Thomas From My Seat In The Studio

I’ve fantasized for years about hosting a thoughtful radio show about dogs and other animals – I’ve done it once or twice for brief periods –  and it looks I might actually have one, however long it lasts. I thank you for your support.

This is even sweeter for me  since the station – WBTN based in Bennington, Vt. – is part of the embattled community radio network, something I deeply believe in as we struggle to live freely in the Corporate Nation, where ordinary humans are never given voice and our culture is being subsumed by greedy corporatists.

Our trial show was a big hit, lots of calls with good questions, and I never even got to the big stack of e-mail questions I was sent last night and this morning. I loved every minute of it, it was just what I hoped for.

I believe there is a chance to create a conversation with animal lovers that is thoughtful and intelligent, not confrontational or political. We started on that road today.

We were so pleased with today’s broadcast, we just expanded the show to two hours every Wednesday afternoon: And thanks for the hundreds of dollars in donations you all sent to the station yesterday, they are stunned and delighted. You can’t even imagine how much of a difference that will make to them.

For the first time, it went as smoothly as could possibly be expected, and I loved the calls and the subject matter and the energy in the studio and from the callers.

The station – Thomas Toscano is the station – was pleased also. Members of the Army Of Good sent donations and called me from all over the country with intelligent and interesting questions about dogs, training, irresponsible owners, leashes.

One call came from  California, which shocked Thomas Mancuso, WBTN’s Executive Director. He said that had never happened before. God bless streaming.

Thomas and I agreed that the show would air on Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. EDT. I’ll read and discuss e-mail questions for the first half-hour, then take calls if we get them, for the next 90 minutes.

I’ll have trouble using that time wisely.

If today was any indicator, we will get calls, they came in a steady stream, from everywhere.

The shows will all be lived streamed on WBTN, just click on the Live button at the top of the blog. Things vary person to person, but almost everyone I heard from got the signal instantly and clearly. The WBTN staff also send these instructions for listening to a podcast of the show: “Podcast page: http://www.wbtnam.us. You  pick a feed, use the drop down list for Bennington Today. And select the date. Then to the right is either play or download to listen to past shows.”

You can call the show toll-free with your questions by dialing 866 406-9286.

I’m very pleased to be part of the community radio movement, it fits my values perfectly, I’m in talks with the station about helping them to get a new FM  Radio Transmitter/Translater so they can broadcast on the FM as well as AM frequency.

We might even have gotten a sponsor for my radio show.

As you may sense, I’m flirting with how we can help them survive, and it seems to me the odds are long, but not impossible. An FM transmitter could spell the difference.

The equipment they need to do this costs $10,000, I suggested they put up a gofundme page so the Army Of Good and others can support them in this desperately needed project if they wish.

An FM transmitter would bring all kinds of new listeners and potential sponsors and supporters..

It was an affirming and satisfying day for me, I feel I may have opened a new chapter in my life. I want to be cautious.  The station is a wreck, with little money and extremely outdated equipment. It has been hanging on by a thread for sometime. I hope it will grow and survive, and that I can help it to do that.

When I got home, this e-mail was waiting for me:

“Well, well, well. Jon, there I was sitting  in my kitchen in Islip, Oxfordshsire, England and I thought I’ll just see what happens if I click on the link on  your blog and suddenly there you were in my kitchen!..I know you won’t remember but eight years ago you made me your “person of the week”  because I was angry and upset when my friends told me I was too old to have a 10-month-old dog and I told you I was going to ignore them. Well, here I am listening to you with Daisy curled up at my feet. I am now 73 years old and she is nine and the love of my life! Yours, Clare Manners.”

I do remember you, Clare, and  quite vividly. You got me to break my rule against giving advice to strangers. You are what it is all about for me.

You can hardly come  home to get a better message than that. We shape our own destinies. We follow our heart, not the beliefs of others. The reviews online and off for this show were lovely, thank you, I was, in fact, completely at home doing this, it also felt completely natural to me.

I enjoy working with Thomas, he is an opera singer conductor and composer, we just click. On the radio, chemistry matters. We have it.

So there it is. You are invited to this show.

Please e-mail your questions about dogs and other animals and I will get to them. I am also planning to start a Friday column on my blog called “Talking About Dogs,” in the column I will answer and talk about a different question each week. So keep them coming, and stay tuned. And thanks.