Dear Listeners,

I would first like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as Director of Operations at WKCR. Though I am usually responsible for the physical wellbeing of the station I am happy to have the opportunity to greet you listeners and keep you in the loop regarding our recent and upcoming programming.

Phil Schaap called our station the “home of technical difficulties” and that label is still unfortunately apt to this day. However, thanks to the support of our listeners and the expertise of the station’s engineer “Midnight Bob” we are doing our best to keep the original FM running. I was overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude and community after our summer fund drive this past month from July 16-19. I must have sat in the station for upwards of 13 hours over those 4 days, pitching on air and answering phones as our listener community rallied to help us meet operating costs.

Fundraising was only 4 days out of our packed July with broadcasts for Hariprasad Chaurasia, Louis Armstrong, Gustav Mahler, Manfred Eicher, and Albert Ayler all in the first few weeks. August will be a comparatively slower, but exciting month for me as a jazz programmer. It will include Part II of our Louis Armstrong broadcast, on August 4th, his actual and not self-declared birthday, and our iconic 3-day Bird-Prez broadcast August 27-29.

I can hardly believe that we are entering the last month of summer. I will miss the relaxation and freedom, but I am looking forward to an exciting fall, including a two month celebration of WKCR’s 85th anniversary featuring live-broadcast concerts all over the city!

Keep listening,
Hadassah