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Reminders
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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 underwrite@wscafm.org.
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March 26, 2015
In this issue of Tidings, find an update on the exciting news regarding WSCA's long-awaited antenna; a spring celebration cookout set for May 2, and plenty of upcoming special programming and on-air guests.
Winter ice challenges are behind us now ... and we look forward to seeing you at various events as the spring and summer heat up!
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By Steve Diamond, WSCA Systems Administrator
The last couple of months at the station have been quite eventful, from a technical level. We had two separate incidents in which hunks of ice falling off The Music Hall broke our connection to the transmitter. I was able to work around the problem using a laptop to send the audio over the internet. The strike at Fairpoint made it difficult to arrange for our typical connection to the transmitter to be fixed. We also had difficulties with our internet connection, which is now resolved.
The huge news is the final approval of our new antenna location in
Newington. This is a tremendous step forward for Portsmouth Community Radio, and will mean much better coverage and reception throughout the Seacoast and quite a bit inland, particularly to the North and West. I greatly appreciate the tireless efforts of Rick Pickford, along with several other long-time members of the station, for seeing this through. The internet connection at the new site is online, with the remaining steps anticipated to be completed over the next month.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank The Music Hall, and Mark Pruett's efforts to coordinate with them. The Music Hall has been a tremendously gracious host for our antenna for far longer than we anticipated, and they worked with us patiently on a variety of challenges.
In other news, our internal email system has been migrated to Google
for Nonprofits, which seems to be working out well. Our aging collection of CD players in the main studio have had some recent improvements. I believe DJs will be in great shape for CD
playback once a recently purchased double CD player is installed within the next few weeks.
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PHS Basketball Finals, and Charlie Griffin's News Shows
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WSCA broadcast the Portsmouth High Boys basketball playoff games this season, culminating with the semi-final and championship games from the University of New Hampshire's Field House. This marks the first time that Portsmouth Community Radio has covered away games, live. |
| | Charlie Griffin, Bryan Rogers and Lincoln Soldati |
Charlie Griffin did the play-by-play, assisted by Portsmouth High Freshman Boys' Basketball coach Bryan Rogers and Engineers Lincoln Soldati, Toby Schreier and JoAnn Paradis. * * * * *
On March 11, as part of the 8:00 morning news, Charlie Griffin moderated a debate between Portsmouth City Councilor Brad Lown and local activist Mark Brighton, concerning Councilor Lown's proposal to limit the use of plastic bags in certain retail establishments in Portsmouth. On Wednesday March 25, also as part of the 8:00 a.m. news, Charlie conducted an on-air interview with Exeter resident Dana Trahan, a guide dog owner with concerns regarding Coast Transportation's planned elimination of bus service on Route 7, which connects Exeter, Newmarket, Stratham,Greenland, Portsmouth/Pease and Newington. Check the archives on our website for anything you may have missed. |
Seacoast Currents - Upcoming Guests
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Seacoast Currents, Thursdays, 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., hosted by Kathy Somssich and Larry Drake. Upcoming guests include:
March 26: Emma Rous and Judy Ullman will review the recent national conference of J Street that they attended, and Portsmouth Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine will tell us what's happening on the City Council.
April 2: Barbara Ward will preview the slavery education project that will be held at the Moffat-Ladd House in Portsmouth, where she is the director and curator, and Cathy Sununu will discuss the Portsmouth Museum of Art, where she is the director.
April 9: Jay Childs and Melissa Paly will update us on the film they are making about the Market Basket uprising, and local blogger William Tucker (miscellanyblue.com) will look at the latest controversies in NH politics.
April 16: Local psychiatrist Dr. George Nowak will analyze the opiate crisis gripping New Hampshire, and Michele Grennon will describe the activities of the NH chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, where she is president.
April 23: Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream will talk about the work of the Stamp Stampede to get big money out of politics, and Portsmouth Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine will look at the latest issues on the City Council.
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| WSCA Spring Cookout - Saturday, May 2, 4:00 to 8:00 |
All are invited to Portsmouth Community Radio to celebrate spring and the community, on Saturday, May 2, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. 909 Islington Street in Portsmouth is the place.
Stay tuned to the radio throughout the month for more details.
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Scratchy 45s and Beyond - March 28, Special Guest
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The Scratchy 45s & Beyond Show with "The Supersport" will feature guest Gary DeCarlo on Saturday, March 28. DeCarlo is the voice of STEAM and co-writer of the hugely popular song "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye."
 Scratchy 45s & Beyond is heard every Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Portsmouth Community Radio.
Supersport reminds us that "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" was the number one hit during December 1969, knocking the Beatles from the #1 spot on the charts. He'll take listeners on a trip, back to those days, and speak with DeCarlo about the song, the band and what he's been up to since then.
Saturday mornings are filled with the music that so many people grew up with, yet hardly hear on the radio anymore. Waking up with "The Supersport" has become a tradition and a great start to the day.
Be sure to tune in between 9:00 a.m. and noon for a show filled with lots of fun.
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Hillbilly Heaven - Features Patsy Cline, April 5, 1 - 2:00
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Hillbilly Heaven will host a country music special on Sunday, April 5, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., hosted by Chuck Curtis and Sherry Ricard. Curtis says they will be "devoting the whole hour to songs by the famous and very talented Patsy Cline. Whether you are currently familiar with this legendary country artist, or not, if you enjoy the old classic style of western singers and their bands, you are sure to fall in love with Cline--who dazzled audiences with her voice." He shares this Wikipedia biographical information: Virginia Patterson Hensley (September 8, 1932 - March 5, 1963), known professionally as Patsy Cline, was an American singer. Part of the early 1960s Nashville sound, Cline successfully "crossed over" to pop music. She died at the age of 30 in a multiple-fatality crash in the private plane of her manager, Randy Hughes. She was one of the most influential, successful and acclaimed vocalists of the 20th century. Cline was best known for her rich tone, emotionally expressive and bold contralto voice and her role as a country music industry pioneer. Along with Kitty Wells, she helped pave the way for women as headline performers in the genre. Many books, movies, documentaries, articles and stage plays document her life and career. So tune in on April 5 at 1;00 pm. for an hour with Chuck, Sherry and the tunes of Patsy Cline.
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True Tales Radio To Air Live Broadcast March 31
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This month's True Tales Radio theme is "Breaking the Mold/Inspiration" and we have five storytellers ready to share theirs with an in-studio audience and at-home listeners.
Emcee Pat Spalding will welcome Skip Clark, Christine Kelly, Michael Lang, Steve Diamond, Cathy Wolff and Amy Antonucci. Amy is doubling up this month, as both storyteller and announcer. The storytelling begins at 6:35 p.m.
At 6:00 p.m., Audio Theater host John Lovering will air an old-time radio classic, The Adventures of Phillip Marlowe, starring Gerald Mohr in "The Bid for Freedom," considered a top-notch detective drama. On April 7, Pat and Amy will conduct their monthly free Storytelling Workshop from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. onsite at the radio station (909 Islington Street, Suite 1) in Portsmouth. These sessions take place the first Tuesday of each  month. They are informal, interesting and fun. More than 20 participants have joined in so far this year. If you've thought about being a storyteller on True Tales Radio, this workshop is a perfect confidence-builder! To be part of our in-studio audience on March 31, there are 35 seats (free) available on a first-come, first-served basis. Folks need to arrive by 6:20 p.m. Seeing how it is done is another incentive for those considering being a participant in the future. For more information email: patspalding@gmail.com. True Tales Radio is on Facebook. Like us and check there for information about upcoming events and news related to storytelling. |
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Audio Theater - "Radio Under The Big Top" - April 14
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Old-time radio shows featuring circus-related story lines will air on April 14, from 6:00 and 8:00 p.m., on Audio Theater.
Host John Lovering says, "The circus was very popular in the United States in the 1940's and 50's and, as such, many radio shows featured stories centered around the Big Top.
Jon Nash will be joining the broadcast. Jon is an avid old-time radio fan with an extensive collection of classic programs. On the second Tuesday of each month, Jon joins as co-host and shares knowledge and recordings from his personal collection.
Two of the three programs to be featured on April 14 include: The Jack Benny Program, "Easter Circus Show" and The Grand Marquee Program, "The Magic Wire."
Listeners are invited to send in their ideas for upcoming monthly themes via email to: jlovering@wscafm.org.
Audio Theater is on Facebook and each week a playlist video is posted of the shows and stars to be featured. "Like us" there!
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Win-Win@Work and the NH Brand Project - Fridays
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Win-Win@Work is the new name for Michael Cameron and Kristi Baxter's weekly show (formerly Best Workplace) broadcast every Friday from Noon to 1:00 p.m. Cameron and Baxter interview CEOs and workplace engagement thought-leaders. Discussions include top companies to work for as well as anything employment related.
An early edition of the Win-Win@Work Radio Show airs Friday mornings from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. Hosts for the early edition are Michael Cameron, Kristi Baxter and Lucky Henry. They discuss careers, workplaces, start-ups and multigenerational workers, to name just a few topics.
In addition, the NH Brand Project continues every Friday from 9:00 to 9:30 a.m., where the interviews center around NH-based CEOs, small business owners and people making a difference. The focus is on promoting New Hampshire and attracting new companies, start-up entrepreneurs and hi-tech workers.
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Under the Radar and Big Band Monday
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The show is Under the Radar and it's on Mondays, from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. But, hey, did you know that buried within the show, on the first Monday of each month, is Big Band Mondays w/Steve?
Big Band swing music and the music of the 20's to the 50's--that have that Big Band ring to them--is the only show on the Seacoast featuring this music as its theme. Right here at 106.1 FM.
Monday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m. is the next swinging show, featuring Big Band music from the 1930's. You'll hear not only Duke Ellington, Fletcher and Horace Henderson but the vocal stylist of the era via tunes from Connie Boswell and Russ Columbo!
Steve says you'll hear the songs "that may have rocked your parents or grandparents!" This show will also showcase the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, featuring "The Clambake Seven," circa 1935/36. These sides were originally made as 16" radio transcriptions. Material on radio transcriptions often differed from the commercial sides, cut by the same orchestra in both solos and arrangements. The orchestra recorded tunes on radio transcriptions that they didn't record for commercial record releases. The "Clambake Seven" sides generate lots of excitement and Steve thinks that the many fans of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra will be pleasantly surprised by the jazz content of these previously unknown sides. Listening in, you may understand why they were able to bridge from relaxed rhythms to breakneck jazz. Their performances are a wonderful introduction to the appealing, different music of the period, according to Steve.
And who knows, you may hear some early 1930's recordings from the Earl Burtnett, Bob Crosby or the Henry Busse Orchestras, so join in on a 1930's Jam Fest!
Under the Radar is hosted by Jean and Mr. Dirck on three Mondays of each month, but when the first Monday comes around, get ready to jump and jive to Goodman, Shaw, Miller, Martin, Kenton, Hampton and, of course, Ellington, with Steve, of the Seacoast's only true Big Band show.
And remember, Steve "loves you madly."
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You can join Portsmouth Community Radio at any time, not just during our on-air membership drive. Click here for our secure Join Now link.
Monetary contributions, underwriting, in-kind donations, volunteering and sponsorships are welcome at any time.
If you have questions about a way in which you'd like to support our efforts, please contact us at 603.430.9722. Or just email tidings@wscafm.org and we'll be sure to have someone get back to you!
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Volunteering is a great way to become involved with low power, non-commerical community radio, in a wide variety of ways. What are your interests? How might your skills fit in? Not sure? We can help you to figure it out!
Consider the ways in which you might help support the work of Portsmouth Community Radio, while making new friends along the way.
We welcome you to contact us to find out more. Applications, resumes and inquiries may be sent via email to: vc@wscafm.org
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Call 603-430-9722 and become a member or renew your membership. Visit our website and make a donation! And be sure to have your radio tuned to 106.1 FM.
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