13 November

On The Radio Wednesday: Give Us A Call!

by Jon Katz

Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 14, marks the fifth broadcast of my new radio show, “Talking To Animals,” airing on WBTNAM1370, a feisty little Community Radio station out of Bennington, Vt.

It’s not entirely clear how the show is doing, there is no research or marketing stats for us to look at, blessedly. My sense is it’s going very well in many different parts of the country.

In media, when you don’t know how you are doing, that means you are free to do what you want.

And Thomas Toscano, the  Station Director, and I, are having fun at least. I t think we are helping his non-profit station, and I am getting a good cause and and fulfillment of a good dream.

Neither one of us is rich or ever will be, and I am not getting paid for my show.

The reward is two hours of air time that is easily live-streamed all over the country, and the chance to have a thoughtful, civil discussion about pets and other animals with people who care about them.

This broadcast isn’t just about my voice, it’s about your voice as well. We sincerely want to hear from you. (Shy people, jump in, we are nice…)

There are lots of ways to interact with this program, something of an experiment in using new technologies to communicate. You call call of course, the number is 866 406-9286, if you live outside of the listening area, and 802 442-1010 if you live inside of the listening area.

You can stream the broadcast, as I mentioned.

You can e-mail me your animal and pet questions before, after and during the show: [email protected], and I will read them and answer them as soon as I can. You can do this at anytime, including during the broadcast.

You can also go to the Apple App store and download a free radio app – I use Simple Radio – to hear the station loud and clear from anywhere. In addition, there is a podcast option, you can go here for that, each program is available soon after the broadcast.

Beyond all that, you can support the station if you like – they need almost everything – either by donating directly via Paypal, or by contributing to the WBTN Amazon Wish List. You can also send a donation to WBTNAM, 407 Harwood Hill, Bennington, Vt. 05201.

If you want to sponsor all or part of the show, you can do that too, by calling 802 442-6321. It’s amazingly inexpensive. This is the media voice of the people, not corporate broadcasting.

The calls are exciting.

On the first broadcast there  were two, both from neighbors of the station.

On the second show, there were no calls at all, the phone system (built between the Vietnam and Korean Wars  might not always work, but plenty of people have made it through.

Thanks for your questions. I am happy to read your questions and discuss them over the air but the show works best by far when I get to talk to you and listen to your stories and concerns.

I believe this broadcast is important, not only for community radio, but for all of us animal lovers. I know of know regional or national radio broadcast that deals with questions about pets and animals in a respectful and meaningful way. We are not here to laugh at you or fight with you or patronize you.

We treat one another well and with respect. No small thing these days.

So if you can, give us a call: 866 406-9286, or if you are nearby, 802 442 1010. And please e-mail me your questions if you can’t call or don’t wish to: [email protected].

At the least, I hope you will get to listen and enjoy the program. We are making some little bit of history here, if we can pull this off, it would be a good signal to send out into the world

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