WCOM Fundraiser at The Kraken September 16 2017
Join Us for WCOM Fundraising Concert September 16
Come to the Kraken at the White Cross stoplight on NC 54 west of Carrboro on Saturday, September 16. Tell you friends. Six bands in six hours: blues, singer-songwriter, bluegrass, R&B, country, Americana, and whimsy.
Welcome Skyler Borgman to our Board
Skyler Borgman, CFA, has joined the board of directors of the Public Gallery of Carrboro, the parent organization of WCOM community radio. A financial adviser with Morgan Stanley, Skyler was active in non-profits in his native Philadelphia. He has a particular interest in and vision for building WCOM’s relationships and identity in the greater Carrboro and Chapel Hill community.
Hal is in the House
Our new broadcast automation system – named Hal is an informal poll of show hosts – is in the studio. Engineering plans to put it online replacing Simian on Saturday, January 7. Although we have to expect the bumps in the road of any technological transition, the new system will eliminate the endemic issues with Simian during the last year and make remote show posting, management of back up shows, and scheduling syndicated programming much easier.
We owe a lot of thanks to Engineering Chair Donald Brumfield for making this happen with the kind assistance of Bill McClymont. We also appreciate the donors to our 2016 Annual Appeal and Orange County for funding Hal.
WCOM at Primetime Business Expo
WCOM promoted itself and underwriting opportunities at the Chapel Hill Carrboro Chamber of Commerce’s Primetime Business Expo at the Friday Center on Thursday, November 11. The chamber generously gave WCOM a booth at Orange County’s largest such event, putting us in the same venue as WCHL, WQDR, Wells Fargo, Camerons, the Chapel Hill Sheraton Hotel, and several dozen other area businesses.
WCOM hosts Ernie Hood, Don Emmett, Becky Johnson, Donald Brumfield, Bill Hendrickson, Art Menius, and Dave Bellin took turns representing the station both at our booth and visiting those of other businesses.
Dubose elected at Annual Meeting
The members of the Public Gallery of Carrboro (dba WCOM Community Radio) held its 2016 Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 22 in the ArtsCenter. The membership by acclamation elected Eliza Dubose to a three year term on the board of directors starting on January 1, 2017.
Donald Brumfield presented the engineering report, Bill Henderickson for the Development Committee, and Karl Blake for the Programming Committee. The latter has been very active lately adding new local and syndicated shows and developing a system for rebroadcasting local programs. Art Menius offered the financial report indicating that the board has ended the unfortunate run of $2000 annual losses that began with the $5400 per year increase in studio space rental.
Menius gave the chair’s state of the station report. He listed numerous accomplishments of the past nine plus months including enhanced budgeting and cash flow projections, stronger committees, new bylaws and observing them, more fundraising and grants, adoption of and monitoring a long range plan, bringing the station into compliance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 with the outstanding support of music hosts entering data into Spinitron, and 100% underwriting compliance. He also listed challenges before us including increasing involvement in the local community, strengthening the community of WCOM members, getting more people involved in the tasks that keep the station on the air, and building a financial reserve.
Vote for WCOM on November 3
WCOM at Carrboro Music Festival
Thanks to our station engineer, Donald (DJ Smooth Jazz) Brumfield and board member Don (Rock n Roll Doctor) Emmett, WCOM had a presence at the Carrboro Music Festival on September 25.
The Kraken Hosts Benefit for WCOM
The Kraken, “Chapel Hill’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Roadhouse,” will host a fundraiser for community radio station WCOM on Saturday, August 20, starting at 7PM. Five musical acts have committed to perform. Katharine Whalen, lead singer of the original Squirrel Nut Zippers, continues to make outstanding music solo and with several groups. The Milagro Saints play roots rock Americana with great original material as featured on their new album, Stranger Times. The Cosmic Country Band keeps alive the sound of Austin in the 1970s led by Lisa Rhodes who was there. Hank and Brendan, a Carrboro guitar and banjo duo, shatter preconceptions with music ranging from Yes to Reno & Smiley. From Carthage, Mama Molasses delivers soulful Americana music. Additional artists may be announced as confirmed. Orange County’s Grilled Delights food truck will be there. All donations will benefit WCOM, your all-volunteer non-profit community radio station. The Kraken is located five miles west of Carrboro at the intersection of NC 54 and Dobson’s Crossroads Road. For more information about the Kraken http://thekrakenbar.com/
Local Governments Support WCOM
WCOM will receive the most financial support from local government to date for FY2016-2017! The total of $1750 is the 3.5 times what we received during FY2015-2016.
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved an entirely new allocation of $1000. The Town of Carrboro increased its support to $750 from $500. Both funding allocations came through the Combined Outside Agency Heath and Human Services process that began with our submission of a complex application in January.
We appreciate this show of support from our local government elected officials and the WCOM show hosts who have welcomed them to our airwaves.