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.

WHILE THERE WERE GLIMMERS OF HOPE THAT THE PANDEMIC WAS BECOMING MORE MANAGEABLE, IT WAS STILL FRONT AND CENTER IN FY22. AS VARIANTS SPIKED, WFAE REPORTERS AND STAFF CONTINUED TO ADAPT AND ADJUST. HERE ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF THEIR WORK AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTSWITH LEAD GIFTS FROM NOVANT HEALTH AND WELLS FARGO, WFAE RAISED MORE THAN $720,000 TO FUND THE RACE & EQUITY TEAM FOR THREE YEARS. A SENIOR EDITOR AND TWO REPORTERS WORK ACROSS THE NEWSROOM TO INCLUDE EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN STORIES FROM CLIMATE CHANGE AND EDUCATION TO POLITICS AND THE ARTS. THE TEAM ALSO PRODUCES A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, "EQUALIBRIUM," THAT EXPLORES RACE AND EQUITY ISSUES. THE LAUNCH EVENT EXAMINED CHARLOTTE'S UPWARD MOBILITY EFFORTS - WHAT'S BEEN DONE AND WHAT STILL NEEDS TO HAPPEN. CHARLOTTE MAYOR VI LYLES WAS ONE OF THE FEATURED GUESTS. REPORTER MARIA RAMIREZ URIBE HOSTED TWO EVENTS ABOUT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S IMMIGRATION CHANGES. THESE ONLINE EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. THE CONVERSATIONS WERE PART OF A REPORT FOR AMERICA COLLABORATION BETWEEN WFAE AND SPANISH-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER LA NOTICIA. ANOTHER EVENT CELEBRATED BLACK FATHERHOOD. COMMUNITY LEADERS AND OTHERS TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED FROM THEIR FATHERS AND WHAT THEY HOPE TO LEAVE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. "CHARLOTTE TALKS" CONTINUED ITS LONG TRADITION AS THE 'TALK SHOW OF RECORD' FOR THE REGION. HOST MIKE COLLINS HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH EXPERTS, POLITICIANS, AUTHORS AND OTHERS ABOUT TOPICS SUCH AS GUN VIOLENCE, INFLATION, REDISTRICTING AND RECOVERING FROM THE PANDEMIC. THE SHOW CONTINUED ITS REGULAR CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL REPORTERS FOR A WEEKLY NEWS ROUNDUP AND MONTHLY CHECK-INS WITH THE MAYOR OF CHARLOTTE. AS PART OF A SPECIAL SERIES, "CHARLOTTE TALKS" SPOKE WITH REGIONAL MAYORS INCLUDING CONCORD, GASTONIA, HICKORY, MOORESVILLE IN NORTH CAROLINA, AND FORT MILL AND ROCK HILL IN SOUTH CAROLINA. REPORTER STEVE HARRISON DELVED INTO ISSUES SUCH AS GERRYMANDERING AND REDISTRICTING, TRANSPORTATION - NEW LINES, RIDERSHIP, SAFETY AND FUNDING MODELS, AND MORE. HE ALSO PREPPED LISTENERS FOR THE 2022 MIDTERM ELECTIONS WITH THE RELAUNCH OF OUR "INSIDE POLITICS" PODCAST. ALONG WITH TWO VETERAN JOURNALIST CO-HOSTS, THE PODCAST EXPLORED HOW THE PANDEMIC WAS USED IN MESSAGING AND ADVERTISING, WHICH CANDIDATES WERE CONNECTING WITH VOTERS, AND OTHER ISSUES ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. REPORTER ANN DOSS HELMS PRODUCED STORIES ON LOCAL AND STATE EDUCATION ISSUES. CLOSE TO HOME, THERE WERE STORIES ABOUT GUNS AND SCHOOL SAFETY, STAFF SHORTAGES AND RETENTION, BUDGETS AND THE FIRING OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. ON A STATE LEVEL, ANN LOOKED AT THE EFFECTS OF LEARNING LOSS FROM HOLDING CLASSES VIRTUALLY AND STATE TESTING SCORES. WITH GRANTS FROM THE SALAMANDER AND 1EARTH FUNDS, WFAE COULD SUPPORT A FULL-TIME CLIMATE REPORTER. DAVID BORAKS EXAMINED HOW CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS THE CAROLINAS. HIS STORIES FOCUSED ON LITHIUM MINING IN GASTON COUNTY, FLOOD INSURANCE IN NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, THE ONGOING IMPACT OF A GASOLINE SPILL IN HUNTERSVILLE, AND CLIMATE ANXIETY AS A NEW MENTAL HEALTH CONCERN. THROUGHOUT FY22, WFAE AIRED SEVERAL SERIES. "THE PRICE WE PAY" LOOKED AT WHY AMERICANS ARE SICKER, WHY THEY PAY MORE FOR HEALTH CARE AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS. THE 11-PART SERIES WAS THE CULMINATION OF A YEARLONG EXAMINATION OF THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES. "REBUILDING CHARLOTTE" EXPLORED THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES, BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS STRUGGLING WITH RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC. STORIES INCLUDED THE EFFECTS OF ENDING THE MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS, THE RETURN TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS FOR PUBLIC BODIES; HOW HOTELS ADAPTED IN THE PANDEMIC, AND MASK POLICIES IN SCHOOLS. THE "SOUTHBOUND" PODCAST CONTINUED TO TALK WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE BORN AND RAISED IN THE SOUTH. HOST TOMMY TOMLINSON SPOKE WITH SOUTHERNERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE - FROM AUTHORS AND ACADEMICS TO NASCAR DRIVERS AND BLUEGRASS SINGERS. WFAE RECEIVED A REGIONAL MURROW AWARD FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING. REPORTERS STEVE HARRISON AND ANN DOSS HELMS PRODUCED A THREE-PART SERIES ABOUT REMOTE INSTRUCTION AND LEARNING LOSS IN CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS. THE "ASBESTOS TOWN" DOCUMENTARY WON A SIGMA DELTA CHI AWARD FROM THE SOCIETY FOR PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS. REPORTER DAVID BORAKS LOOKED AT EFFORTS TO REDEVELOP AN OLD MILL WITH ASBESTOS CONTAMINATION IN A HISTORICALLY BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD IN DAVIDSON. DAVID BORAKS WAS ALSO SELECTED FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL FELLOWSHIP BY THE NATIONAL PRESS FOUNDATION. HE TOURED BIOMASS SITES IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. AFTERWARDS, HE PRODUCED A SERIES OF STORIES THAT EXPLORED THE WOOD PELLET INDUSTRY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. FRONTLINE SELECTED WFAE FOR ITS LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE. THE ORGANIZATIONS WILL PARTNER ON A SERIES ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA'S MENTAL HEALTH AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS IN FY23. WFAE CONTINUED ITS WORK IN THE PODCAST SPACE WITH A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL. OVER FIVE DAYS, ATTENDEES LEARNED HOW TO RECORD AND MARKET A PODCAST, HOW TO TURN A PODCAST INTO A BUSINESS AND MORE.

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.