Almanac

IN THIS ISSUE

SEC Agenda March 5; Trustees Executive Committee Meeting: March 5;
Commencement: Tom Brokaw; Death of Dr. Asch; NCAA Review: Self-Study (with Committees)

From the Provost et al: Revisions to the Proposed Charter of the Student Judicial System

Compass Features

WXPN: A Report to Trustees External Affairs Committee, Fall 1995
Opportunities
Update, CrimeStats, Summer Gymnastics
Applause for WXPN

The Penn Voice: How Far Does It Travel?

Applause for WXPN

Penn's public radio station turned 50 last year, and like other 50-year- olds it did some stocktaking. Some of it is numerical, in the fall report made to trustees, but that presentation only hit the highlights of awards given recently to the station and its people. Here is a fuller list.

Awards for Specific Programs

Kid's Corner: A daily, one-hour call-in program for children 6-12 years old.

: 1993 Major Armstrong Award, The Armstrong Memorial Research Foundation; 1992 "Best Local Educational Program," New York International Radio Festival; 1991 George Foster Peabody Award, University of Georgia; 1990 "Gold Award" for Children's Program, Corporation for Public Broadcasting

To Give or Not to Give, features on homelessness and panhandling.

: 1992 "Silver Reel," Public Service Program, National Federation of Community Broadcasters

Homeless--Not Helpless, features on homelessness in Philadelphia

: 1991 "Silver Award" for Public Affairs, Corporation for Public Broadcasting,; 1991 "Golden Reel" for Local Public Affairs, National Federation of Community Broadcasters

Line in the Sand, an 8-hour debate on the Gulf War

: 1991 "First Place, Public Service," Philadelphia Press Assoc. Media Awards; 1991 "First Place, Public Affairs Programming," Pennsylvania Associated Press; 1991 "First Place, Public Service Program," Phila. Chapter, Soc. of Prof. Journalists; 1991 "Golden Reel" for National Public Affairs, National Federation of Community Broadcasters

No Bed of Roses, a documentary on Black families traveling before the Civil Rights Movement. Produced as part of WXPN Artist in Residence Program by Judi Moore Smith

: 1989 Ohio State Award, Ohio State University; 1989 Gabriel Award; 1989 "Gold Award" Public Affairs Program, Corporation for Public Broadcasting

A World of Difference, a series on interracial and intercultural issues.

: 1989 "Gold Award" Public Service Program Corporation for Public Broadcasting; 1989 "Best Feature Production," Public Radio News Directors Association

Overall Station Awards

: Station of the Year (Nominee) 1994--The Gavin Report; "Best Radio Station in Philadelphia," 1994--Philadelphia Magazine; Excellence in Overall Development,1995 Gold Award Corporation for Public Broadcasting; Excellence in Special Events and Promotion 1995 Gold Award Corporation for Public Broadcasting; Non-commercial Station of the Year 1996--The Gavin Report; Personality of the Year WXPN Music Director Bruce Warren 1996--The Gavin Report; Non-commercial Progressive Adult Radio Station of the Year 1996--Friday Morning Quarterback; Non-commercial Progressive Adult Radio Music Director of the Year Bruce Warren 1996--Friday Morning Quarterback

At right: The people are The CompuDudes. First there were Peter Cook (left) and Scott Manning (right), two guys who began as volunteers on Kid's Corner. Now there's a third 'Dude, with Mac and games expertise--Justin Roman, center, a high school senior who is also taking math at Penn. They're on Kid's Corner every Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; and since only kids can call in then, they've added an 8 p.m. segment for adults with computer questions. The 'Dudes also made their debut in print last Thursday as columnists in the Philadelphia Inquirer's new weekly section, tech.life@inquirer.

Top illustration: The "doodle" is an engineer's conception of WXPN's signal expansion since the reorganization of the late '70s. This helped increase its local audience from about 40,000 listeners to 220,000. Through a series of collaborations and affiliations, the full audience is now closer to 1.5 million. (See the Report to the Trustees.)

World Cafe

One of the shows that earns WXPN top prizes in music is World Cafe, heard weekdays from 2 to 7 p.m. at 88.5 on the FM dial. The show's eclectic and adventurous way with contemporary music around the globe is credited with drawing younger listeners to public radio. World Cafe went on the air in August 1991, and in October of that year became WXPN-FM's first venture in syndication. It now reaches some 90 outlets scattered throughout the contiguous 48 states and Alaska. (See U.S.A. Map at right).

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