Assembly Resolution No. 1384

BY: M. of A. Jenne

COMMEMORATING the 50th Anniversary of North
Country Public Radio

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in the success of
public radio stations and their ability to effectively communicate
information to our communities, cities and the nation; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the
50th Anniversary of North Country Public Radio; and

WHEREAS, North Country Public Radio is located in Canton, New York;
St. Lawrence University (SLU) was gifted a transmitter in 1965 when a
commercial operator sitting on SLU's Board of Trustees shut down an FM
station; two years later in 1967, President Lyndon Johnson signed the
Public Broadcasting Act setting up public broadcasting in the United
States; and

WHEREAS, WSLU, 96.7 FM, went on air for the first time on March 7,
1968, in the North Country with a staff of two professionals and a
number of college students with a few hours of local programming each
day; and

WHEREAS, In 1971, WSLU became a charter member of National Public
Radio (NPR), increased its broadcast day to 18 hours, and began
receiving support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB);
the size of the staff increased over the following decade and by 1980
the "founding mothers" had become part of the leadership team and looked
to expand its operation; in 1979, an on air fundraiser raised $2,000
from 45 members; and

WHEREAS, WSLU became North Country Public Radio (NCPR) in 1984, and
the station began to expand its footprint in the Adirondack North
Country region; the station's 3,000 watt transmitter was replaced by a
40,300 watt transmitter allowing the station to reach a transmitter
placed in Saranac Lake; and

WHEREAS, Transmitters were placed in Watertown, Blue Mountain Lake,
Lake Placid, Long Lake, Alexandria Bay, Malone and Tupper Lake over the
next few years and the station now has 32 transmitters blanketing the
Adirondacks and North Country; and

WHEREAS, The station's news team routinely captures national
recognition for its regional coverage of issues ranging from prison
reform to environmental issues; and

WHEREAS, NCPR was awarded the New York State Associated Press Steve
Flanders Award in 2007-2008 for having the top news operation in the
State; and

WHEREAS, The station's commitment to excellence has enjoyed strong
support from the region it serves; today's on air fundraisers raised
approximately $1.5 million annually from thousands of listeners and
local business supporters; and


WHEREAS, The station offers a host of local programs ranging from
news and information programming such as the Eight O'Clock Hour, Natural
Selections and Readers and Writers On The Air to daily music shows
including Music for a Monday Afternoon, Blue Note, Radio Bob's Rhythm
and Blues Show, String Fever and the Beat Authority; and

WHEREAS, NCPR also airs popular national programs including All
Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Fresh Air, On Point, This American
Life, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and Only a Game; and

WHEREAS, In an era of frequent staff changes at media organizations,
NCPR has maintained a staff with deep ties to the station and to the
region and is an award winning national pioneer radio station; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 50th Anniversary of North Country Public Radio; and be
it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of the Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to North Country Public Radio.