By Michele LeSure, WGOT Volunteer Coordinator
You’ve seen our logo and call letters advertised in these pages for going on ten years now. WGOT-LP FM, in partnership with the Civic Media Center, has been broadcasting continuously since 2008.
Recently, you may have read that WGOT-LP FM moved to a new frequency (100.1 FM) and a new studio space within the space of one month; that’s a major leap in such a short period of time (not to mention the installation of a new antenna to help our signal strength).
Now, we’re about to have another growth event: a call to the Alachua County community for volunteers.
WGOT-LP FM is 100 percent volunteer-driven. Every member of the station gives their time to schedule, produce, and air a diverse line-up of programming in Gainesville.
For example, Fred Sowder, a DJ at WGOT-LP FM, produces his show “Stripped” early Monday morning so he can get his children to school on time. During the week, he works full-time and records interviews on-the-fly for the next broadcast. He and his wife, Michelle, are active and involved in the Gainesville community, on top of everything else. So, time-management is really the only skill needed to volunteer at WGOT-LP FM (just kidding, Fred).
As Lynne Loewenthal, Director of WGOT-LP FM, reminds us: “We all have lives, so we just do our best.”
In what, to many, are dark times, I think we can all take comfort in the fact that we’re doing our best at any moment, which is why WGOT-LP FM is so important to its volunteers. At a time when the world seems more and more monochromatic with each new day, WGOT-LP FM reminds us that the spirit of community radio is still alive and well.
That’s why we need the community’s help to get us over the top as we begin broadcasting 24/7 on our own frequency of 100.1 LP-FM. Without volunteers, we couldn’t keep growing like this.
Join us on Wednesday, May 31 from 7-8 pm for an information meeting about the volunteer opportunities we have available. The meeting will be on Wednesday, May 31 on the second floor of the Hardback Cafe at 211 W. University Ave. Please call 352-519-4680 or email info@wgot.org for more information.
Thank you for all that you do for our community merely by reading The Iguana each month. D