WMNF

:"WMNF" may also refer to White Mountain National Forest."

Infobox Radio Station


name = WMNF-FM
airdate = 1979
frequency = 88.5
city = Tampa, Florida
area = Tampa, Florida
format = eclectic [http://www.wmnf.org/programs/grid (program guide)]
owner = Nathan B. Stubblefield Foundation
erp = 70,000 watts
branding = WMNF Listener-Sponsored Community Radio
webcast = [http://azulweb.streamguys.com/wmnf56.asx listen live]
website = [http://www.wmnf.org wmnf.org]

WMNF is a non-commercial, community radio station operating in the city of Tampa in the U.S. state of Florida that broadcasts at the FM frequency of 88.5 MHz and streaming live, also the past week of programming is available on the web. The station has been on the air since 1979, and has a broadcast power of 70,000 watts (a class C1 transmitter).

The radio station is listener sponsored, relying on some 11,200 (as of June 2007) supporters for a majority of required funding which is raised in two or three semiannual pledge drives. The station has paid operations staff, but the daily programmers and pledge drive workers are volunteers. The station is licensed to the Nathan B. Stubblefield Foundation, a non profit organization established solely for this purpose. The Board of Directors comprises programmers, volunteers, staff, and community members.

In 2005, WMNF moved into a state of the art new broadcast facility. The facility is locate adjacent to the old studio which was demolished and now serves as a parking lot. The new facility is over 12,000 square feet with 3 broadcast studios, 2 production studios and a live performance studio named in memory of Mike Eisnestadt, long time host of the Sunday Shimcha, a Jewish Music and Public Affair show that still airs on Sundays at noon. The music library is capable of storing approximately 100,000 CDs. The landscape is made up of native Florida plants.

In 2007, WMNF moved to a higher transmitter tower and started to broadcast in a High Definition signal. Plans are in the future to expand these HD broadcast to provide additional music, news, and public affair not heard on the normal broadcast channel.

WMNF hosts many concerts, speeches, films, and festivals, most notably the annual Tropical Heatwave festival.

Programs and personnel

WMNF has from the beginning aired a wide variety of programming, including special interest music shows including bluegrass, polka, gospel, Celtic, Latin and experimental. In 2007 the major music styles on WMNF are rock, folk and blues. WMNF progressive news and public affairs has steadily increased since the nineties and is now some of the most popular programming. While the schedule has constantly changed, the station has a number of long-running programs including the "Sixties Show" and community affairs programs such as "The Women's Show," a show touching on feminist issues that first started running in the 1980s, and "Out In The Open," a show dealing with gay and lesbian community issues that has aired since 1993. Many of the programs, including "Out In The Open," are available via podcast at the station's web site and most shows are archived there as well. While some of the on-air talent changes on a regular basis the station's personnel has remained fairly constant, including Programming Director Randy Wynne, News DirectorRob Lorei and Business Manager Mercedes Skelton. Other notable personnel and alumni of the station include Pat Chamburs, Dorothy Abbott (co-creator of "The Women's Show"), John Chambrone, Bob Pomeroy, and Mary Glenney.

Controversies

While providing extensive public affairs programming to the greater Tampa Bay area, and perhaps because of it, WMNF has at times become the focus of controversy.

In 1997, Florida state Senator John Grant zeroed out $104,000 in state funding from the annual budget, citing his displeasure at the lyrics of a song he had heard broadcast (Iris DeMent's "Wasteland of the Free"). In response to the shortfall, the station staged an emergency fund-raiser that took in $122,000 in a day and a half.

In the wake of the 2000 presidential election, some accused the station of having contributed to Al Gore's defeat through its extensive coverage of Ralph Nader's presidential campaign.

External links

* [http://www.wmnf.org/ Official website]
*FMQ|WMNF
*FML|WMNF