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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

Telling Public Radio's Story

2023 Local Content Services Report for CPB

1. Describe your overall goals and approach to address identified community issues, needs, and interests through your station’s vital local services, such as multiplatform long and short-form content, digital and in-person engagement, education services, community information, partnership support, and other activities and audiences you reached or new audiences you engaged.

WHQR’s Board of Directors adopted the 2021 Strategic Plan which remains operational. The Plan addresses three key areas: resilience, content, and community. In the Plan, the Board of Directors state, “expand the diversity of on-air voices and perspectives” and “expand and focus the listening area to reach new and underserved audiences.” The Strategic Plan states the desire to “continue increasing diversity of board, staff and listeners” and “ensure an environment of inclusion and belonging for people with a wide array of backgrounds.” As our vision suggests, WHQR is committed to helping create a more cohesive and connected community. We will work to widen our focus and embrace a broader range of community concerns and interests. WHQR is the primary news source on environmental issues with its continuous coverage of DuPont/Chemours GenX and the Cape Fear River.

2. Describe key initiatives and the variety of partners with whom you collaborated, including other public media outlets, community nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, the business community, teachers and parents, etc. This will illustrate the many ways you’re connected across the community and engaged with other important organizations in the area.

WHQR provides support on-air to nearly 100 community service and outreach organizations through the year. WHQR supports many local non-profits and public service groups through various means including media sponsorships. WHQR also supports them through our Community Calendar which is a special section of our website in which non-profits and other organizations can submit their events. Another means is through our locally produced, 5-minute arts interview segment, “Around Town with Rhonda Bellamy.” The News Director has created a bi-weekly local news review program called The NewsRoom. He has also partnered with one of the area’s local television newsrooms to produce a biweekly podcast about local politics called Port City Politics. A “behind the scenes” look at WHQR’s news coverage is the subject of a new podcast Cape Fear Rundown. WHQR also produces a one hour a week news and interview program called Coastline. Issues explored on Coastline include environmental issues, local history and race relations, and local artist profiles. The news department collaborated with many other public media outlets, nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, business community leaders and teachers. Examples of just some of the shows during the fiscal year were:

Discussions with a local author on the race issues around the Civil War and Civil Rights eras, the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha and their commitment to local service, women filmmakers, contaminated fish in the Cape Fear river, the legacy of the 1898 coup, the film industry in Wilmington, the intergenerational trauma of slavery, being transgender in North Carolina and others. There were many roundtable discussions with other media outlets, editors of a local business journal, editors of another daily news outlet, and university professors. The news team also regularly attends School Board, City Council, and County Commissioner meetings.

3. What impact did your key initiatives and partnerships have in your community?  Describe any known measurable impact, such as increased awareness, learning or understanding about particular issues.  Describe indicators of success, such as connecting people to needed resources or strengthening conversational ties across diverse neighborhoods.  Did a partner see an increase in requests for related resources?  Please include direct feedback from a partner(s) or from a person(s) served.

This past year, WHQR expanded our news coverage and offerings in response to the shrinking of the local newspaper. Viewer comments have been very positive in response: “WHQR does thorough research in a way that inspires me as a student journalist. Investigative reporting is so important.” “Thank you for all that you do for the community and for the excellent news reporting.” “The local newsroom is doing excellent work!” “I love Rachel Keith's in depth reporting on local stories.” “Love all the news programs especially in-depth local reporting.” “Thanks to Rachel Keith for her reporting on Board of Education!” “I like hearing my news without opinions, just the facts please! Thank you for accepting and applying that responsibility.” “Thanks to WHQR for the Cultural Calendar, Cinamatique, and for the support of the Forward Motion Dance Company.” “From all of us at Cameron Art Museum, we love you WHQR and thank you for all your beautiful, critically important work!”

4. Please describe any efforts (e.g. programming, production, engagement activities) you have made to investigate and/or meet the needs of minority and other diverse audiences (including, but not limited to, new immigrants, people for whom English is a second language and illiterate adults) during Fiscal Year 2021, and any plans you have made to meet the needs of these audiences during Fiscal Year 2022.  If you regularly broadcast in a language other than English, please note the language broadcast.

The Board of Directors and the Community Advisory Board are both actively recruiting new members with the goal of having each board be a true representation of WHQR’s diverse populations. This is an ongoing initiative of the Board of Directors. Our local one hour a week show, Coastline, regularly covers racial and minority issues, and especially the continuing and reverberating impact of the 1898 coup when white supremacists overthrew Wilmington’s government and killed and chased Wilmington’s Black citizens from the city, never to return. 2023 marks the 125th anniversary of the coup, and we will continue to educate listeners on this little-known history and its long term effects. The news department picks the topics for the show often using suggestions from listeners. Those efforts will be ongoing into 2023 and could include content sharing, mentoring, and staffing help. WHQR conducted a lengthy investigation into the local Housing Authority mold issue, which led to low income residents being evicted from their apartments. One Housing Authority official said off the record, “WHQR’s investigation made for some very uncomfortable times at the Housing Authority, but it led to some much needed improvements.”

5. Please assess the impact that your CPB funding had on your ability to serve your community.  What were you able to do with your grant that you wouldn’t be able to do if you didn’t receive it.

CPB funding is a vital financial resource for WHQR. CPB funds help pay for the quality and diverse programming our listeners have come to rely on. Moreover, CPB funding makes possible our ability to increase the size of our newsroom staff and it allows us the opportunity to invest in future technologies. The money from CPB enables WHQR to take on large scale projects like our year long Civil Discourse Project – Beneath the Surface. Also, it helps us offer our locally produced Kwanza program (“A Season’s Griot”) to national audiences. WHQR depends on the financial support provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help sustain, grow, and enrich the lives of our residents in a positive way. WHQR is a true cultural hub of the Cape Fear Region but none of that would be possible without the strong relationship and support WHQR receives from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.