News Releases

WMPG Unveils New Radio Show, "The Local Option"

January 27, 2006

WMPG-FM, greater Portland's community radio station broadcasting from
the University of Southern Maine, announced the launch of a new
program, "The Local Option." The show premiered Thursday, January 5,
with an episode that looked at teens and technology. Future episodes
will focus on issues pertinent to Portlanders, such as the city's
changing cultural identity.

The program will air Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. on WMPG 90.9 and
104.1 FM, and will stream live at http://www.wmpg.org/. "The Local
Option" will showcase the best work available from the Public Radio
Exchange (PRX), an online marketplace of programming for independent
radio stations.

Financial support for "The Local Option" came from the PRX Showcase
Show Project, where WMPG won production funds to encourage the
creation of local programing that use PRX content.

"Showcase shows can spark new creativity in community radio," said
PRX Executive Director Jake Shapiro. "Stations have the opportunity
to generate new local programming and producers now have more outlets
for independent work."

"'The Local Option' is like a mix tape for Portland," said program
host, Kerry Seed. "It's the greatest radio from around the world with
a local twist."

WMPG Program Director Dave Bunker called "The Local Option," "a
fascinating new experiment in collaborative radio."

Additional information about this and other PRX showcase shows can be
found at http://www.prx.org/articles/224.

For more information, contact Kerry Seed, host of "The Local Option"
at 207-650-5911, http://localoption.org, or letters@localoption.org.

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