University Radio Foundation Inc

JOURNALISM THAT INFORMS, ENRICHES, AND INSPIRES. OUR VISION IS TO HELP CREATE A MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY GROUNDED IN OUR SHARED HUMANITY.

IN FY21, THE PANDEMIC RAGED ON, AS DID THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL UNREST THROUGHOUT OUR NATION. POLITICAL RANCOR, RACIAL DIVISION AND PANDEMIC DISTANCING HAVE PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY PULLED AMERICANS APART. DURING TIMES OF SOCIAL UPHEAVAL, AND WHEN MISINFORMATION IS RAMPANT, LIVES DEPEND ON RELIABLE FACTS. WFAE MORE THAN MET THE CHALLENGES OF 2021 AND THE STATION'S LISTENERS SHOWED IMMENSE APPRECIATION FOR THE NEWS SOURCE THEY TRUSTED, HELPING WFAE REACH ITS SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF RECORD FUNDRAISING. THESE DONATIONS GAVE BEEN REINVESTED IN WFAE TO GROW AND DIVERSIFY OUR NEWSROOM AND STAFF. WFAE HAS DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS SINCE 2015 AND CONTINUES TO GROW.WHEN THE FISCAL YEAR BEGAN, THE WFAE NEWSROOM AND BUSINESS OFFICE CONTINUED TO OPERATE REMOTELY. WITH LITTLE DISRUPTION IN SERVICE, THE QUALITY OF THE REPORTING NEVER DIMINISHED. WFAE CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON CREATING A DIVERSE NEWSROOM, COVERING DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, AND ENSURING THAT A DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT IS REPRESENTED IN THE STORIES WE TELL. WFAE PROUDLY BOASTS ONE OF THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LISTENERS OF ALL NPR NEWS STATIONS. RECOGNIZING THAT THERE IS STILL MUCH WORK TO BE DONE TO BETTER REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY, WE CREATED THE RACE & EQUITY TEAM. THIS GROUP OF CULTURALLY COMPETENT JOURNALISTS IS WORKING ACROSS THE NEWSROOM TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR COVERAGE IS DEEPENED THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF DIVERSITY.PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS -- EVERY MEMBER OF WFAE'S REPORTING AND PRODUCTION TEAM PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN PRESENTING THE NEWS IN THIS HISTORIC YEAR. THE FOLLOWING DETAILS JUST SOME OF THEIR EXCEPTIONAL WORK:REPORTER SARAH DELIA CONTINUED A SERIES OF INTIMATE CONVERSATIONS WITH CHARLOTTEANS NAVIGATING THE PANDEMIC CRISIS. THE SERIES WAS APTLY TITLED SOCIAL DISTANCING.AS SCHOOLS CLOSED, WENT TO VIRTUAL LEARNING, RE-OPENED AND IN SOME CASES, RE-CLOSED, EDUCATION REPORTER ANN DOSS HELMS' REPORT CONTINUED TO BE REQUIRED READING FOR CMS PARENTS.WFAE'S LONG-RUNNING WEEKDAY PROGRAM CHARLOTTE TALKS CONTINUED THEIR AWARD WINNING SERIES WITH WEEKLY POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS, LOCAL NEWS ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSIONS, AND MONTHLY INTERVIEWS WITH CHARLOTTE'S MAYOR, VI LYLES.WFAE CONTINUED ITS SERIES FINDING HOME, WHICH EXAMINED ISSUES OF HOUSING IN THE REGION. THE ACCLAIMED SERIES WORKED TO DETAIL THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM WHILE ALSO SEEKING AND EVALUATING SOLUTIONS. COVID, OF COURSE, FACTORED HEAVILY INTO FINDING HOME STORIES IN FY21. CLIMATE REPORTER DAVID BORAKS SHARED THE STORY OF ASBESTOS PITS IN DAVIDSON. HE ALSO PROVIDED A WIDE RANGE OF COVERAGE OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND HOW IT IS PLAYING OUT IN CHARLOTTE AND ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA. PODCAST MANAGER/HOST JONI DEUTSCH'S AMPLIFIER PODCAST AND HER LIVE LUNCH HOUR CONCERTS WITH LOCAL MUSICIANS GAVE A NEEDED CONNECTIN TO THE ARTS AND MUSIC WHILE WE SOCIAL DISTANCED AND STAYED HOME. BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF 2018'S QUEEN CITY PODQUEST, DEUTSCH ALSO OVERSAW THE LAUNCH OF THE QUEEN CITY PODCAST ACADEMY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY. WFAE OFFERED FREE "PODCASTING 101" CLASSES FOR APPROXIMATELY 500 STUDENTS, WITH 30 PROCEEDING TO THE QUEEN CITY PODQUEST ACADEMY FOR IN-DEPTH LESSONS ON PODCAST PRODUCTION, MARKETING, MONETIZATION AND BEYOND. THE COMMUNITY WAS CLEARLY HUNGRY FOR MORE PODCASTING LESSONS. WFAE/DEUTSCH CO-HOSTED THE CHARLOTTE PODCAST FESTIVAL IN OCTOBER OF 2020 WITH BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS, THE QUEEN CITY PODCAST NETWORK AND ECLECS. THE FULLY VIRTUAL EVENT FEATURED 40 SESSIONS AND DREW MORE THAN 13,000 REGISTRANTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. AS THIS 990 REPORT HIGHLIGHTS, WFAE'S LISTENERS RESPONDED GENEROUSLY TO THE STATION'S EFFORTS. WITH $8.1M RAISED, THIS MARKS THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF RECORD REVENUE NUMBERS FOR THE STATION. THIS GROWTH WAS DRIVEN IN LARGE PART BY LISTENER CONTRIBUTIONS AS THE STATION REACHED A NEW HIGH OF MORE THAN 24,000 CONTRIBUTORS. WFAE CELEBRATED ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY AS AN NPR STATION ON JUNE 20, 2021.

BROADCASTING AND ENGINEERING - EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH BROADCAST STUDIOS, TRANSMITTERS, TOWERS, AND ANTENNAS, ENGINEER, IP INTERCONNECTS, SATELLITE FACILITIES, UTILITIES, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR STUDIOS, TRANSMITTERS, TOWERS, AND ANTENNAS.

PROGRAM INFORMATION - PROMOTION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY OF LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS OF INTEREST TO OUR LISTENERS. COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH HOSTING FORUMS, BRINGING IN PUBLIC RADIO PERSONALITIES TO SPEAK AND OTHER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH INFORMING OUR LISTENERS BY NEWSLETTERS, E-BLASTS, OUTREACH MATERIALS.