So, yes, WSLR, Sarasota’s community radio station is conducting fund raising! I’ll be a guest on the Louisiana Gumbo Show at 7:45 tonight — Sunday, April 5th. Just for about a half-hour, I think, unless we’re deluged with callers and pledgers, then they might ask me to stay through 9 p.m. I’ll be chatting about WSLR and the importance of grassroots radio — now, absolutely now more than ever, when newspaper pages are shrinking and television is reporting on Madonna’s adoption efforts as if that is real news.

You can listen via the internet at http://wslr.org/listen-live/ or on the radio at 96.5 LPFM. You can call the station during the show and pledge (941)894-6469
or call directly in to the studio (941.355-4540) while I’m there and disagree (or agree!) with me about whatever topic I’m yakking about.

Why should you call? Well, obviously if you support local radio in your community — call in and pledge financial support and you’ll get some cool prizes as well. I’m not sure what they’re giving out tonight, but I heard they might be giving out tickets to Amy Goodman’s talk in Sarasota on Tuesday among other cool things. Heck, if you make a pledge of $50 or more while I’m on the air tonight , I’ll ask the station to throw in a copy of my book, Sideways in Sarasota — if you want it. Just tell the person that takes the pledge that you’d like a copy (but it has to be while I’m in the studio! — so I can inscribe it for you and leave it for them to get to you).

Why is community radio so important?

The Grassroots Radio Coalition describes community-based and financed radio as … “more than audio outlets, volunteer-based community radio stations are cultural institutions in their communities, reflecting the unique concerns and passions of the people who live there. With a system of governance based on openness and collaboration, and diverse programming produced by volunteers and funded by listeners, these stations are cornerstones of participatory democracy, offering ordinary citizens the chance to exercise First Amendment rights in a mass medium and audiences the opportunity to directly support the programming that is of importance to them.”

Can I get an “Amen”?!

WSLR’s mission statement (lifted from its website): WSLR is an innovative, listener-supported, non-profit, non-commercial FM radio station dedicated to serving the Sarasota community. WSLR features locally produced programming and presents cultural, artistic, and political perspectives currently underrepresented in the media. Our goal is to inform and empower listeners to play an active role in WSLR and in their community. WSLR’s programming promotes equality, peace, sustainability, democracy, and social and economic justice.

Hope you make a call tonight — support local radio in the Sarasota community, or call in to the studio and say hello and tell the host (John Osgood) and/or me why you LOVE community radio! 😉