The Real Meaning of Community

Written by: WAMCRadio    Filed under: Alan Chartock     Comments: Comments Off   

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. WAMC is a fragile undertaking. Together we have done remarkable things. In the last three fund drives we have raised an incredible amount of money, three million dollars, to keep this ship afloat. That is really, really amazing. It shows community at its best. It shows that when people decide something is worth having, they build it and support it. All that counts is that every person does something. Whether it’s five dollars, or twenty five thousand dollars, we’re all in this together. When we forget the real meaning of community, this enterprise will collapse. The other day, I was driving along and heard a small classical music station in Connecticut trying to raise some money. The little station was having a very tough time. My heart went out to them and I debated whether to pick up the phone and call with a small donation. After a few minutes of indecision, I made the call and pledged some money. I felt much better.

With some 400,000 people listening to the station each month, we have to assume that many of you are thinking what I was thinking at that moment. You know you want to do it and, if you’re reading this, you know you have made a commitment. It would be great if you could do what I do, deputize yourself to get others to do what’s right. I know that you have friends who listen to the station all the time. You have to help them to get past the excuses and point out that the only way the station will stay alive is if they do something. Several people have told me that they can’t afford to pledge. “Not a dollar?” I always ask them. I recently heard from someone who didn’t like the fact that conservative Republican Nan Hayworth was given time on our air. I replied that I was proud that every Member of Congress was given time to speak to their constituents and that we could decide whether or not what we were hearing made sense.

Think of all the good things that you’ve made possible and kept alive. It could be your school or your religious institution or your local hospital. Think about all the times your clock radio woke you up to Morning Edition or WAMC kept you company during a long drive through a snowstorm. Think about the words Carole King and James Taylor sang: “…you’ve got a friend.” Think about J.T. and Sam Waterston, Pete Seeger, and so many others who have done so much. If there is anything you can do to help us get to that million dollar mark, please do it. I’m doing what I can to keep it alive and I’m begging you to join me. Life without WAMC would be unimaginable. It would be a terrible loss. Remember there is no university that can pick us up, no conglomerate TV station. It is up to us, just as it has been every day for all of these years. I’m counting on you.

WAMCRadio

WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a regional public radio network serving parts of seven northeastern states. These include New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Stations and translators are in twenty locations throughout the region. Alan Chartock is President and CEO of the network. Our studios and offices are located at 318 Central Avenue in Albany, NY. WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a member of National Public Radio and an affiliate of Public Radio International. Financial support comes from listeners who contribute annually in fund drives and other appeals as well as from underwriting by businesses, grant support for WAMC's National Productions and governmental sources such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the New York State Education Department.

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