radio program that mixes poetry, commentary, drama, interviews, vox pop, and feature stories which explore contemporary social issues. Second Monday of the month 1:00 - 2:00 pm.

Making Contact
This show aims to take issues and look at them from a big picture perspective. It is produced by David Barsamian & Norman Solomon (of FAIR). It airs currently on Thursday nights from 7:30 to 8 pm.

This Way Out
News magazine on gay & lesbian issues. Airs after Queery on Wednesday nights from 7:30 to 8:00.

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This page last updated 06/30/2006

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