If you would like to become a member of Portsmouth Community Radio, or perhaps renew your membership, you can easily do so online here.

Underwriters are very important to Portsmouth Community Radio. If you own a business or know someone who does, and you think there is interest in becoming an underwriter, please contact our underwriting committee.

 www.wscafm.org

   

Portsmouth Community Radio listeners may have noticed over the past few months that WSCA's signal doesn't travel as far south as in the past.  A commercial radio station now shows up on 106.1 three to four miles south of Portsmouth. Over the years WSCA has dealt with periodic interference to the south from WCOD in Hyannis, MA which broadcasts on 106.1 (basically due to no significant land to block the signal from Hyannis traveling to Portsmouth). Recently WNBP AM in Newburyport purchased a translator license to also broadcast on 106.1, a development that has significantly reduced WSCA's reach to the south.

A translator is essentially a low power transmitter that rebroadcasts the signal of another radio station. For instance, NH Public Radio has numerous translators across NH to rebroadcast to portions of the state that don't receive the signal from the main transmitter in Concord (WEVO).  WNBP is a commercial AM station called The Legends which plays "Legendary Songs-Legendary Singers", you get it, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Roy Orbison, The Supremes, and so on. WNPB purchased a FM translator license to expand to an audience on the FM dial; unfortunately, the translator also significantly reduces WSCA's signal reach to the south. The WSCA engineering team is investigating whether any FCC regulations were violated in the licensing of the WNPB translator and if the current broadcast signal is operating within the license parameters. In the meantime, if you are outside of WSCA's broadcast range you can stream WSCA on the web at wscafm.org and even listen at home or in the car using one of many smartphone radio apps such as TuneIn Radio.

 
________________________________________________________

Join your WSCA DJ's for the First Night Street Dance on the corner of Pleasant and Congress from 5pm to just past midnight. We'll be spinning great tunes so come on by and say hello to your favorite DJ's. 

To learn more about the events of First Night, go to the Portsmouth First Night website.

_______________________________________________________

After 7 years of being the heart and soul of Wake Up, Nancy Beach and Brian Vawter are moving on to concentrate on new professional and personal goals. The two remaining Wake Up members, Meg Middleton and Kathy Somssich, have recruited Larry Drake to join the team. Larry brings his knowledge of national politics, his interest in the New Hampshire scene and his astonishing Rolodex of contacts to Wake Up. 

Larry worked in Washington, D.C. for 32 years as a labor economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the Department of Labor. After retiring, he moved to Portsmouth with his wife, Joan, and has been very active in Democratic politics.

 

The Wake Up crew is thrilled to be starting a new chapter and is looking forward to continuing as a vital part of the WSCA line-up bringing news stories, commentary and opinion from around the state and nation with their inimitable blend of enthusiasm, humor and insight. Join them every Thursday morning from 8 am to 10 am.

Stay informed.  Stay engaged.  Stay tuned.

 
________________________________________________________

Tune into WSCA-LP 106.1 FM on the first Monday of each month. from 8-10PM, for the Seacoast's only Big Band show-"Under the Radar"-Big Band Mondays". Since February 2010 Steve has been playing the hits, near misses, and any and all types of big band music from one of the greatest eras in American music.

The upcoming two shows on Monday, January 7^th and February 4^th will be a birthday celebration of sorts. It will be a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Benny Goodman, Carnegie Hall Concert which took place on January 16^th, 1938. You will hear this famous show in its entirety, split between the two shows. From the opening theme of "Don't Be that Way" to the closing encore of "Big Johns' Special".

This was the concert that marked the acceptance of jazz as a legitimate art form by the opinion makers for mainstream American Society. The idea of playing jazz at Carnegie was revolutionary because in 1938 Carnegie Hall was a bastion of musical propriety. 

So jump-jive and wail with the Seacoast's only Big Band show-"Under the Radar"-Big Band Mondays" the first Monday of each month on WSCA 106.1 FM from 8-10PM. And don't forget, if you don't get to listen to the show streaming on the web at portsmouthcommunityradio.org you can listen to the show archived at the WSCA web site. 

 
________________________________________________________

Our pledge drive was a successful because of the many, many hours volunteers put in on-air and behind the scenes to make sure everything went off without a hitch. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you. And without our local businesses throwing in their support behind us, this pledge drive would not have sparkled or tasted nearly as good! 

 

First off, a big THANK YOU for the restaurants who fed us:

Panera Bread

Hong Kong Express

The Gaslight

Geno's Chowder

Ken's Pizza

Street

Lexie's joint

The Press Room

 

Another big THANK YOU for the businesses who donated items or gift certificates:

Arens Stoneworks

Tuschs Integrative Veterinary Care

Carriage Barn of Portsmouth

Hannafords

Strawberry banke

Moe's

Portsmouth Brewery

Phil Cohen Photography

The Players Ring

Portsmouth Kayak Adventures

Lions Tooth Wellness

Flatbread Co

Concepts for Personal Protection

Jessica Todd Hair Salon

3 Bridges Yoga

Featherscale (local band)

Ryan Levasseur (guitar lessons)

Layne Case --local author

Tuckermans at 9

Dee Hebert

Garry Dolan

Black Trip

Cafe Espresso

A & G Homebrew Supply

GATEWAY - Tai chi & Yoga & more...

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic

Water Street Bookstore

Cape Neddick Center for Wildlife

Ed Gerhard

C&J Bus Lines

The Music Hall

RSP Studio

 

And lastly, but certainly not least, the fantastic musicians who came in and each did a wonderful set live in Studio A for our Marathon Music Sunday, listed in order of appearance.  That was a day to remember.

 

Steve Carrigan/Bruce MacIntyre/Jim Pendergast

Producer Shawn Henderson with Engineer Gordon Sharpless and musician Don Watson

Sea Reeds

Cormac McCarthy

Jason Crigler

Carol Coronis/  Ramona Connelly)

Don Watson

Spirit Family  Reunion

Ed Gerhard

Samuel James

Andrea Szirbik

Cedar Mountain  Boys

Joe Young

Lunch at the Dump

Liz Frame

One Step Up

RMS Five 

 

 

The annual Portsmouth Holiday Parade kicked off the season on Saturday, December 1^st. WSCA was there in fine form thanks in large part to Jean Gagne's superior vehicular decorating flair.                               Pictured left to right: Kathy Chiarello, Jean Proulx, Cousin' Isaac, and Jean Gagne 

_______________________________________________________