Rochester City Council finance committee chairman Malik Evans said that financial trouble on the state level will make crafting the city’s budget more...
Welcome to the first edition of my online letter. If you are a member of WXXI and received our former membership magazine, Station Signals, then you have also likely read through my letter each month.
As more and more people get their information online – and as we’ve all become aware of the need to “go green” and help protect our environment – we’ve come to an important decision about Station Signals. Starting next month, the kind of comprehensive radio and television program information provided by Station Signals will be available on our website, WXXI.org.
I never thought I’d breathe a sigh of relief about “only” a 20% reduction in State operating aid, but given the alternative – a proposed 50% cut – it was the best for which we could have hoped.
If you’re a new member of WXXI (especially if you joined during our recent radio membership campaign), let me extend a warm welcome to the WXXI family! You join more than 27,000 others who voluntarily contribute to WXXI to keep our station a strong, independent voice for the Rochester community. Listenership to our radio services, especially news and public affairs, is stronger than ever.
As I write this month’s letter, it appears that the new President and Congress may delay the planned end of analog television broadcasting scheduled for February 17. This is in large part a response to the federal government running out of coupons to help over-the-air television viewers purchase digital converter boxes. It’s a problem that needs to be addressed. It is also a reaction to finding out how important free over-the-air television is to so many people in the country, especially in rural areas and the inner city. We’ll continue to provide the latest information about the transition on television, radio and online, especially since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) selected WXXI to help lead the community education effort about the transition to digital TV. You can read more about the FCC contract we were awarded on this highlight page or on page 5 of the February Guide (PDF).
The New Year is a time to make predictions and resolutions, so here’s my first one: I resolve that 2009 will be the year that WXXI makes its greatest strides in becoming the essential media resource for the Greater Rochester area.
