PROGRAMME DIRECTOR'S REPORT FOR BOARD MEETING APRIL 28, 2000 Barb Woolner This has been a very successful broadcast year. I have had strong support from John Muir. I have had the pleasure to work with outstanding Operators and OWSPers (students hired through with work-study programme) and Programmers too. It is however, also a sad time of year as I say goodbye to people I have known over the year(s). Strangers have become friends. Through interviews with Programmers, I have learned that friendship and camaraderie were unexpected benefits from being involved at Trent Radio. STATEMENT OF CURRENT PERFORMANCE Foreground programming has become the basis of all programme expectations. An outline of three shows is required in Programme Proposals. This helps me see a Programmers' vision for their programme and it helps the Programmers' follow-through show to show. I ask people to organise their broad idea into weekly episodes or themes all with foreground content. My demand for foreground programming has proven very successful in encouraging Programmers to focus and enrich the content of their programme. The quality of the programmes continue to improve over the season and also year to year. My expectations rise and programmers raise their own standards and expectations. Generally, I define quality programmes as well organised, balanced, diverse, thorough, creative and visionary From the foreground content, I look at genres and content categories. * these statistics are based on Fall1999-Spring 2000 programming using the new CRTC content categories 49% of all programming was spoken word *spoken word shows and foreground content 53% of all music programming was from category 2 47% of all music programming was from category 3 Breakdown, hours per week of music categories 24.5 hours - pop rock dance 5.0 hours - country 0.0 hours - acoustic 3.0 hours - easy listening 2.0 hours - concert 5.5 hours - folk 7.5 hours - world 8.5 hours - jazz and blues 1.0 hour - religious 4.5 hours - audio art, experimental, avant garde * no category for this This year I heard too many "hits". There was also too much representation from the pop rock dance category, 40% of all the music aired. According to our licence that will soon expire, this is the maximum we are licensed to air. I'm not looking for experts in radio, I am looking for good people with interesting ideas. "Anyone can do it" but not everyone can do it well. Different people need different types of encouragement and support. My goal is to demystify radio and encourage more people to give it a try. There is weekly on-the-air studio training. The training consists of an overview of the required documentation (logger tapes, programme logs and music logs), a tour of the music archive, an overview of how all the equipment works, tips on microphone technique, an explanation of the most common problems and a chance to try their hands on the air. A maximum of four people can attend the training. 60 Minutes of Fame is a weekly programme slot set aside for newcomers to try out an idea after they have satisfactorily completed their studio training.. Radio Project Days occur monthly and focus on one topic for the day. Budding audio artists can submit their work for airplay via the Radio Art Message Machine. These submissions are aired twice daily during the Smooth Operator show. Coffee Break and Smooth Operator are programmes that are open to the participation of new volunteers. The Programmes air three times daily, Monday-Friday and participation can be in the form of reading announcements, practising tech are learning about Trent Radio behind the scenes. VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT Programme Proposals are reviewed by the Programme Selection Committee. This is an ad hoc group of experienced Programmers, Operators and the Programme Director. The Fall season saw a 43% turn over (compared to approximately 60% in recent years). All programmers, new and returning complete a programme proposal. The number of proposals received was roughly the same as the year before (180).. I have urged programmers to get their proposals in early and have set two deadline dates, one for returning programmers and one for new Programmers. Current programmers are asked to get their applications in by Augusts 18. New programmers have until September 15, the end of the first week of classes for Trent students. I feel pressure (personal and public) in getting a schedule formalised as soon as possible. Programmes may not be ready to start right away for a variety of reasons including: availability of Operators or other supports; studio training is needed; proposal needs work; scheduling conflicts; academic/work schedules; applicants limiting their availability; telephone tag; orientation. There remains a motivational tension between having a full schedule the day after the proposal deadline and taking the time necessary to make it a fair and thoughtful process and to ensure programmers are ready and supported. Current Programmers (Fall99-Spring00) who re-apply by August will be considered first. I anticipate that there will be many returning Programmers, 40% minimum. In addition to general questions about goals for the year I intend to ask what Programmers are willing to contribute to the Trent Radio organisation. For example, what can you do for new programmers? I also want to encourage Programmers to listen to the shows of others. What programmes did you listen to last year and what did you think? Programmers often get ideas listening to others' programmes. All current Programmers have been notified of the early deadline and several Fall proposals have come in already. Early scheduling ma also be a possibility. Proposals that come in after August 18, will be considered with the new Programmer proposals. New Programmers have until September 15 to submit their proposals. Any received by August 18 will be reviewed and interviews may occur. Over the years, new Programmers requested a "mentor" and this being considered for the Fall. Recruitment for regular volunteers this year consisted of: regular announcements on Trent Radio, weekly notices in Arthur, through word of mouth, a continued interest summer programmers, introduction to Trent Radio workshops, and Intro Week remote broadcast. Additional ideas for next year include: announcements on Cogeco, liaison with community publications and airing of Programmer Profiles VOLUNTEER TRAINING AND ORIENTATION Operators remain the backbone of Trent Radio's day-to-day facility. The Operator shift is five hours long and duties include: greeting and supporting programmers and other volunteers, producing Trent Radio promos, creating announcements programmes, assisting in the use of the on-air phone, providing tech support for radio specials and regulars, teaching people how to use the production studio, coaching the programmers' guests, acting as tour guide for first time visitors, taking phone messages, watering the plants, tidying up after others and acting as archive gopher and sometimes all at the same time. Training Operators is an ongoing process. There is a Operators' Guide book. New Operators are scheduled during office hours so that they may learn from the staff. The Operators book is for all the Operators to communicate with each other (and staff) and reprot comings and goings. Operators bring a range of skills and a challenge for next year could be what other tasks or projects could Operators work on on slow days? There are a series of trainings for new Programmers: Programme ideas workshops are held at the beginning and end of the season. Some workshops were made open to the public and some were designed for a particular club or group. The workshop includes an overview of Trent Radio and our programming requirements, outline of the job of the Programme Director, discussion on participants interests and experiences, practical suggestions for programme organising and question and answer period. A casual chat with whomever is at Trent Radio when the proposal is picked up and/or returned. People new to Trent Radio have lots of questions and are always interested to know what their chances are of getting on air. Email inquires and telephone calls are answered. Usually people want to know what they have to do to get a show. After the proposal review process, a programme development session/interview is set up with the Programme Director. We discuss programme expectations, suggestions from the Proposal Review Committee, content questions, subsequent ideas for the show, Canadian Content and foreground content requirements, Trent Radio's structure and Trent Radio's aims. This is approximately 20-40 minutes New Programmers are asked to attend a session on Trent Radio space. This includes a tour of the house, discussion of office hours, outline of job descriptions, orientation to messages, studio bookings and communications. This session is usually 30 minutes long and happens just prior to a studio training. Studio training is open to everyone. People learn about administrative details, including logger tapes, programme logs and music sheets, technical details including how each piece of equipment works, microphone techniques and broadcast levels, interpersonal details including, in-studio etiquette. Studio training's are limited to four people per session and have been full each week (except 3). Additional trainings were also set up at the beginning of the season when there were many people to train. Periodically, people requested an alternate time for studio training due to scheduling conflicts. MISCELANEOUS PROGRAMMING DETATILS Number and Quality of Proposals. Approximately 180 proposals were received in the Fall season and approximately 30 were received in the Spring season. Proposals were generally thoroughly completed. Smooth Operator and Coffee Break Programme (Monday-Friday 11:00- 11:30, 2:00-2:30, 7:00-7:30). These programmes contain announcements, radio art, interviews and the opportunity for contributions. Skills for programmers and other volunteers in public speaking, organisation, interpersonal communications, co-operation, production, interviewing, technical etc. Volunteers learn about how a non-profit and volunteer organisation functions. Volunteers and programmers challenge their limits, grow personally and gain an appreciation for others' passions. The public at large is exposed to new ideas and new musics. Programmers and the public alike learn about what events (lectures, concerts, protests, exhibits etc) are taking place in town What's Hot. Last year electronica and this year electronica because it was new and underground. Next year I expect that electronica will be hot again, but this time because it has become popular. Radio Project Days. After a slow start broadcast year, there was one a month throughout the Spring '99 season as well as periodically through the summer and Fall '99 seasons. These radio days have been organised by volunteers who want to explore an issue or topic in depth. Online Music Sheets. Programmers are comfortable with the computerised music sheets but are sometimes forgetting to correct the settings (date, time) and tick all the boxes (music category, hit). These will need to be revamped due to new CRTC categories and to be easier to use. Web Access in the On-Air Studio. Some programmers are using this tool regularly on their programmes. This has not been 100% reliable which sometimes causes disappointment and stress. There has also been some computer problems caused by "computer whizzes" adding software are leaving files behind. Digital Editing. Some Programmers are now very familiar with the editing programmes. I feel that more Programmers will want to learn about this as they develop their radio shows. Cultural Studies students used the digital editing heavily in the Spring season as the course focussed on audio production. Public Service Announcements. Community groups send PSAs to be read on air. Details about Trent events come from programmers themselves, the Arthur and selected stolen posters. Student and Community Clubs and Groups. Some groups arrange Special Programmes. There have been other regular programmes over the broadcasts seasons that have focused on the local music scene, local groups, Trent News etc, namely Town Crier, Development Dimensions, Trent Women's Centre, College and Trent Central Students' Association shows, Radio Lorax and Kid's Lit to name a few. Radio Project Day. There are Radio Project Days once a month. The regular programming on these days is pre-empted to make way for something extraordinary. Depending on the theme, there is a range of people involved from all walks of life. Regular programmers provide technical and moral support. Specials. Time is available for anyone who would like to do a one- off or series of programmes. This provides non-regular programmers the opportunity to do a programme. Open House. There are open houses at the beginning and end of each broadcast season and on Radio Project Days. Visitors are welcome to get a tour of the station, meet programmers and maybe be on air. School and Group Visits. Over the past year school groups and Girl Guide groups have visited Trent Radio and all have made a contribution to radio Visitors. Sometimes people are walking by the station and decide to drop in to see what is going on. Guests. Programmers periodically invite guest hosts and interviewees on their shows. This offers enriched programming as well as an opportunity for someone else to learn about radio. On-Air Phone. A way for guests to be on air from their home or office. Also a way to have unexpected guests participate in the programme. Cogeco Community Television. The Open Line is a weekly interview and call-in programme of local politicians that is simulcast. Trent Radio has also periodically simulcasts city council meetings. For the Fall 2000 season, I will consider simulcasting the city council meetings weekly. Band and Musician Interviews. Either live or over the phone line, programmers set up their interviews. Many local artists visited throughout the broadcast year. Infact, every week there was some live, in the studio music. Remote Broadcasts. This is where Trent Radio goes to a location and broadcasts live. This works particularly well for on the spot interviews. There have been a few this year; at the Trent University Club Day and an important Trent Board of Governors meeting. The technical set up is time consuming and many volunteers are needed to orchestrate the remotes. Well worth it! High School Co-op. I worked with two co-op students during the Fall 1999 season. They both made great contributions to Trent Radio and learned a lot. Each candidate is considered on individual merits yet we look for enthusiasm and a certain amount of independence and self assurance. TRENT RADIO AND THE CRTC Overall, it is my opinion that 1) Trent Radio's programming is balanced and 2) Trent Radio's programming is in compliance with its Promise of Performance submitted to the CRTC on 4 December 1992 and the Radio Regulations as promulgated by the CRTC. All programming is recorded and kept for one month. Operators and Programmers are reminded to check that all logger tapes are rewound entirely before recording begins. There are cassette tapes available for back up if necessary. All programme logs are used and kept for one year. Programmers are reminded to sign in and to check for sponsorships. All music sheets are kept for one year. Programmers are reminded to account for all music played noting Canadian content. Highlights of new CRTC content categories Category 1 - Spoken Word 11 News 12 Other Category 2 - Popular Music 21 Pop Rock Dance 22 Country and Country-oriented 23 Acoustic 24 Easy Listening Category 3 - Special Interest Music 31 Concert 32 Folk and Folk-oriented 33 World Beat and International 34 Jazz and Blues 35 Non-Classic Religious It is my opinion that these categories are more workable for Trent Radio's use. Of particular note: broadening of what is considered Category 3 music. old-time country music before 1950 is now considered "Folk and Folk-oriented" world music has it's own category all folk music that draws on traditional folk music style is now Category 3 all contemporary and historic blues and jazz is now considered Category 3 There is not however, classification for audio art, electroacoustic compositions, avant garde or experimental music. Another difficulty in assigning classification to programmes is that the content in some programmes change week to week, as per their programme proposal and foreground content plans. For example, themes of Rutendo's Groove were: 1. African music, some pop and some folk 2. Religious music, gospel and contemporary Christian pop 3. American soul and rhythm and blues, mostly popular music and hits 4. Interviews, cross-cultural and international events and issues. Her show was amazing! So the problem is not the content of the programme, it's that the structured categories are sometimes limiting to describe content. Currently, we are in the process of applying for a new licence. The question topics relevant to programming include: 3.1 Language of Programming 3.2 Hours of Broadcast 3.3 Spoken Word 3.4 News Programming 3.5 Educational Programming 3.6 Station-Produce Programming 3.7 Category 3 Musical Selections 3.8 Hits 3.9 Advertising 3.10 Code of Programming Content 4.1 Sample of Block Programming (week of...) 4.2 Music Category Breakdown 4.3 Sources of Programming 4.4 Local Talent Development 4.5 Training of Volunteers 4.5.1 Programming produced by students completing course work 4.5.2 General plan concerning the participation of students and other volunteers in the station's production and broadcasting activities, specifically with respect to recruitment and training in broadcasting, as well as control mechanisms that will be put in place to supervise volunteers and endure that the programming obligations are respected during the licence term. Our new Promise of Performance will reflect the variety of programming we currently have and strive to have during the term of the licence. It is my opinion that the CRTC is simplifying it's content categories, application procedure and requirements for Campus / Community radio. These are all minimum standards set for us by the CRTC. As Programme Director I expect the maximum out of our Programmers. Our programming and Programmers are far better than the minimum standard that others have set for us. I will not settle for this minimum. It is in the public interest that the medium of radio continues to challenge us all. PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS YEAR IN REVIEW September 1999 * preseason began September 7 * Remote Broadcast - clubs and groups days at Trent's Intro Week * Open House * Community Orientation Meetings * Specials: Canada World Youth Participants Seniors form Mary Crest Seniors Residence Up With People Run for the Cure Declaration of Human Rights * Resource Fair table for new residence Dons * More Than Just a Dozen series begins October * Remote broadcast - Head of the Trent, alumni reunion and rowing regatta * Radio Project Day - Radio Art November * Remote broadcast- Trent's Board of Governors' meeting * Special: Holy Cross' High School drama students present their monologues Concurrent Education's students December * Special: Grace Christian Academy school choir performs North Shore Public School class choir performs * Radio Project Day - poverty issues * Open House January * Documentary workshop with OPIRG * CHEX TV has a feature about Trent Radio * Specials: Living with Student Debt Access 2000, Canadian Federation of Students campaign February * Peterborough This Week has a feature article about Trent Radio * Radio Project Day - Celebrating Black History Month * Weekly archiving parties begin * School visit at James Strath Public * Specials: Violin improvisation Kawartha Chordsmen (barbershop quartet) Maple Ridge Seniors' Recreation Centre March * Radio ideas workshops held * Thai exchange students visit Trent Radio * Radio Project Days: International Women's Week Radio Voixs Sans Frontier, simulcast programming with AMARC to recognise the I International Day for the elimination of Racial Discrimination via Real Audio Live Music Day * TCSA (Trents' student council) candidate statements recorded and aired * Specials: Elimination of Racial Discrimination Interview with visiting Human Rights Commission Officer April * St Anne's Grade 6 class visits Trent Radio * SOCAN days, celebration of Canadian artists * Operators' BBQ * Children of the Earth Series begins * Specials Peterborough AIDS Resource Network Community Care Peterborough Anthropology of Tourism series Mexico Stress Relief Millbrook's Maple Fest Peterborough Museum Earth Day Girl Guides of Canada Last day programming Rebroadcast of Dionysis, Trent's Spring music festival * Open House