37-473: WPRR may refer to: WPRR (AM) , a radio station (1680 AM) licensed to serve Ada, Michigan, United States WPRR-FM , a radio station (90.1 FM) licensed to serve Clyde Township, Michigan WNTJ , a radio station (1490 AM) licensed to serve Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States, which held the call sign WPRR from 2005 to 2008 WALY (FM) , a radio station (100.1 FM) licensed to serve Altoona, Pennsylvania, which held
74-550: A daily Spanish Language newscast, and From the Vault , a weekly program drawn from Pacifica's extensive audio archives. Pacifica also produced Informed Dissent , a ten-week series for the 2006 mid-term elections that drew from talent across the network. Guma left his post in September 2007 . Pacifica's National Board unanimously chose former KPFA general manager Nicole Sawaya as the next executive director. Sawaya had been among
111-458: A listener complaint, Pacifica received a letter of reprimand from the FCC , censuring them for allegedly violating broadcast regulations which prohibited airing indecent material. The foundation took the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court in FCC v. Pacifica Foundation and lost in a 5–4 decision. This became a landmark moment in the history of free speech , and the case continues to define the power of
148-558: A toll. In 2005, Coughlin resigned , the network was still largely disorganized , and Pacifica reverted to operating with an interim executive director for most of the year. In January 2006, Pacifica hired Greg Guma as the next executive director of the Pacifica Foundation. By the end of the year, the Foundation had fully recovered its financial health and had launched two new national programs: Informativo Pacifica ,
185-529: A weekly program that thematically repackages archival material, making it relevant to contemporary listeners; and Informativo Pacifica , based at KPFK in Los Angeles, a daily Spanish-language newscast that includes reporters from the U.S. and many Latin American countries. Local Pacifica stations produce many programs that are available to network stations and affiliates. These include: Sprouts ,
222-468: A weekly showcase of producers and stations around the network, often in documentary format; Explorations in Science with Dr. Michio Kaku , a weekly radio program on science, politics, and the environment; Dennis Bernstein's Flashpoints , a daily drive-time public affairs program; Against The Grain a progressive and radical commentary program; and many other regular programs. Pacifica also produces
259-687: A wide variety of special broadcasts, including live coverage of major U.S. Congressional hearings, national mobilizations against war, and other important events, such as the United States Social Forum . Special programs also include news documentaries, holidays and commemorations, and archival audio from the Pacifica Radio Archives. Pacifica distributes program content via the Audioport system. The Pacifica Radio Archives, housed at station KPFK in Los Angeles,
296-1072: Is a compilation of news, interviews, and documentaries. Democracy Now! is heard and seen on more than 700 radio and TV stations across the U.S. including public-access television stations and satellite television channels Free Speech TV and Link TV . WDEV , based in Waterbury, Vermont , is the only commercial radio station in the U.S. that carries the program —even though it is also heard in north-central Vermont over Pacifica affiliate WGDR in Plainfield and its sister station, WGDH in Hardwick. In 2002, as Pacifica implemented its new listener-sponsor-accountability structure and as Pacifica and Democracy Now! settled outstanding disputes from previous years, Democracy Now! spun off with substantial funding from Pacifica to become an independent production. The Pacifica network, in addition to extensive community-based productions at its various stations around
333-585: Is an American nonprofit organization that owns five independently operated, non-commercial , listener-supported radio stations known for their progressive /liberal political orientation. Its national headquarters adjoins station KPFK in North Hollywood , California. Pacifica Foundation also operates the Pacifica Network , a program service supplying over 200 affiliated stations with various programs, primarily news and public affairs. It
370-936: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages WPRR (AM) WPRR (1680 AM ) is an urban adult contemporary radio station serving the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. The station is currently owned by Goodrich Radio. WPRR originated as the expanded band "twin" of an existing station on the standard AM band. On March 17, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that eighty-eight stations had been given permission to move to newly available " Expanded Band " transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz, with WMHG in Muskegon, Michigan authorized to move from 1600 kHz to 1680 kHz. A construction permit for
407-677: Is the oldest public radio archive in the United States documenting more than five decades of grassroots political, cultural, and performing arts history. The archive includes recordings of interviews with John Coltrane , James Baldwin , Lorraine Hansberry , and Langston Hughes , among many others. The Pacifica Radio Archives were featured in their own 30-minute slot on BBC Radio 5 Live 's (now defunct) Up All Night program. The Pacifica-owned stations are listed below in alphabetical order by state and community of license . Note: All stations except for WBAI were built and signed-on by
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#1732802029551444-729: The Empire State Building since 1966. The 9% annual rental increases were facilitated by the destruction of the twin towers on September 11, 2001, which dramatically reduced space available for comparable antennas. The ruling encumbered all of Pacifica's assets including KPFA and KPFB in Berkeley, KPFK in Los Angeles, WPFW in Washington, DC, and KPFT in Houston in addition to WBAI in New York City but does not affect
481-451: The 2016 board year with the exclusion of 75% of WBAI's board representation, it then moved to decertify Pacifica's 2016 board elections, which had been won handily by the independent faction not in power. The new 2017 board of directors replaced interim executive director Lydia Brazon with KPFT director Bill Crosier and reinstated WBAI's delegation. On Friday, October 6, 2017, Pacifica lost a $ 1.8 million settlement over what they claimed
518-761: The Horizon Christian Fellowship in February 2010. On November 19, 2012, WPRR purchased WXPZ from Larlen Communications. On July 5, 2014, WXPZ's call sign was changed to WPRR-FM. In 2016, WPRR purchased W273DD at 102.5 MHz and moved it to Alpine Township. This repeater went on air in early 2017. Programs previously aired on the station included Democracy Now! , The Thom Hartmann Program , The David Pakman Show , The Union Edge , Loud and Clear with Brian Becker , The Bradcast with Brad Friedman and other local shows. [REDACTED] Pacifica Radio Pacifica Foundation
555-548: The Radio Disney format, and began broadcasting a continuous-loop announcement that it would change to a "Public Reality Radio" format in September. This announcement also stated that the call sign would change to WPRR on August 18 (the new calls actually took effect two days later). According to station owner Bob Goodrich, Public Reality Radio was a non-profit, educational endeavor, featuring "a variety of podcasts and programming". On September 22, 2008, "Public Reality Radio"
592-399: The U.S. and in scores of countries around the world. In September 2013, the board of directors of FSRN issued a lay-off notice to all staff, and confirmed that their last broadcast would take place on September 27, 2013. The board cited financial difficulties as the reason for the decision. In 2006, Pacifica added two new national programs: From the Vault from the Pacifica Radio Archives,
629-467: The United States, also featured a daily newscast Free Speech Radio News from 2003-2013. FSRN was a radio program founded by Pacifica Reporters Against Censorship, a group of mostly Pacifica Network News reporters who went on strike against the Pacifica board policies of the late 1990s. FSRN was primarily funded by Pacifica, and includes headlines and news features produced by reporters based around
666-511: The assets of any of its affiliates. On April 6, 2018, The Pacifica Foundation announced the settlement on a series of agreements that release WBAI, the organization's New York radio station, from a court judgment as well as the last two years of its lease at the Empire State Building as of May 31, 2018. The Foundation later completed an agreement to relocate its transmission facility to a new site nearby. On October 8, 2019, it
703-535: The call sign WPRR from 1980 to 2005 [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about radio and/or television stations with the same/similar call signs or branding. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WPRR&oldid=1146939936 " Category : Broadcast call sign disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
740-418: The expanded band station was assigned the call sign WBHD on September 4, 1998. The FCC's initial policy was that both the original station and its expanded band counterpart could operate simultaneously for up to five years, after which owners would have to turn in one of the two licenses, depending on whether they preferred the new assignment or elected to remain on the original frequency. However, this deadline
777-400: The five Pacifica stations. These local boards in turn elect the national board of directors. Aside from some minor changes, the same 2003 bylaws remain in effect today. Pacifica National News director Dan Coughlin (director) was voted Interim Executive Director of the network in 2002 (the "Interim" was later dropped). The years of internal legal battles and financial mismanagement had taken
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#1732802029551814-505: The foundation alleging that he was dismissed because he is African American and a whistleblower . On August 9, 2013, Pacifica interim executive director Summer Reese announced that due to financial problems, Pacifica-owned radio station WBAI-FM in New York was laying off about two-thirds of its staff, effective August 12, 2013. The entire news department was reportedly included in the layoff. After Pacifica's board of directors completed
851-551: The government over broadcast material it calls indecent. In two years during a three-year cycle, subscribers and station staff at each station vote to elect the Local Station Board, as required by the Pacifica Foundation bylaws. The local station boards have support and advisory duties for their station. They also elect members from their body to serve on the Pacifica Foundation's national board of directors. The full local station board meets monthly, and committees of
888-481: The local station board meet on both regular and ad hoc bases. For most of its history, Pacifica gave each of its stations independent control of programming. During the 1990s, a major controversy arose over rumors that the Pacifica National Board and national staff were attempting to centralize control of content, to increase audience. The rumors included accusations that the board proposed changing
925-657: The network's funding model away from a reliance exclusively on listener donations and toward a mix of listener donations and corporate foundation funding similar to that of NPR . There were also accusations that the Board was considering selling both KPFA and WBAI in New York City, which operate on commercial-band FM frequencies (94.1 and 99.5, respectively) worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This led to years of conflict, including court cases, public demonstrations, firings and strikes of station staff, whose common plight inspired creation of Radio4all.net to preserve what they saw as
962-458: The organization into a financial crisis. Sawaya's departure was followed by major staff layoffs. In 2009, Pacifica Board chair Grace Aaron became interim executive director, former board member LaVarn Williams replaced Lonnie Hicks as chief financial officer, and the national office took control of WBAI in New York. Aaron appointed Williams acting GM of WBAI in May, and Hicks filed a lawsuit against
999-465: The original spirit of Pacifica. Many listeners of the individual stations, especially KPFA and WBAI, objected to what they saw as an attempt to tone down the overtly left-leaning political content on Pacifica stations. The controversy included highly publicized ideologically-charged disputes between grassroots listener organizations and Mary Frances Berry , a former chairperson of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights , who chaired Pacifica's national board at
1036-591: The staff members fired by the national board in 1999 amidst Pacifica's internal crisis. Sawaya began her tenure as executive director in mid-November 2007, but abruptly changed her mind two weeks later. Pacifica historian Matthew Lasar said she "found the level of internecine dysfunction at Pacifica overwhelming, and fled her job." The Pacifica National Board spent the next several months negotiating with her, and Sawaya resumed her job on March 5, 2008. She resigned effective September 30, citing "dysfunctional" governance and "shoddy and opaque" business practices that had plunged
1073-493: The time. The board eventually was embroiled in counter-lawsuits by board members and listener-sponsors and, after global settlement of the lawsuits in November 2001, an interim board was formed to craft new bylaws, which it did in two tumultuous years of national debates among thousands of listener-sponsors and activists, finally giving listener-sponsors the right and responsibility to elect new Local Station Boards at each of
1110-423: The time. By 2003, the station moved to 1140 AM, but that station eventually changed its format to Catholic-centered talk and preaching. On June 16, 2003, the call letters were changed to WDSS, with a switch to Radio Disney programming. The station was poorly maintained during the Radio Disney years as station IDs were often mixed up and no ID was heard at the top of the hour. On August 5, 2008, WDSS discontinued
1147-581: The war, Lewis, Hill and a small group of former conscientious objectors created the Pacifica Foundation in the town of Pacifica, California , in the San Francisco Bay Area . Their first station, KPFA in Berkeley, commenced broadcasting in 1949. By 1977, the network had added WBAI in New York City, KPFK in Los Angeles, WPFW in Washington, DC, and KPFT in Houston. In 1973, one of Pacifica's stations, WBAI, broadcast comedian George Carlin 's Filthy Words routine uncensored. Following
WPRR - Misplaced Pages Continue
1184-469: Was announced that WBAI's local operations were abruptly shut down. Their programming was superseded by Pacifica Across America: a compilation of work from sister stations and other sources; Democracy Now! continued to be broadcast. The 2019 WBAI shutdown was litigated in the fall of 2019. The New York State Supreme Court ruled in November 2019 that the WBAI shutdown by then-executive director John Vernile
1221-427: Was executed "ultra vires" (without the proper authority) and ordered the station re-opened. A show that for years has been considered the flagship of Pacifica Radio's national programming is Democracy Now! , an independent news organization that covers democracy, human rights and justice issues, and questions the motives of U.S. foreign and domestic policy. Hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan González , this program
1258-411: Was extended multiple times, and both stations remained authorized after the initial five year period. (WMHG was deleted on March 3, 2008, after it was determined that its license had been improperly transferred to a new owner). On October 15, 1998, this station changed its call sign to WJNZ, flipping to an Urban Contemporary format as "1680 Jamz," giving Grand Rapids its first 24-hour Urban station at
1295-533: Was launched, which included programming from the Pacifica Radio network. On July 23, 2020, WPRR dropped the "Public Reality Radio" format (which continued on WPRR-FM 90.1 FM in Allegan County's Clyde Township) and changed their format to urban adult contemporary, branded as "102.5 The Ride". In 2010, WPRR established a repeater, W237CZ at 95.3 MHz. Goodrich would acquire the repeater from
1332-449: Was price gouging by Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT), which had been raising antenna rental charges for WBAI at 9% per year for the last 12 years under a 15-year lease WBAI signed in 2005 that did not expire until 2020. The rent was set at more than half a million dollars annually, which Pacifica claimed was approximately 4 times the current market rent for Midtown Manhattan antenna rentals. Pacifica Radio's WBAI has housed its transmitter on
1369-403: Was the first public radio network in the United States and it is the world's oldest listener-funded radio network. Programs such as Democracy Now! and Free Speech Radio News have been some of its most popular productions. Pacifica was founded in 1946 by pacifists E. John Lewis and Lewis Hill . During World War II , both of them had filed for conscientious objector status. After
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