Education

Commentaries

WKMS welcomes community members to self-voice self-authored compositions that express opinion, introspection or humor on topics of interest and importance to our audience. If you have an opinion, interest or review you'd like to share with WKMS listeners, please see the guidelines below. The views expressed in commentaries are the opinion of the commentator and don't necessarily reflect the views of WKMS.The station will review every script before it is recorded with respect to:Libel or slander.Content that is more promotional than provocative.Accuracy.Personal attacks and ad hominem attacks.Political or religious content that promotes rather than informs.Appropriate usage, language and form for civil discourse.The station will assist authors with:Making appropriate edits.Bringing the communication to proper time length, generally about 600 words or 3 to 4 minutes of spoken word.Recording the communication in the WKMS studio (unless other arrangements that yield equally acceptable audio are agreed to).Editing the communication and placing it in the WKMS schedule.WKMS will require authors to provide the station a final script that will be filed in the news department and will be placed on the station's web site.WKMS will need authors to provide a suggested introduction for each communication as well as a standard announcer outro script that includes author name, general place of residence, and whatever other personal information might lend authority or authenticity to the communication.WKMS will schedule produced communications and inform the author of time(s). Generally these are aired three times each, but the rotation is solely at the discretion of the station.WKMS will refuse to air communications that violate rules of the Federal Communications Commission for non-commercial, educational stations. Further, WKMS will refuse to air communications that would, for any reason, undermine its goodwill with the audience it serves.If you find these terms agreeable, please email msu.wkmsnews@murraystate.edu to schedule a time in a studio to record.

"I was a poop head before supporting WKMS"

WKMS | By Matt Markgraf

Published May 13, 2009 at 4:19 PM CDT

By Patience Renzulli

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-837242.mp3

Murray, KY – I had to drive myself to Toledo, Ohio last week.

I got an early start, for me, and was cruising down I-24 listening to Morning Edition. Enjoying the familiar voices of Steve and Renee, Todd and Kate. And then. There I was on the exciting Western Kentucky Parkway and Oh, ugh. The further I went, the more WKMS got staticky but I refused to give up. Got to the point where I could only hear about every tenth word, but I would NOT TOUCH THAT DIAL and then it was just gone.

Bother.

I fiddled around with the radio's seek' button. Blah, Blah, Blah. Ads, ads, ads. Buy cars at some auto superstOre! Eat lunch at greasy joe's. Linda Ronstadt came on and wailed that she'd been cheated, been mistreated, and oh how I related. I wanted my WKMS.

I have a dirty little secret to share with you if you promise not to tell anyone. There was a time when I didn't belong to any NPR station. I listened, yes I did, but I didn't belong. I was a poop head. That was before we moved to western Kentucky. We lived back east then, which probably explains it.

When we moved here, I worried if I would be able to find a decent NPR station. There it was: WKMS! I was relieved, then delighted, impressed, and finally, in love. I could still hear my favorites: All things considered, Weekend Edition, Talk of the Nation, Prairie Home Companion, The World, Performance Today, Marketplace and Radio Reader. And even more! The Eisenhower Hour! Music from the Front Porch! The Jazzman show. Now there's the Front Page, which I love, and This American Life.

During that first fundraising drive I called in my pledge. Heck my husband called in another pledge and I even called one in from the dogs. This radio station is fantastic! Now that I'm a member of WKMS, I smile back at myself when I look in the mirror. I hold my head up high when I am in public. I have a little bounce in my step.

This is a tough year. But if you own a business, I can tell you from personal experience that underwriting WKMS is just plain SMART. It works. And if you are a listener who hasn't joined, you will have a much higher opinion of yourself if you do, I promise! I know. I used to be a poop head, and now I'm a member. It's much better to be a member, and it's so easy.

I love knowing that WKMS can count on me. I count on them to keep me informed, amused, and entertained. Heck they even babysit my dogs while I'm out. I've got some seriously smart dogs. How easy is it to call or pledge online? Ooh! Just try it and see! You'll feel maahhhvellous!