I grew up on public media. The only TV watching my parents easily approved of was PBS (Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Shining Time Station). We listened to classical music and NPR on the 20-30 minute ride to school. I remember Car Talk and Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me on Saturday morning rides to the library and Prairie Home Companion on any Saturday nights spent at home.
Gabe joined WFPL and Louisville Public Media in 2008, which is why I moved to Louisville (thanks, LPM!). Since then, my appreciation for public radio, and particularly Louisville's public radio, has grown, maybe a bit excessively.
If you have the reindeer, you get the next pledge drive call. This used to be a penguin, but the penguin disappeared.
I can tell time by WFPL programs. Is that the BBC promo? I'm about to be late to work. Only the first hour of Diane Rehm? This day is dragging, it's not even eleven yet. And when pledge drive rolls around, I just listen to the people who I know as they ask for support. I try to volunteer at least once during the drive. If that's something you're interested in, I recommend the last shift of the week. That's when all the procrastinators call, and it's exciting to be at the station when the goal is reached.
Louisville public radio kicks ass, and we are lucky to have not only one, but three stations. I get most of my news from WFPL (and random Twitter links), where they keep expanding the news team. When I need a break from all the information, there's WFPK for sing-a-longs. And when I need to focus at work, WUOL gives me classical (also very good for preventing road rage). Plus, all three stations host great community events like the Moth and Waterfront Wednesday.
Beyond the programming and events, I love the LPM people. They were the first people I met in Louisville, during that brief Peace Corps vacation. I was convinced we were all going to be best friends. That didn't exactly happen, but many of them have become part of our Louisville family, attending our parties, inviting me to theirs, helping me find not one, but two jobs.
Thanks to the internet, I could stream any of the three stations while we're in Boston. I think it's better to acquaint myself with a new Morning Edition host, but I may tune in to WFPL if I get homesick. But there's no way to stream all of LPM, and I will miss you.