7. Excerpts from a Letter from Ann Porotti to Burr Beard

I think we should slow this process down, but if we are going to continue apace here are some thoughts on what I see as the three central issues.

BLOCK PROGRAMMING.
Is not the enemy here. But the way to explain and involved the volunteer membership in that process is an audio-visual one.
Make a grid of the OLD WTJU program schedule; make it big enough for everyone who does a show to be visible.
Then make a PROPOSED grid of the future block programming.
Display individual shows so DJ's can see where they will fit in.
Make a Plan with People in the Plan. One picture can save a thousand hearts from breaking.


PLAYLISTS
You seem very bushy-tailed and energetic about this. I wish I could share your enthusiasm.
Playlist-free has been WTJU's identity for over fifty years; doesn't it deserve a little more life-support before you toss it.
Where is the harm, the damage done to celebrating past musical tangents.
The basic issue @ WTJU is the genius of the individual DJ; this is what we uniquely offer. I'm afraid that we risk loosing many good people and compromising the talent of those that remain if we impose an overly aggressive playlist.
No one person can possibly hope to command sufficient knowledge to intervene in each show. Some amount of direction from above (you/UVA) may be tolerable but to over-routinize our offerings may be the demise of WTJU programming.
We are after-all a university/community radio station, not a commercial radio station. And our true value lies in the accumulated musical knowledge of the volunteer DJ's.
If you want to polish the professionalism of WTJU volunteers, do it with content---better technical skills for new DJ's, more complex production skills for veterans, better maintained equipment for all. These routinized playlists condescend to ourselves and our listeners.

MONEY
I think this is a RED HERRING. The University of Virginia gets an immense bang for its buck at WTJU. If you calculate the worth of each DJ's contribution@$20 per hour, WTJU volunteer membership makes an in-kind contribution to the station of $1.4 million. There has been mention of the $150,000 that the University spends on WTJU salaries. If true, then the University's investment has been multiplied ten-fold.
My ideas about better fund-raising include:
a. sliding scale membership dues from $50 + per year, per volunteer.
b an Advisory Board that actively supports and cultivates prospective donors. Other Charlottesville arts organizations (i.e. Live Arts where I serve on the board) insist that their Advisory Board be both donors and fund raisers.
c. a return to 4 marathons per year, with mandatory membership involvement in all aspects of marathon organization, not just broadcasting.
d. fund-raising/underwriting staff position that replaces current underwriting-only position.


thank to all who are working so hard to keep our station alive.

best, ann porotti