We are grateful to the many north central Florida residents who have supported our expanded news talk and public affairs programming on WUFT-FM.
Consistent with our educational mission, students are also experiencing the benefits of these opportunities. WUFT-FM's invitation to broadcast an upcoming health care forum at the Graham Center and the recent station open house, which drew more than 300 students, are just two examples.
The College of Journalism and Communications has submitted a concept proposal to create a local, daily Spanish-language news and public affairs program. If approved, this new service will reach a vastly under-served community in our region. Programs such as "Talk of the Nation," "Marketplace" and the student-produced "Front Page on the Air" are staples of the news talk channel.
We've also expanded classical arts programming to a 24/7 format. We're planning local programs, including an upcoming holiday series of school and community musical performances. As our fall pledge drive continues this week, our commitment to news talk and public affairs programming is unwavering. We're delighted to know so many north central Florida residents support our commitment.
The need for accurate, timely, balanced and relevant local and national information is greater than ever. We're in a unique position to provide this invaluable service to our listeners. We view it as a call of duty in a democratic society.
Paul Gordon is the Interim Executive Director of Division of Multimedia Properties in the College of Journalism and Communications.
