WAMU, our Public Radio Station in DC

     

    Looking at the website for the public radio station, WAMU 88.5, I found that the main interest is the community.  News, Support, Programs, Community, and Events are just some of the sections on the website.  More importantly, the latest news stories are being covered.  For instance, the fate of the 11 year old boy from Maryland, William McQuain was covered.  Also, information on murdered 11 year old, Jessica Nguyen who was murdered last May is covered; but new evidence has implicated her step-father.  Major news stories such as these are the tip of the iceberg for public radio stations such as WAMU 88.5.  We care about what is going on in our neighborhoods, and we want the news as it happens.  Public radio provides that for us.   

         Public radio provides public service to the community.  News stories and programs are a part of the initiative of public radio stations for community outreach and providing news coverage that matters to the area.  Washington, D.C.’s only full-time National Public Radio news station is WAMU, which is licensed to American University.  WAMU 88.5 has its studio near the campus.  There is a sub-channel, WAMU­-2, that broadcasts Bluegrass Country.  It is interesting that WAMU would choose to have a sub-channel of country music given that the area is urban.  But, since country music is the most popular radio format, this makes sense.  WAMU-3 includes content from WTMD, the radio station licensed to Towson University in Maryland.  WAMU airs information from the National Public Radio, American Public Media, Public Radio International, and the British Broadcasting Corporation.

        The main studio for WAMU is in Northwest Washington, DC.  The average WAMU salary is $56,161.  The IT Director’s average salary is $97,452.  Some of the positions are managers of special giving, broadcast engineers, phone room managers, membership marketing managers, and communication managers.  Interestingly enough, public radio uses other sources as their news.  For example, the NPR, APM, and PRI are used to provide news.  It makes perfect sense that other news sources are used because it gives a greater range to the selection of our news.  Instead of just receiving news from our area, we are exposed to International news. 

         Some people can get immersed into news radio.  WAMU definitely provides a menu of different news.  For instance, today’s air schedule includes World News, the German International Broadcasting Service, a daily interview, business news, eyewitness accounts of people who experienced history, and current affairs.  WAMU is well-rounded.  Listening to the news program, I became even more aware of how up to the minute they were.  Major news about Libya's Muammar Gaddafi being killed was covered as it happened, and calls were taken from listeners who may want to express their knowledge or opinions.  Genuinely, WAMU wants to be the go-to radio news source.  I even recall hearing the news host, Diane Rehm mention that she wanted comments to “expand” the audience’s news experience.  “It may change in the next moment, but we’re right here to tell you what is going on,” Ms. Rehm stated.  One can appreciate a news program that believes in interactivity with their audience and is continuously working to provide news.