Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 15:46:18 -0400 From: David B. O'Donnell Subject: THIS WAY OUT - Probably the queer world's (unintentionally) best-kept media secret [ Send all responses to ehunter@one.net only. Any responses to the list or list-owners will be returned to you. ] THIS WAY OUT - Probably the queer world's (unintentionally) best-kept media secret by Eric W. Hunter "You've lived the life now read the book! Talking with the authors of the Unofficial Gay MANual." "Surfing the Internet with Digital Queers Co-Chair Tome Reilly" "Federal judge allows Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade to be held this year as an "anti-gay protest", excluding Irish queers" Do these sound like interesting topics to you ? Wondering where you might be able to find stories like these ? Try listening to your local public radio station each week for the current edition of THIS WAY OUT, the award winning, weekly gay and lesbian radio program. Presented in a radio magazine format, THIS WAY OUT, includes NewsWrap, a summary of some of the major news events in or affecting the lesbian/gay community, as well as feature stories, interviews with authors and performers, AIDS updates, humor, poetry, media criticism, historical reviews, readings from gay/lesbian literature. The show is punctuated with a variety of music which rarely receives commercial radio airplay. Fast pace, content, and its production style make THIS WAY OUT a source of information and perspective available from no other widely distributed radio source. THIS WAY OUT has its roots in a similar program called 'imru' which started running on station KPFK in Los Angeles in August 1974. Run by executive producer Greg Gordon and a volunteer staff, 'imru' was on the air from August 1974 through mid-1984. Despite valiant efforts on the staff's part there were always problems with coordinating the schedules of the volunteer staff, already over extended contributors , and personal burn-out. Greg had thoughts of taking 'imru' national but decided against it. "I had wanted to take 'imru' national, but there didn't seem to be much additional energy among the 'imru' people at the time to do that," said Gordon. In mid-1984 Greg left the show. In early 1986 Greg stumbled across a "grant writing" class at a local college where he learned the basics of fundraising and grant writing. In the summer of that year Greg attended two important conferences : Expo 86 sponsored by the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, a public radio station organization, and the World Community Radio Broadcasters conference. He informally surveyed station representatives as to their interest in a nationally distributed, weekly, queer radio program. The responses were positive. Greg and Lucia Chapelle, Greg's co-producer on THIS WAY OUT, co-produced coverage of the 1987 March On Washington for Pacific Radio. Between the volunteers he was able to recruit at the conferences he attended and the other broadcasters who covered the 1987 March on Washington, Greg put together a pool of volunteers willing to provide programming for his new show. In March 1988 a promotional postcard went out to the 300 plus public radio stations in the U.S. announcing the debut of 'insideOUT', the original name of THIS WAY OUT. On April Fools Day 1988 'insideOUT' fed its first program. Surprisingly enough this is the extent of the marketing and promotion for THIS WAY OUT. After the initial feed of the program confirmation cards started coming in. The cards indicated that about 26 stations, mostly in the U.S. and a few in Canada, carried the program. U.S. stations slowly continued to pick up the THIS WAY OUT. The program made its way 'down under' in a round about way. A Melbourne, Australia station read about THIS WAY OUT in a Vancouver based gay/lesbian newspaper that somehow reached Australia. The station contacted the producers and picked up "Newswrap" in July 1988. While the mainstream media has managed to overlook THIS WAY OUT, the program has attracted a loyal and varied audience. THIS WAY OUT is blazing a trail in the gay community by utilizing the medium of radio to spread its message. By reporting news and feature stories from a gay and lesbian perspective, THIS WAY OUT provides a very important resource. People all over the world listen to this program and grow to understand what it means to be openly-gay or openly-lesbian and to lead life in a positive manner. Through the power of radio to reach areas that do not receive current publications,or television programs THIS WAY OUT is reaching a particulary important segment of the gay community, gay youth. In many cases THIS WAY OUT is the only source of information, positive or otherwise, about gay life for these young people. Greg shared some listener mail with me. Two letters stand out in my mind. The first was from a gay sixteen year old boy who wrote about the teasing and physical abuse he suffered at school. The young man writes ," I listen to your radio show. I loved it. Now I know about news that may affect me.....It's like finding an oasis in the middle of the desert. The desert being a tiny midwest town called Mexico. The only thing for gays here is the highway to leave this hell hole and THIS WAY OUT." The second letter is from a gay fifteen year old who writes, " ....After learning about myself I began becoming proud. And was outraged with the way some people treated us. ....I listen to your program every Sunday with my earphones so nobody will hear me listening. The reason I am writing is, well, I am still in the closet....I am at the point now where I feel it is time for me to come out. And if I could just know that there is somebody out there who cares and understands it could ease the pain of feeling so isolated." THIS WAY OUT is produced each week by a staff of four volunteers: Greg Gordon, Coordinating Producer/Program Co-Host, Luci Chappelle, Associate Producer/ Program Co-Host, Cindy Friedman, News Director/NewWRAP Co-Anchor, Brian Nunes, Associate News Director/NewsWrap Co-Anchor. Greg Gordon, the driving force behind THIS WAY OUT, holds a Bachelor's Degree in Radio-Television Production and has spent the majority of his professional life in commercial operations at various commercial radio and television stations in Los Angeles. Lucia Chappelle began volunteering at KPFK in November 1973, served in the clergy of the Universal Fellowship of metropolitan Community Churches for ten years, and from July 1987 though January 1995 was the Program Director at KPFK. Cindy Freidman provided volunteer program production for 'imru', and has worked extensively for a variety of women's and feminist causes. Brian Nunes joined THIS WAY OUT as a core staff member in 1991. THIS WAY OUT has been honored with multiple awards from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (P-FLAG), and the Gay and Lesbian Press Association. Initial funding for THIS WAY OUT came from The Chicago Resource Center. RESIST and National Community Funds provided additional start-up funding. Basic operating expenses for this all volunteer program have since been funded by a wide range of organizations including Christopher Street West, The David Geffen Foundation, and the Imperial Movie Capitol Court of Hollywood. The Gill Foundation, with the help of Digital Queers, donated computer equipment to THIS WAY OUT. Side Bar If you would like a list of the public radio stations currently carrying THIS WAY OUT contact producer Greg Gordon. Can't find a station that carries THIS WAY OUT but you still want to catch this great show ? THIS WAY OUT offers audio cassettes of the programs. A subscription to this monthly service is only $10 a month. There is a three month minimum subscription. To order tapes, request a subscription list, or send listener mail contact THIS WAY OUT at Post Office Box 38327, Los Angeles, CA 90038-0327. You can also contact THIS WAY OUT via the Internet at TWO Radio@aol.com c 1995 Eric W. Hunter. No portion of this article may be used without permission of the author. Send all inquiries to ehunter@one.net.