WGDR was established in 1973, as a unique, college-based community radio station serving the Central Vermont region from the campus of Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont.
WGDR Signal Map. Click to zoom.
WGDR-WGDH 91.1 and 91.7 FM operates as a true hybrid radio station, supported both by Goddard College and surrounding communities. Over 60 local volunteers contribute to each week’s broadcast, providing music and public affairs programming that reflects the unique and independent spirit of the Central Vermont community. If you would like to become a WGDR volunteer, whether you are interested in training to be a programmer or about other ways of supporting our efforts, please contact us!
WGDR in the Community
The station actively supports program content related to women’s issues; itinerant agricultural workers in Vermont; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender; the homeless, Native Peoples and the poor.
The 15th Annual Homelessness Marathon was a special 6 hour broadcast that included content from both national and local platforms, and live interviews with homeless persons, and many others. We have expanded our coverage of Vermont’s Native American (Abenaki) issues and nationally syndicated Native American programming as well.
We serve high school students from 7 local high schools, training the students on the air, and letting them eventually produce their own shows. We also partnered with Cabot High School Music Teacher, Brian Boyes to broadcast a student produced month long special examining the effects of rock ‘n roll on 1960’s/70s culture.
We have placed a new program that features linguistic specialists discussing the benefits and challenges of learning languages– both native and foreign.
In training our on-air local show producers, we strongly encourage all trainees to identify and support groups normally under-represented in typical media.
We devote at least 7 hours a day to Public Affairs and diverse national and international news. By way of call-in programs on many varied themes, WGDR/H is informed of its community’s recurring interests and needs, and in this way, reviews its programming for reflecting the needs of its interest groups.
In 2013, we plan to replace a second airing of Democracy Now! for an underrepresented and less accessible national news program. Additionally, we plan to implement a weekly student produced local/national news program.
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Our CSG grant supports four, essential part-time station staff positions. Without the CSG these positions would not exist and the tasks associated would either be performed by management, handled by volunteers, or not performed at all.
The quality of service, adherence to the mission of the grant, and consistant professionalism are all benefits of having these tasks performed by paid staff, rather than with volunteers. The positions are Training Coordinator, Production Coordinator, Communications Coordinator, and Music Library and Archive Coordinator. The purpose of each of these positions is to foster impactful listener oriented volunteer programming, create and facilitate special programming (like the Homelessness Marathon), support programmer engagement of resources (training, portable recording and broadcast gear, new music, etc) and to assist productive communications and partnerships between all interest groups of the station.
The depth of our syndicated news programs are far superior to what we could afford without the CSG. Pacifica programming, and a wide variety of other programming sources would not be available to our listeners without our grant. About one third of our broadcast week is devoted to airing syndicated programs, and that number would drop drastically without the CSG.
Our broadcast and webcast royalty licenses and fees are paid with our CSG grant. Otherwise, that money would instead come from operating budget lines therefore reducing our overall ability to pay for overhead, payroll, development, etc.
We are able to purchase critical studio and production equipment we would not otherwise be able to upgrade or afford at all. Examples are portable audio recorders, remote broadcast gear, as well as repairs and upgrades to existing equipment.
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WGDR Board Members:
Faculty and student representatives to the Board (one each) are elected by their respective councils.
Staff representatives to the Board (one) is elected by vote of the college staff.
List of WGDR/Goddard College Board of Trustees
For more information about our CPB grant see: Annual Local Content and Services
WGDR Mission Statement
WGDR — Community Radio for Central Vermont at Goddard College — strives to inform, educate, entertain, involve, motivate, and connect its diverse communities through independent non-commercial radio programming.
As a hybrid college–community radio station, WGDR is committed to educating and training in the art and science of community radio, and to in-depth involvement in many forms with its geographic community and its communities of interest.
WGDR accomplishes its mission by:
Engaging robust support from the stations communities
Integrating WGDR programming and Goddard’s low-residency academic programs
Experimenting with opportunities and technology to expand beyond Central Vermont
Policy Advisory Council
consists of seven current volunteer programmers. Its primary functions are to represent programmer’s interests and provide policy advice to station management. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month starting at 6:30 pm.
Community Advisory Board
To provide feedback to the station, Contact CAB members
The CAB consists of WGDR listeners representing the regions and townships that fall into the station’s broadcast range. Current programmers do not serve on the CAB. Listeners interested in serving on the CAB are appointed by the Station Director, usually according to where they live. CAB meets second Thursday of every other month, to discuss and describe listener’s concerns and viewpoints, and provide advice to station management. CAB hopes listeners send in their feedback on their listening experience as often as possible!
The first CAB meeting of 2013 will be held on Thursday, January 10th at 4pm in the Eliot Pratt Center Library in Plainfield.
Read CAB Meeting Notes
Or contact WGDR directly.
