© 2024 254 North Front Street, Suite 300, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910.343.1640
News Classical 91.3 Wilmington 92.7 Wilmington 96.7 Southport
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

Friday Feedback for June 2, 2017

As members on our email distribution list know, HQR News (that’s this channel) operated at low power for a day or so earlier this week. Thanks to George Scheibner, John McHarry and our consulting engineer Jobie Sprinkle, we identified the problem as a failed power supply for the main transmitter. The team went back to the wilds of Brunswick County to take us back to full power, [which was restored shortly after 1 pm Thursday].When our main 91.3 signal is out, our HD1 and HD2 signals are not operational. The Classical HQR translator in Myrtle Beach is also silent when the HD is out of service, and the HQR News translator in Myrtle can be interrupted as well, as well as our News translator in Lumberton. The good news is that 92.7 in Wilmington continued broadcasting Classical HQR uninterrupted, and both streams remained live on whqr.org. The new WHQR smartphone app is a great way to get both signals when our terrestrial signal is impaired. We know how much you depend on continuing to receive WHQR. We are always determined to restore full service as soon as possible. Thank you, everyone, for your patience.

I sent out the e-blast, as I mentioned, late Tuesday afternoon. I got responses from several people. Listener Sarah wrote:

Thanks. I wondered why.

And several people echoed her. Listener Laura, a former staffer here, wrote:

I'm so pleased to see Jobie [Sprinkle]’s name and remember him fondly... he's saved us so many times! Please give him my regards. And, all the best to you, Cleve, as you turn over the reigns (or reins depending on which OED you use!)

Anonymous wrote:

I’m embarrassed that we haven't been loyal donors before now. The low power situation this week made us realize how much we love and depend on you. Thank you for being such a great part of our community! . . . Cleve, if this is you reading this, please accept my apologies for being such a slacker for such a long time.

But of course!

But the most common reply was a variation on this:

I’m on vacation right now and not reading email. But your message is important to me.

Listener Tim sent us a couple of interesting messages this week. In one, he found fault with NPR in general and Terry Gross in particular:

I am tired hearing day after day the negative reporting on NPR. In the afternoon on Thursday the interviewee was obviously a source of leaks for the NY Times, his sources protected with code words. WHQR needs to distance itself from NPR. He had been expelled from Afghanistan & seemed proud of it.

And a couple of days later Tim sent this:

I listened to Terry Gross's handling of Mr. Rosenberg from NYT (Fresh Air on 25 May). A masterful example of how to interview a controversial subject. She very skillfully turned the interview around to focus on his own expulsion by the Afghan government & his admitted use of leaks protected by code-words. What a guy! We await the outcome! I DID enjoy CAR TALK today, a classic version...That's worth listening to again. Let's get Lyric Opera of Chicago on the Classical segment. I listen to every opera that I can get a clear signal.

You win some, you lose some — and sometimes it’s the same person. Here’s his explanation for his change of heart:

I went back & listened to Terry Gross's interview of Mr. Rosenberg (originally aired on 25 May) then listened to again on 28 May. What is noteworthy was her skill in handling a difficult, controversial individual. She has since then corrected a statement she made about [the President’s] knowledge of an issue. I was not in the mood that day for the negativity that prevailed during that session. Thanks for your patience.

We’d love to hear from you on Friday Feedback. You can send an email message to feedback-at-whqr-dot-org, or you can leave a call at 910-292-9477. Download the new WHQR smartphone app for iPhone and Android. And as always, thanks for your Feedback.