Vineyarders were not shy talking to WCAI (National Public Radio’s Cape and Islands station) reporters and staff last Thursday night, March 10, at their traditional Pub Night, held this time at Offshore Ale in Oak Bluffs. Nor were they shy about digging into a tasty selection of hors d’oeuvres provided by Offshore, which included their well-known oysters on the half shell and spicy barbecued chicken wings.
Those of us who hadn’t gone to a Pub Night before are now able to connect a face with the voice, such as Mindy Todd, host of The Point, which airs each weekday morning and evening; or Steve Junker, often heard interviewing locals for his morning news round-up; or senior reporter Sean Corcoran, who’s working on a five-part series on the health impacts of wind turbines in Falmouth. All in all there were 11 WCAI staff/reporters at the event, and no questions were off-limits.
John Voci, station director, gave a brief welcome to thank the attendees for their continued support of WCAI, and reminded them of the extreme pressure now on public broadcasting due to the bill before the Senate threatening to eliminate all federal funding. He urged people to contact local senators John Kerry and Scott Brown to express their views.
On a happier note, WCAI has secured a permanent home in Woods Hole, and with expected power increases, within the year the signal on the Island will improve. Good news for those of us who will no longer have to avoid those “dead” spots where no signal gets through.
