Community radio in West Philly

an interview with Renee McBride-Williams, interim station manager

What is WPEB?

WPEB stands for West Philadelphia Educational Broadcasting. It's a community radio station and its intention is to educate and to bridge the voices of West Philadelphia, so that we have a clearer understanding of people's specific purpose and help to represent their voice and their concerns. Also, we're open for volunteerism—people to come in and work with one another, and hopefully we can achieve a greater understanding of the place we live in and the people around us.

How long has it been around? What are some of the ways WPEB has tried to bridge the community together?

Well, it's been 2 and a half years since we've been here—this is its second resurrection. Our parent company is Scribe Video Center. One of the ways we've been operating is to have different organizations or disc jockeys that represent either the music, the news or different points of view. We have many different shows, everything from the Mystery School—which is one of the older shows—which talks about supernatural events and spiritual things. We have the Lion's Den, which represents Caribbean and West African music, jazz and R&B shows, the University City Review, and recently we've had classical music. So, through music, and through talk and conversation, we're trying to get a dialogue going so we can do better.

What's coming up for the station? What are you working on?

We're working on more programs. We have some new programs: one is with a broadcaster named Roan Fraser who is talking about authors and books. Happy News: we have a show host named Rose Kenney, who is finally on the radio talking about the good things going on in West Philly. Then we're having a restructuring of the station; we're actually getting ready to have an election to vote in a board, people to represent different areas of what we feel encompass the neighborhood. For instance, we have members who are going to be elected into the position of board managers who represent labor justice or immigrant rights, cultural issues, neighborhood issues, business issues, and so on.

How can people get involved in the station?

We have two different ways. One is by coming in, joining, and becoming an “active member,” where you donate 20 hours or more a year, working on the studio or making phone calls. Then we have the “general membership,” just by making contributions. That contribution can be financial, or it can be your time.

For more information

Read more about WPEB and check our their program schedule at: http://wpeb881fm.org
Learn more about the Scribe Video Center at: http://www.scribe.org/
You can reach WPEB by phone at 215-472-0881 or stop by 541 S. 52nd Street at 52nd and Hazel

Tune in at 88.1 FM!

New Program on Criminal Justice!

"On the Block" is a radio show that takes a critical look at the United States' criminal justice system.  It is a collective effort of Block Report Radio, the Human Rights Coalition, and Philadelphia's WPEB Radio, where it airs every Friday night from 9pm until 10pm.

Check out the website at http://ontheblockradio.blogspot.com/