GLOBAL A GO-GO: Ritmo realidad

WRIR's Spring 2024 Fund Drive is now underway -- we're hard at work toward raising $45,000 by Saturday April 27th to power Richmond's community radio station for another six months. Thank you for your previous donations to Richmond Independent Radio and for your continuing support if you're a monthly donor! I'm writing to encourage you to make a contribution once again this spring, if you can. Become a monthly donor by clicking this link: https://bit.ly/3QnrP5H. Or make a one-time donation to WRIR here: https://bit.ly/3FnagN1.

Up at the top of the screen is WRIR's snazzy new logo, identifying us as "your community radio station." What does that mean? Well, community radio is the alternative to the two main models out there: commercial radio and public radio. And what makes community radio different? Two things: service and participation.

Service is all about programming specifically for your community. When you listen to commercial or public radio, the very large majority of what you hear is exactly the same as what someone in California or Minnesota or Texas or Florida or Maine hears. Some of it's great, some of it's dreadful, but almost all of it is pretty much identical wherever you go.

When you listen to WRIR, you're hearing programming that's made and chosen with Richmond specifically in mind. Which explains why you get plenty of metal and punk but alt-country and old-timey music as well; coverage of local politics, nonprofits and the arts; hip hop before 11 PM; a talk show about professional wrestling; more African music than any other radio station in the USA; and Richmond musicians on nearly every music program. It sounds like Richmond -- it's made for Richmond.

And it's made by Richmond, too -- that's what participation is about. Your community radio station is staffed by more than 100 unpaid volunteers (and zero paid staff) who are your friends and neighbors. They are inspired and energetic amateurs who choose the songs, produce the news and talk shows, do all the behind-the-scenes work and give WRIR a distinctively central Virginia accent that can't be taught or faked.

You know what else is made in Richmond? WRIR's fundraising. (You knew I'd get to the fundraising part, right?) The federal government doesn't pay for this station's expenses, as low as they are. Neither do big corporate advertisers or billionaire philanthropists. We rely on you, our listeners, neighbors and friends, to make community radio in Richmond happen. And right now, during our Spring 2024 Fund Drive, is one of the two weeks during the year when we ask you to make it happen by making a donation.

On Global A Go-Go this week (Sunday April 21st from 1 to 3 PM), you'll have the opportunity to double your contribution to Richmond Independent Radio, because I will personally match the first $500 of donations during my show. It's going to be a two-hour cumbia dance party this week, with music from Colombia, Mexico, Peru and everywhere that this ubiquitous Latin rhythm is popular -- which is to say the whole world.

But there's no need to wait until Sunday. You can become a monthly supporter of WRIR right now by visiting https://bit.ly/3QnrP5H, or donate a one-time amount at https://bit.ly/3FnagN1. Or simply go to our website at wrir.org to make a donation and to find out more about the Spring 2024 Fund Drive and about the great community experiment called Richmond Independent Radio. Thank you so much for your support in the past, and I hope WRIR can count on you once again in Spring 2024. Long live your community radio station!

Podcast: radio4all.net/program/117731

All the podcasts: radio4all.net/series/Global%20A%20Go-Go

GLOBAL A GO-GO

WELCOME

April 19, 2024

Ritmo realidad

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