We’re celebrating here at WHQR this week. First, because our news team won a number of awards at the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas, for their reporting this past year on Adverse Childhood Experiences, the battle over removing a book from New Hanover County Schools, The Healing Place and a bill before the legislature and its impact on tenants. We’re most proud of our news team being awarded first place for Outstanding News Operation in all of the North and South Carolina radio stations. We also got a very nice congratulatory note from listener Lisa Andree on the announcement, who wrote “Congratulations to you all!!! The entire team is absolutely incredible and the main reason that WHQR is my 1st choice when it comes to local media. Thanks for doing such a great job! Also, to whomever does the newsletter these days, 5 stars!” And extra points for the correct use of whomever.
Another reason we’re celebrating is because at long last, our new solid state transmitter went on the air this week. We expected it to go online this past summer, but ran into some unexpected delays along the way. Besides being more reliable than our old tube transmitter, the change will be transparent to our listeners. However, if you have an HD radio at home or in your car, you should find WHQR HD2, our classical station, comes through much more clearly and consistently, and can be received everywhere you can hear our news station.
Listener Brian Jones wrote to tell us he enjoyed George Schiebner’s Smooth Landing program. “Excellent addition of some Medeski Martin and Wood to the rotation. Love the Doc Watson too.” Thanks Brian.
Last week was the 125th anniversary of Wilmington’s 1898 Coup & Massacre. In recognition, WHQR updated the page on our website where we post all the programs we’ve done through the years on the topic, including many interviews on Coastline with descendents and historians. This year we added the radio drama author Philip Gerard wrote and performed with WHQR staff twenty five years ago to commemorate the 100th anniversary. We also asked the top prize winners of the Mary Alice Jervay Thatch Memorial 1898 Student Essay contest to read their essays on the air. They were 11th grade student Emily Powell, and 8th grade students Lucy Evans and Eliza Johnson. Jim Downey, co-chair of the New Hanover County Community Remembrance Project enjoyed what he heard, writing “I heard essays being read on the air and I wanted to know where I could find a copy of them. We would like them for our 1898 work that we're doing in the coming year.” We’re happy to help, Jim. If you missed their essays, you can find them on the WHQR website.
Ted Wilgis wrote asking for follow up information on three stories our news team has covered recently. News Director Ben Schachtman responded to his request, prompting Ted to write “thank you for your incredibly thorough and thoughtful response to my questions. Knowing how busy you all are and all the questions and stories you are working on, made me really appreciate all the background information and links you provided. Thank you for all your hard work, research, and editing that put into each of your reports. Especially appreciative of Nikolai's reporting on Pender County. Keep up the good work and keep asking the hard questions.”