"Business Sponsors List"

WUNC persists in maintaining a long laundry list of sponsors, organized alphabetically and limited to sponsors who commit to a minimum of 13 weeks. If the station were thinking about its listeners - people who hear a credit line and are interested in knowing more about the sponsor - this list would be constantly updated with the most recently mentioned sponsors, of all kinds, listed first.....this in addition to an alphabeitcal list. Doing the "most recent first" list helps everyone concerned, even if it means a little extra work for all those people working at WUNC. Maybe there is even someone who would volunteer to do this?

"Dick Gordon connects with the Triangle" - The Independent

"Decades Later, Simmering Debate on a Road Heats Up" - The New York Times

Is "North Carolina Public Radio" covering this? When you search the WUNC news "archive" on "National Park Service", nothing comes up.

Local news

This is the only local news - i.e., produced by WUNC other than the State of Things, etc. - available on the WUNC site. Why is it so hard for WUNC to understand the importance of adding what little additoinal local news the station broadcasts? Here you find just one several minute story a day. What a price WUNC contributors pay to get only that, however good the individual stories are.

"The Story with Dick Gordon"

What a pity WUNC has not decided to offer this program in its archives. There are only a certain number of people able to listen to a program broadcast whenever that is, and far fewer able to listen precisely at 1 PM on Thursdays. At the very least, WUNC owes everyone an explanation of this very odd approach in not making past shows accessible on the website.

"Public podcasters uneasy"- MarketWatch

WUNC is probably not going to link to this from its website.....as important as it is for WUNC supporters who have entered into the podcast world.

"Jobs@WUNC"

WUNC seems to have a number of jobs advertised on the station's website - for those interested or who know people who might wish to apply.....

"The Return of Bob Edwards" -The New York Times

"Keeping Carrboro 'challenged'" - News& Observer

WUNC: The People's Pharmacy

Someone at WUNC ought to be reading their own website. It has been quite some time since the People's Pharmacy had a Friday program as it says here.

This list of stations where the People's Pharmacy is supposed to be carried is quite impressive. What does this "success" say about distribution potential for Dick Gordon's show? Anything?

"WUNC: The Story with Dick Gordon"

So, what is the business plan for this show? How much does it cost now? How much is committed? How much is dependent upon syndication? How many stations need to buy it in order to be "successful"? How will supporters of WUNC know what is happening?

"Dick Gordon show to premiere Feb. 16 - News & Observer

"Dick Gordon debuts today on WUNC-FM after hiatus" - News & Observer

"The Story with Dick Gordon: Archive and Podcasts"

The first half of the first program today was gripping radio. Equally gripping is the frustration at not finding it archived here so that those of us who could not listen to the whole program can do so at our convenience as opposed to WUNC's.

BBC Newshour

This is the link to the webpage of the BBC Newshour program heard on WUNC at 9 AM weekdays. The link from the WUNC program schedule page is to something else. This is the correct one. Occasionally, it is useful to followup on broadcast stories and this is one place to do that.

Pledge drive....

This page says that "As of 9:15 AM on Friday Feb 10 - the totals raised tallied $169,010 from 2,564 listeners."

The first question that prompts is how does this compare with money raised and number of contributors during similar "drives" in the past?

"Innovations Desk"

These search results will give you some of the stories prepared by the "Innovations Desk" person at WUNC, Janet BABIN. There is still no explanation of the relationship between Marketplace and WUNC.

Dick GORDON

One might think that WUNC would provide more information on their website about the new show that the station says Dick GORDON will host, starting next week. How much does it cost? Who pays for it? What is the plan? There is only a date on the home page of the station without further details. If this were a commercial station, perhaps that approach of secrecy would be warranted. But this station is owned by the people of North Carolina and some of us would like to know more!

"Marketplace from American Public Media"

WUNC keeps talking on air about its "innovations desk" for Marketplace. Marketplace, however, does not list this "desk" on its site. WUNC could do a much better job of explaining all this.

WUNC: The State of Things

I wonder if WUNC has prepared any analysis of the State of Things - stories covered, people interviewed, costs, coverage, etc.? On air today, the station says something to the effect that the program covers "all things relevant to you in North Carolina". It would be helpful to potential contributors and others to know more about the performance of the program. How successful has it been and how does WUNC measure success?

BBC

How much did it cost WUNC to have the BBC broadcast from WUNC? What was the full cost to the station? It would be nice for WUNC to share this with people the station is asking today to contribute. On air, WUNC keeps saying "we" did this only because of "your support". How much of that "support" went to pay for this?

Judiciary Committee hearings

WUNC announced several times yesterday that it would carry the hearing this morning before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington. The hearing has now started, and it is disappointing that WUNC is not carrying it, at least yet.

What is more disturbing however is WUNC's failure on its website, and perhaps on air as well, to alert the station's listeners to WUNC's apparent change in plans, for whatever reason.

"Next Generation Radio"

Local news

WUNC seems to have about a dozen fulltime people with titles that appear to put them in the "news" arena at the station. In January, 2006, they produced a total of 15 stories that are archived on the website. Does that seem like what one would expect from that number of people? Matt DEES of the Chapel Hill News had about dozen stories all by himself in Janauary, Jennifer FERRIS of the Herald-Sun seems to have had more than a dozen.

WUNC Community Advisory Board

It is interesting to note this list of members of the "community advisory board" for WUNC. Of special note is that the chairman, who is also a former mayor of Chapel Hill, works for the licensee of WUNC - UNC. One might have expected this group to be led by someone a bit more independent of the station ownership. Here is the chairman's CV www.unc.edu/depts/pubpol/documents/howes_cv_june03.doc - 2005-04-18.

Local news

WUNC holds itself out to be a news and information format radio station. Most of that news comes from NPR and a few other sources, of course.

It is remarkable that the station has chosen to bury the local news content in the website. Contributions to the station are paying for some number of local reporters and one would think that their stories would have some prominence on the station's website. They do not.

New web page design

WUNC ought to have whoever oversees their new home page figure out how to get the typeface larger - automatically - when one accesses the site on a laptop or other smaller screen device. It is unreadable -without adjusting the type size - on my laptop.

Distinguished?

WUNC broadcast a news item today from its capitol correspondent, Laura LESLIE, concerning discussions about the NC state tax imposed on gasoline. In that report, LESLIE referred to Kenneth MEHLMAN, chairman of the Republican National Committee, as a "distinguished guest" at a meeting in Raleigh on this subject. In my dictionary, "distinguished" means "celebrated; eminent" or "having an air of distinction".

"North Carolina Public Radio"

WUNC seems to have a new design for its website.