Around New Year I visited WORT-FM 89.9 FM Community Radio with a friend who was back in town for the holidays and is a former local news “In Our Backyard” host. Sitting in the on-air studio I was struck by how the station was using the same basic technologies (e.g. mini-discs and Sound Forge audio editing software) that I had used at the station eight years ago. Shortly thereafter I heard an on-air announcement looking for volunteers to join its long-range planning “WORT 2020” process. As a listener, former staff member and sometimes volunteer, I decided to bring my perspective as a communications scholar to the table.
First on my mind was how my personal media consumption habits have changed drastically since I first got involved with WORT while I was an undergrad at UW-Madison, and that’s an understatement. I am not alone.