From her days running the newsroom at WJCT Public Media to her long tenure as a station board member to her new gig as president and CEO, Karen Feagins has demonstrated a decades-long commitment to public media. We sit down with her to discuss what that looks like in a rapidly evolving media landscape, as well how the station is managing funding challenges and its increased reliance on community support. We also discuss her favorite NPR programs and lifelong love of Broadway musicals.
Guest: Karen Feagins, president and CEO, WJCT Public Media
On the 'Horizon'
An early love of classic rock segued into a deep appreciation for its musical origins somewhere around the teen years. From that moment, the blues became a driving interest for Andrew Wiechman, the “voice” of many WJCT promos and the host of the long-running weekly show Blues Horizon. The hourlong program, which runs on WJCT 89.9 FM on Saturday nights starting at midnight (aka Sundays 12-1 a.m.) gives a dude nod to modern blues, with its feet firmly planted in classic sounds like Elmore James and Blind Willie Johnson. We ask Wiechman about his path to discovering the roots of rock and his continued focus on the musical horizon.
Guest: Andrew Wiechman, media operations director at WJCT and host of Blues Horizon
Travel agency
A group that believes in the power of friendship to bridge cultural divides is celebrating its 50th year in Jacksonville. CISV (formerly Children's International Summer Villages) is part of a national and global initiative connecting young people through travel and intercultural relationships in an effort to foster peace through education. We talk to a junior board member and the local chapter’s director about the group’s belief in human connection and the role it can play in an ever-more-interconnected but divided world.
Guests:
- Reggie Agulto, director, Jacksonville chapter of CISV (formerly Children's International Summer Villages)
- Kinsey Spencer, high school senior and junior CISV board member
Speed trial
Faster isn’t always better — unless it’s a race. And speed is part of the winning formula at the world’s largest filmmaking competition. The 48 Hour Film Project, which began in Washington, D.C., in 2001 and has expanded to more than 100 cities worldwide, challenges filmmakers, actors and amateurs alike to produce their best shorts in 48 hours. Now in its 20th year in Jacksonville, the festival has grown in both quality and quantity, but it still relies on the same set of rules: two days to write, shoot and edit a film. We sit down with an event producer and participant to discuss how the event has evolved, what newcomers should expect and how aspiring filmmakers can participate. The JAX 48 Hour Film Project kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Friday at The Jessie. The films will be screened at WJCT Studios at 7 p.m. Oct. 13, 14 and 15.
Guests:
- Adam Madrid, city producer, JAX 48 Hour Film Project
- Alisha Johnson, writer, producer, director and JAX 48 Hour Film Project participant
Topics and guests subject to change.