WERU Timeline – WERU Community Radio

DATE	EVENT TITLE
September 1979	Reg Bennet suggests creating a local non-profit radio station in Blue Hill
January 1980	Word Corporation formed to apply for a radio station license (date approximate)
June 1980	FCC requires additional engineering studies to demonstrate no interference with Channel 6 in Portland (date approximate)
December 1982	David Snyder hired to help shepherd broadcast license application
January 1984	Salt Pond Community Broadcasting incorporated – becomes licensee applicant of record
June 1984	While awaiting license decision, Salt Pond runs fund-raising and informational concerts featuring many local and nationally known musicians
June 1984	FCC finally accepts license application (date approximate)
June 1986	FCC grants constuction permit
February 1987	Salt Pond applies for a PTFP grant to purchase a transmitter and studio equipment (date approximate)
December 1987	Original construction permit expires Dec 25 – WERU hires Washington attorney to apply for a Construction Permit extension
January 1988	WERU receives permission to keep constructing: Jan 21
February 1988	First Volunteer Training Session: Feb 17
March 1988	Radio Systems installs studio equipment in Henhouse
March 1988	50 people committed as Volunteers
April 1988	WERU schedule appears as full page ad in Blue Hill Packet supported by 40 local businesses: April 28
April 1988	WERU Program Committee volunters listen to 24 audition tapes: April 21
April 1988	Transmitter and antenna helicoptered to top of Blue Hill
April 1988	Atlantic Systems puts up new tower on Blue Hill to bear the weight of WERU antenna
May 1988	WERU’s signal interference problems begin – last over six months: May 2
May 1988	WERU Sign-on Day May 1! Station begins broadcasts 12 hours a day, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. and 6 p.m.-Midnight
May 1988	WERU FCC lawyer Stephanie Sommer arrives 15 minutes before sign-on with license in hand, and with taped good wishes from Sens. Cohen and Mitchell: May 1
July 1988	Lighting stike damages transmitter during fundraising drive
August 1988	On air listener call-in capability becomes available
October 1988	WERU receives word of PTFP grant to build production studio with goal of all day broadcasting by spring 1989
October 1988	First Funathon ends with 589 members and over 40k raised
February 1989	Saturday and Sunday all day broadcasting begins
March 1989	Salt Air, WERU’s printed program guide, begins being mailed to members
April 1989	WERU issues calls for volunteers for new “Public Affairs Unit”
May 1989	WERU receives contributions from 1300 contributors in first year
May 1989	Second Funathon reaches goals of 20k and 400 calls
May 1989	Over 300 hours of local non-music programming broadcast in first year
May 1989	One year birthday party lets listeners program station in 15 minute blocks-40 listeners participate
July 1989	Public Affairs Hour begins 4-5 p.m.: station now on air from 6:30 a.m.-12 midnihgt, except 2-4 p.m.
September 1989	Station goes on air 18 hours a day every day
November 1989	WERU recieves its first programming grant: for “Northern Lights” from Maine Community Foundation
April 1990	WERU reaches 1900 members
April 1990	WERU conducts first listener survey with assistance of UMaine students: gets amazing 54% response rate!
July 1990	First Full Circle Summer Fair attracts 4000 people, 150 exhibitors generates $15k for the station
July 1990	Deb Suran wins WERU’s first national programming award from National Federation of Community Broadcasters for her promotional piece “Radio Trek”
February 1991	WERU receives “The Great Pioneer Award” from the Maine Lesbian/Gay Political Alliance on Feb. 2 for the stations’s “dedication to justice and equality for Maine’s lesbian and gay citizens.”
February 1991	After a vote of station volunteers to hire a General Manager to replace the station’s “troika” management structure, Jeff Kobrock hired as WERU’s first full time station manager
August 1991	Full Circle Summer Fair draws 6500 people and generates $28,000
December 1991	David Snyder leaves WERU and steps out for new adventures after almost 10 years of helping to birth and nurture WERU
April 1992	WERU featured in national Knight-Ridder news article as “one of most innovative stations in New England
July 1992	Jeff Hansen hired as first Program Director “from away”
July 1992	7500 People attend second Full Circle Summer Fair which generates $27k for the station
July 1993	Full Circle Fair features Peter, Paul, and Mary Concert and generates significant proceeds for WERU and Emmaus Center
October 1993	Initial workshop for Healthy Station Project
March 1994	As part of Healthy Station Process, WERU’s Mission is reviewed and approved as is. Operating Principles are developed
July 1994	Full Circle Summer Fair moves from Blue Hill Fairgrounds to Union Fairgrounds – 6000 attend
July 1994	At Full Circle Fair, Cathy Melio records over 100 “songs, poems, and jokes” by kids
August 1994	Matt Murphy becomes editor of Salt Air
September 1994	Jeff Hansen leaves as Program Director to go to KPFT, the Pacifica station in Houston
October 1994	Dave Pizscz becomes Interim Program Director
February 1995	BBC News Headlines begin broadcast on Morning Maine
March 1995	Dave Pizscz becomes Program Director after serving as Interim
June 1995	Voices, WERU’s local news program, begins
July 1995	Paul Anderson, founder of Bronzewound and host since WERU’s first week on the air steps aside as regular Bronzewound host
July 1995	Moring Maine begins experiment with having short local news reports by local newspaper reporters
July 1995	KMUD, Comunity Radio in Humboldt County CA, becomes WERU’s Sister Station
September 1995	Congress, under the “Contract with America” cuts funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting costing WERU 26% of its CPB funding, a huge financial hit
September 1995	After four years as WERU’s first General Manager, Jeff Kobrock leaves to become Bucksport’s Development Director
October 1995	Cathy Melio becomes General Manager
October 1995	Board forms study committee to look into getting a stronger signal into the Bangor area
October 1995	As space at the Henhouse becomes tight and as the Henhouse is put up for sale, the Board forms a committee to study a permanent home for WERU
May 1996	At WERU’s birthday party, listeners were once again invited to program the station for 15 minutes and many participated
June 1996	After six months of study and input meetings, the WERU Board decides to move to WERU’s current location in Orland
July 1996	WERU serves as co-host of the first Grassroots Radio Conference held at KGNU in Colorado
July 1996	Don McKillop, WERU’s first engineer who helped get the station on the air, departs
September 1996	WERU inaugurates a news hour from 5-6 p.m. on weekdays. “Democracy Now!” begins airing Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; locally produced program “Maine Focus” airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
September 1996	Capital Campaign, “Let’s Get Moving,” gets under way to help pay for and renovate WERU’s new Orland home
January 1997	On January 25, WERU holds its first party at the Orland location: Volunteer Appreciation Night
January 1997	On January 17, WERU begins broadcasting from the new Orland location. Chris Smither stops by and sings a few songs live from the new studios
February 1997	Move to the Orland location from the Henhouse complete
March 1997	First concert from the WERU “Community Room” in the basement of the Orland location: “Celebrating Celtic Women” for International Women’s Day
July 1997	“WERU’s First CD” becomes available with songs donated by musicians to benefit WERU
October 1997	WERU begins broadcasting 24/7!
October 1997	WERU Bangor Translator turns on at 102.9. Sign on party is October 12
November 1997	Radio Town Meetings begin from “Commuinty Room” in WERU’s new building
January 1998	Henhouse Remote Studio closes
May 1998	WERU Celebrates 10th Anniversary with the broadcast of 10 days of live events from the station
November 1998	Left Bank Cafe in Blue Hill, source of recordings for many Concert Grand programs, is put up for sale
January 1999	Salt Air gets new design
March 1999	Joel Mann becomes Program Director
March 1999	Dave Pizscz becomes station’s first full time News and Public Affairs Director to expand station’s locally produced information programming
August 1999	WERU co-hosts national Grass Roots Radio Conference at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor
August 1999	Emma Finn becomes News and Public Affairs Director
August 1999	Dave Picscz steps down as News and Public Affairs Director, continues as volunteer host of Talking Furniture
October 1999	Matt Murphy becomes General Manager
October 1999	Cathy Melio steps down as General Manager, continues at WERU as a volunteer
January 2000	Cellar Door live concerts continue to be broadcast from lower level “Community Room” at WERU
February 2000	“Crisis” at Pacifica affects programming available to WERU. “Pacifica Network News,” “Democracy Now” important programs for WERU listeners that originate from Pacifica
May 2000	WERU creates a part-time Production Director position.
January 2001	Salt Air program guide goes to quarterly schedule from bi-monthly
January 2001	Cherie Mason, long time volunteer focused on environmental issues, does final long form program on January 16
February 2001	WERU drops “Pacifica Network News” from schedule due to discord at Pacifica, seeks replacement news service
July 2001	Full Circle Fair fails to meet financial goals
July 2001	Don Furth, volunteer financial and database wizard, retires after 13 years, 40 Funathons, and 7 Full Circle Fairs
July 2001	Amy Goodman, host of “Democracy Now,” is Keynote speaker at Full Circle Fair Jul 8
August 2001	WERU broadcasts an Old Time Radio show live from the Stonington Opera House
September 2001	WERU begins to work on first strategic plan
September 2001	Question arises for first time of whether the Full Circle Fair should continue and, if so, in what form
March 2002	Outline of first Strategic Plan emerges
April 2002	Midnight Oil performs live in Orono as a benefit for WERU on Apr 25 and fills what is now the Collins Center
July 2002	Lightning strike hits aging transmitter – knocks station off air completely, then to reduced power
August 2003	WERU begins broadcasting live from the American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront (for the first three years, it was known as the National Folk Festival)
March 2004	WERU receives Watering Can Award from Maine Initiatives for exemplifying “the spirit of social change in Maine” (date approximate)
July 2004	WERU begins online streaming of its programming
July 2004	David Barsamian of Alternative Radio speaker at Full Circle Summer Fair
August 2004	WERU receives grant to expand its Youth Radio Project and “Teen Talk Show”
December 2004	WERU receives grant to produce “Common Health” radio programs from Sound Partners for Health
July 2005	In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, WERU does on air fundraising for “Pledge Day for the Maine Plan for Displaced Americans”
November 2005	WERU receives the “Rising Tide Award” from the Maine People’s Alliance
March 2006	WERU Strategic Plan Goals published for listener comment
June 2006	WERU begins podcasting and making online archives available (date approximate)
June 2006	Democracy Now headlines begin broadcasting at 8 a.m. on Morning Maine
July 2006	WERU begins “low key” capital campaign to raise funds to replace transmitter and studio to transmitter link
July 2007	Helen Thomas, dean of White House press corps, gives keynote talk at Full Circle Fair
May 2008	WERU celebrates 20 years on the air May 1 with an Open House
August 2008	WERU hosts “Stories of WERU’s Beginning:” anyone who wants comes to Blue Hill Library to share stories about WERU as part of the station’s 20th Anniversary celebration
September 2008	WERU Board reluctantly decides to suspend producing the Full Circle Summer Fair: income had been declining for several years and the 2008 fair actually lost money after so much work and time contributed by volunteers
October 2008	WERU receives FCC approval to change antenna pattern to reach a larger area to the north and west
January 2009	WERU’s 20+ year old transmitter fails again: station broadcasts at 600 watts instead of 12,000 for over three weeks while repairs are made
January 2010	WERU’s Bangor translator (102.9) goes off air per FCC rules due to interference with a full power station that changed frequencies
March 2010	WERU web site redesigned to provide greater access to WERU info and past programs
June 2010	After putting the Capital Campaign on hold because of the recession, WERU restarts a captial campaign to purchase a new transmitter entitled “Full Power to the People”
September 2010	Music Director Maggie Overton recognized as “Specialty Music Director of the Year” by CMJ, a prominent industry magazine
April 2011	New WERU Bangor translator goes on air at 99.9 FM
August 2011	WERU hosts and records the first “WERU Community Story Forum,” this one at the Blue Hill Library, where local folks are invited to come and share memories about their towns
September 2011	WERU co-sponsors first Maine Grassroots Media Conference at Unity College
July 2012	WERU finally replaces its original transmitter from 1988, and brings better sound and more reliability to the WERU signal
December 2012	On-air wedding of Howie Kittelson and Vera Jones broadcast live on WERU’s “Head Rush” program
April 2013	WERU kicks off year-long 25th Anniversary Celebration with Music Sale and Spring Fling at the Belfast Boat House on April 27
May 2013	WERU 25th Anniversary of going on air May 1

1	MACKLEMORE	“Hind’s Hall”
2	ANYA HINKLE	Oceania
3	AMY HELM	Silver City

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