Message from the General Manager
While
it’s especially true right here in western New England, the
energy situation is affecting us all. As we all become more
aware of “sustainability,” we realize how important
it becomes to protect our environment and our responsibility to
look for all of the ways that we can do our part in this effort. This
summer, we at WGBY will be embarking on a new green path with a
number of plans that will not only reflect a new direction for
us but hopefully will have you, our viewers, join us on this journey.
One of the most immediate changes concerns our Members’ Magazine.
As we have developed our multiple digital program streams with 95.5
hours of programming a day, the Magazine’s print
medium has revealed its limitations. Thus, in an effort to put
more of your dollars into programming while saving paper and reducing
our own carbon footprint, we’re combining the July and August
magazines into one issue. We must look ahead to take greater advantage
of new technologies to keep you informed about our programs and
services. The Members’ Magazine will continue to evolve
as we look at more efficient and effective ways to promote our
growing array of programming, and the digital transition in February
2009.
In an effort to reduce our utility usage as well as save on expenses,
nearly our entire staff will be coordinating their vacations to
take place at the same time in July. Naturally, one of our
technicians will remain on site to ensure there will be no interruption
of any of our broadcasts. This coordinated time off will
allow us to save a substantial amount on utilities while still
providing you with the quality programming you’re accustomed
to viewing on all of our channels.
WGBY continues to expand its role in the community as a partner
going beyond the television screen. Recently the ReStore
Home Improvement Center in Springfield dismantled a house in Weston,
MA, as part of a project to be aired on the new fall season of This
Old House. The recycled components from the home will be used
in a Habitat for Humanity project right here in Springfield. WGBY
is planning a future event in partnership with ReStore and members
of the TOH cast to increase awareness of green building practices.
On the programming side WGBY has already begun profiling what
area communities and businesses are doing to meet the challenges
of sustainability. For example, the new season of our locally
produced program On The Menu will focus on area restaurants
that use local produce and sustainable ingredients in their menus.
According to On The Menu producer Meagan Murphy Forget,
all recipe dishes featured will contain one or more elements that
have been produced regionally.
We’ve just unveiled a “green” membership with environmentally friendly benefits, e-communications and automatic
annual renewal so that you can choose to support your favorite
programs on WGBY while receiving less paper in your mailbox thus
further reducing our carbon footprint.
We at WGBY are taking this concept of sustainable development
seriously, but the key is to “sustain” our actions
by meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.
The western New England region is rich in education, commerce
and agriculture, areas that can benefit from, and contribute to,
the sustainability of the region and the nation. As a result we
feel strongly that sustainability is related to the quality of
life in our communities and dovetails perfectly with WGBY’s
mission. In our role as a community supported public broadcasting
organization we look forward to working with you and our many partners
on this critically important issue. Together we can be a stronger
team that connects with the people of our region to not only improve
our communities, but make them more sustainable as well.
Cordially,
Russell J. Peotter
General Manager
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