FREE SPEECH ZONE | Twin Cities Community Radio WORLD RADIO DAY! Wednesday, February 13th 2013

I first had the opportunity to learn about Twin Cities Community Radio when I began working at Waite House this last October. This initiative has been going on for over a year, and it is in response to the FCC announcing that communities across the country would be able to apply for a low frequency radio signal with which to hold a radio station. Interested community partners have been meeting ever since.

I attended my first meeting, where SPNN staff member Emily Krumberger taught meeting attendees how to create a podcast, conduct interviews, and edit these stories. As the months went on, the FCC released the date that they would be accepting applications, which will be this upcoming October. Now that this deadline has been set, the coalition has been gaining momentum with creating their mission statement, publishing podcasts, holding community meetings, and recruiting interested parties who want to have their own show or those who want to be a part of creating something that could last for years to come.

I am excited about TCCR because if licenses are given to Minneapolis and St. Paul communities, this will exponentially increase access to the media for community members. It will be a community run space that gives us the opportunity to share the stories, culture, and music that these neighborhoods think should be shared. Community members have already been able to use this as a platform to discuss hot button twin cities issues, and with World Radio Day today, you will be able to hear them yourself!

TCCR will be releasing 4 short podcasts that explore the following topics:

• “Licencias de Manejo para Todos (Driver’s Licenses for All)” – Information about a new initiative driven by activist Jovita Morales of Waite House, produced by young activist Lourdes de la Luz (in Spanish and English)
• “Young, wild and free? Society’s Expectations of Teens” – Personal experiences with peer and parental pressure, produced by youth of the St. Paul based Teen Tech Crew and Emily Krumberger of SPNN (St. Paul Neighborhood Network)
• “The Three-Month Parade” – An interview with a long-time Frogtown resident and organizer Sally Sheppheard, produced by Mark Saldaña, an intern with the Frogtown Neighborhood Association
• “Galeão” — In celebration of Carnival, Brendan Kelly put together some of his favorite records from Brazil and created an energetic mix ‘to get you dancing and warm your winter bones’

Please join us in supporting these podcasts for World Radio Day by visiting us at  http://www.tccommunityradio.org/

We are also looking for more involvement from you! Please contact us if you are interested in working for a radio station that supports your community at coee@puc-mn.org or Sam@frogtownmn.org and visit Twin Cities Community Radio on Facebook. Enjoy the show!

Erika Coe, Community Engagement Liaison at the Waite House Neighborhood Center.