Round Up Newsletter: ”What’s New(s)?”

It was interesting to hear the coverage of Ted Turner’s passing. The people that worked with him when he started CNN said he would waltz into the breakroom from his upstairs apartment in his bathrobe to grab a morning coffee. He was a media maverick and game-changer. He created the 24/7 news cycle, and others soon followed suit.

In the days of old, someone would walk or ride an animal the distance necessary to bring the news, be it etched into tablets, on papyrus scrolls or verbally transmitted. We certainly have come a long way since then. They say that “no news is good news,” but I think no news is just no news. Social media and headlines delivered to inboxes dominate 24/7, and I would argue that some information is just plain fake, and in other instances the concept of “news” is stretched pretty thin.

When I started at KWMR in 2010, KWMR was struggling with how to handle news. Several news directors had either burned out, or the funding source would run out. George Clyde took on producing the West Marin Report for one year as a volunteer. The stories were great, but it was an immense amount of work. When George stopped, we needed to figure out a more sustainable way.

KWMR’s solution since about 2013 has been the Monday through Thursday “Epicenter” spot. Last year, Thursday’s Epicenter Community Buzz became more of a clearinghouse for local events and happenings in West Marin. That left three 30 minute spots for bringing local information to the West Marin airwaves.

KWMR is proud of Epicenter. The team behind the shows includes Program Director Jeff Manson, volunteers Jim Fazackerley and Jim Shutz, and Supervisor Dennis Rodoni (first Wednesday of each month), and me. Topics for the Monday through Wednesday spot include longer-form interviews with a variety of people who are engaged in things that impact West Marin. We are always looking for leads, so email Jeff Manson with any ideas.

Most recently, Jim Shutz, a former City Manager of San Rafael, joined the team. For the next year, his ‘GovFM’ series will focus on conversations with those who work in local government. Jim Fazackerley, a former EMT, covers human interest stories and has a knack at getting great information out of the first responder community. Supervisor Rodoni interviews County staff, while Jeff Manson and I pick up ideas from the Marin County News Releases. We also talk to nonprofits, businesses and agencies that do work that impact West Marin.

Be sure to check out our recent round of 15-minute interviews with candidates running for the California primary election for the following seats – Congressional District 2, Senate District 2, and Assembly District 12. Click HERE to listen. Interviews are with candidates who made themselves available to KWMR.

Archives of “Epicenter” programs are available HERE.

Lots of topics get covered on the many shows hosted by KWMR volunteer programmers, so you can find compelling conversations throughout the KWMR schedule! There is not enough “news” out here to fill a 24/7 cycle, with emergency information being the exception. Thankfully that is only 24/7 when there is an actual emergency.

The media landscape is wild and wooly, and the world of public media is in the process of reinventing itself. I’ll keep ya posted!

Amanda Eichstaedt
KWMR Station Manager,  Executive Director & Development 

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