December 2008
From the Desk of Brian Sickora...
In a continued effort to provide our community with more locally produced programs, I am pleased to introduce WSKG's newest radio production, Community Conversation. Community Conversation is a live “town hall” type discussion exploring topics of interest and importance in our local communities. Listeners can participate in the conversation by calling in or e-mailing their questions and comments during the live broadcast, and can continue the discussion after the program on our new online forum, Community Connections.
Community Conversation premiered in September on WSKG Public Radio. Producers Bill Jaker, Crystal Sarakas and Kathleen Cook have moderated discussions on government consolidation, the importance of local food and agriculture, and ways to save money and reduce waste in the kitchen.
In November, Crystal Sarakas moderated the first in a series of discussions on the many questions around the proposed natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. The natural gas drilling issue is a complicated one, and WSKG will continue to explore this issue in future programs. On January 13, Crystal and a panel of local landowners and industry representatives will discuss leasing rights and what you need to know if approached to sign a lease for drilling on your property.
On January 27, Bill Jaker will host a discussion on the current economic downturn and what can be done in our own communities to return to prosperity. A panel of business and economic experts from New York’s Southern Tier analyze the causes and effects of the recession, while listeners are invited to phone in questions and suggestions for new enterprises that would fill unmet needs.
The Community Conversation program is an important first step in using the power of locally owned public service media to address local issues. This show provides a safe place to have those often difficult conversations needed to move communities forward.
While it would have been easier to start the new program with "lighter" topics, I am very proud of our staff for courageously diving into important, complicated and somewhat controversial issues like government consolidation and drilling in the Marcellus Shale. The response from the community has been very positive and we hope to increase the number of Community Conversation programs in the future.
Community Conversation airs bi-weekly on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. I encourage you to tune in and take part in these discussions. Visit our website at wskg.org/communityconversation to listen to past programs, join in the online forum or suggest a topic of interest that you’d like learn more about.
