PCUN Workshop Schedule

Friday August 18, 2006


1pm-2:45pm

Four Radio Shows - Want to start doing a radio show, but need a few ideas for how to go about doing it? After hearing these four programmers present their very different radio shows, you'll be totally inspired to create your own.

Popular Education - Traditional education assumes that teachers know everything and the heads of students are empty boxes for the teachers to put information in. Popular education is a social movement technique that assumes that most of the knowledge needed is in the group already, and needs to be shared and drawn out of the students. Explore how this can be applied to the technical education and movement building during the barnraising. Of particular interest to presenters at other workshops!


3pm-4:45pm

Station Governance - So now you have your radio station, and it sounds great. But what goes on behind the scenes is just as important. This workshop will help you figure out how to structure your station management and volunteers in a way that feels right for everyone. Hear the way 4 different stations do it, and take some ideas home!

Introduction to journalism - At other workshops, you’ll be getting technical skills to record, edit and create radio. This workshop focuses on the content. What are your basic responsibilities and rights as a radio journalist? How can you be sure that your information is accurate? What do your listeners need to know from a news story.

Content on the Web - Share your radio work with the world. And bring the world's radio work to you. The web can be a great programming resource, but it helps to know where to start your search. This workshop will introduce you to sites like radio4all.net, radialistas.org and many more. Whether you're new to posting or looking for audio on the web or a seasoned veteran, this session will be a great opportunity to share and swap resources.

Emergency broadcasting - Broadcasts can be lifesavers during emergencies. Is your station prepared to stay on the air come hell or high water? Hear stories from groups that have worked on emergency situations and learn about things you can do to make your station reliable when it counts.

Saturday August 19, 2006

10am-11:45am

Intro to Radio, Transmitters and Antennas - What exactly are radio waves? How do they get beamed out, and how are we able to pick them up? What are all those electronics I'm seeing sitting around everywhere this weekend? Come learn all about the science and the magic.

Youth Radio - Learn from people involved in successful youth radio projects and discuss how to get one started in your own community. This workshop will feature the youth programs from different stations so you can find the model that is right for your group.

Field Recording* - Good sound captures the listener's imagination, and helps tell your radio story. In this workshop, you'll learn how to use digital recording equipment (like mini disc) to make great recordings in the fields, on the streets, and everywhere else your story takes you. This is a hands-on session where everyone will gain experience making their own recording.
If you cannot make it to this session, there will be additional drop-in sessions on Saturday and Sunday - visit the Production Room for times!

Community Media and Labor Organizing - Grassroots media is a potentially powerful tool in strengthening the movement for workers rights. Radio, especially, is a relatively cheap, easy to learn, and accessible tool - and changes in digital media have made these forums increasingly accessible to activists. Hear from organizers with the Coalition of Imakolee Workers' WCIW-LPFM and the Philadelphia Independent Media Center's Media Mobilizing Project on how they are using media production to educate, inform, discuss, debate, and build their grassroots base.

1pm-2:45pm

Introduction to Sound & Audio - Learn about what sound is, how it travels, the names of the various audio connectors, the difference between stereo and mono, and whether a tree falling in the forest makes any sound if there is no one there to hear it among many other basic topics.

There Oughta Be A Law - Laws are weird. If you or I break the law, we go to jail; if a corporation breaks the law, Congress just makes a new law that legalizes whatever the corporation was doing. Our panel will take your questions about laws related to community radio stations and do their best to help you understand the laws and your risks for non-compliance.

Low Power Radio On The Brink - Low power FM right now faces two great tests for the future of our stations in the regulatory arena. Low power stations are starting to be displaced by full power broadcasters through encroachment of our “secondary” signals. And many of the signals we shuld have gotten in the next filing window have been scooped up by spectrum speculatorswho applied for wthousands of translator channels. Learn about the situation at the FCC and what we are doing to try to turn things around for LPFM!

Newscasts and Public Affairs Programming – Is what passes for news in your town “all the lies fit to print”? Maybe it's time to start a news department at your station. Hear from four different news directors and producers about how other community stations cover their town.

3pm-4:45pm


Station Profiles From Latin America - Several participants have come to this conference from Latin America—hear the stories of their stations and about how radio is used in other places. Plus a description of the stations.

Application Clinic Full Power – Wondering how to apply for a radio station? The FCC is opening g an application window for new stations for the first time in many years—this might be your chance if you don’t have a station! And if you do have na LPFM, it may be worth it for you to replace it with a full power license, which can not be bumped and may have better coverage. Find out more…

Interviewing* – Cat got your subjects tongue? Did you end up talking more than your guest did? Did your guest end up answering every question except the one you asked? Tips from veteran interviewers on getting the story.  And time to practice your technique!

Pledge drives, underwriting, CPB - Struggling to keep the 'fun' in fund-drive? Trying to secure underwriting without undermining your station's integrity? This workshop will look at some of the most important sources of revenue for community stations and offer tips for getting the most out of them without burning out volunteers, selling out your station, or breaking FCC rules.

Sunday August 20, 2006

10am-11:45am

Automation - an Automation system keeps the music and the programming going even when you can't have a live DJ in the studio.  Learn how automation can help your station be on the air ‘round the clock. In characteristic fashion, presenters willl also talk about the uses and abuses of automation technology. Is your community station using automation- or is the automation using your community station?

Fundraising and Planning for Radio Stations - This panel will be your searchlight through the fog of myths and misconception about “free money.” from foundations. Panelists will talk about what works and what doesn’t when your group is trying to supplement its listener dollars through grants. Also covered will be how fundraising can assist your group in its planning process.

Digital Editing* - Using computers to edit sound! Cool! After you've done your interviews and made your recordings, you can learn how to cut them down to size and fit them together in one seamless piece of audio. You won't believe how easy it is and how good it sounds. This is a hands-on session where everyone will gain some experience editing their own sound.
If you cannot make it to this session, there will be additional drop-in sessions on Saturday and Sunday - visit the Production Room for times!

International Radio Solidarity Projects - A spotlight on different organizations that help to start and support radio stations around the world. Learn how these groups go about choosing their projects, dealing with governments, raising the money and serving to build community radio around the world.

1pm-2:30pm

Programming Policies - Program directors and collective members from 4 stations describe what you have to do to get a show on their station, and how the distribution of air time is governed. Do you have terms? Do you have forms? Must programmers volunteer with administrative work or pay dues? Do you prefer public affairs over music programming? Hear how 4 different stations make the tough choices.

Web Audio / Internet Audio Technology – When it comes to audio programming, FM radio is still the most widely used means of distribution, and will remain so for years to come. But the Webcasting is quick gaining on radio, and many stations are adding webcasting so that they can have listeners anywhere in the world. Learn the ins and outs , the signal and the noise, and the ones and zeros of webcasting at this workshop!

Introduction to Airshifting - A basic primer for first time air personalities. How to organize a show, announce, cue records, and whatnot.

The Movement for Media Reform - This panel describes the work of different groups that are fighting for a change in the media. The corporate control of media affects every social justice movement. It is often said that “media should be every activists second issue.”

2:45pm-3:45pm

Audio Projects - Finish up Audio projects.

Clear Spot - Use this time to interact with others and schedule your own workshops, discussions, etc.

Telephony as an Emerging Community Media Outlet - The phone is something we all have, and now with new technology, we can build out new forms of community media via the phone. We'll talk about many existing projects, such as automating a radio station's call in line, creating a phone number to call to listen to the radio station, the speakeasy project to connecting immigrant community members for translation, community voice mail applications, use of telephony for advocacy campaigns, distributed call centers and office pbx for community based organizations.

** Whether you are new to radio or an experienced producer, help produce a short piece to air during the first broadcast on Sunday! During workshop sessions on Field Recording and Digital Editing, we will break into small groups to record and edit an array of station id's, show promos, and short interview clips. So if you have a radio show to promote, a crazy idea for the sound of the station, or a topic you would like to report on, join us! And if you can't make the workshop times, there will be drop-in sessions on Saturday and Sunday - and computers and recording equipment will be available throughout the weekend for you to use. Visit the Production Room for times and equipment check-out.**