NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 46 Fall2008
1
1
“SO THEY MAY HEAR WHAT YOU SEE”
On September 25, 2008 at Sister’s in Raleigh, TRRS unveiled a redesigned Gala Fundraiser event. The evening began at 6:00 with music, a wine and beer bar, and the opening of the silent auction. MC, Mark Roberts, the traffic guy, directedattendees to a delicious buffet dinner, followed by dance music provided by Barbour and Hinton, a popular local duo.
Many thanks to the sponsors for the evening: Capitol Broadcasting, Co., Eye Care Associates NC, Richard Dunnagan and Associates, Hunter Industries, Martin Marietta Materials, Springmoor Retirement Community.
The new title for the event condensed our mission statement – we read on the radio “so they may hear what you see”.
MC Mark Roberts with Brian Hoyle and wife. Listener Rob Munro shares his perspective.
FROM THE DIRECTOR
You have already read about the 4th Annual Gala Fundraiser, “So They Can Hear What You See” that TRRS held in September. What a night! Our MC – Mark Roberts - was a delight. Our music, provided by Barbour and Hinton, hit just the right note. Dinner at Sister’s Catering was delicious. The motivational speech by Rob Munro was just that, motivational. All in all, we had a great night.
Now, we must move ahead with new technology. When television goes digital in February, TRRS will lose one of the signal’s “hops” to our transmission tower in Chatham County. The TRRS Technical Committee has determined the best route for our signal to get to our listeners as inexpensively as possible, but also clearly, and without distortion. Capitol Broadcasting Company has offered TRRS space on their satellite! This will allow continued broadcasts to the 20,000 people who currently listen, as well as to the services down-east that use TRRS as their network.
The TRRS Board of Directors is working on a plan to make some of the TRRS broadcasts available as pod-casts for listeners to download and store. Programs like the Drug and Department Store Ads or the Grocery Ads would be downloaded and taken with listeners when they shop. Some programming will be available only as pod-casts.
All of these changes open up many other possibilities for volunteers. We will need folks with a lot of technical expertise to make these happen. So, if you, or, someone you know has knowledge in these fields, let the TRRS staff know, so we can work together to move the service forward, as we plan for new and exciting things for the future.
On a sad note: I have received news that the Georgia Radio Reading Service (GaRRS) has closed their Savannah office. That means local, Savannah information is no longer available to the people who are blind and print impaired in that city. Quite a shame, something we hope doesn’t happen in the Triangle. How can you help? Read on…
The most pressing need at TRRS today – money. That’s been a big issue this year for all nonprofits. As our coffers dry up, we may need to make some other, not so pleasant, changes in our service. So, if you could pledge a donation to TRRS of $50 or more before the end of this calendar year, it would make a big difference to us, and the quality of the programming that we produce. It’s tax deductible, of course, and can be made on a Visa, MasterCard or Discovery Card by calling May Tran at the TRRS office – 919-832-5138. Thank you. Your donation can be made in honor or memory of a loved one. Perhaps it will be a Christmas gift for the “person who has EVERYTHING!” We will be happy to acknowledge your gift to your honoree or the loved one’s family.
Linda Ornt, Director
From the President
As TRRS moves into its second quarter-century, we, like almost all charities, are faced with some major challenges. Our “typical” listeners are aging out of our system. Younger people with print disabilities are technically savvy, and may not have the time or patience to sit and listen to someone read the local news for 2 straight hours.
Our next generation of listeners wants their information portable, they want it when they are able to listen, and they know how to use technology such as i-pods, and media players. So, to keep TRRS viable in the coming years, the Board of Directors is investigating these media for information distribution.
Another evolution for our service relates to print. Print information is being supplanted by electronic information. It is up to the minute, and primarily on-line. Some newspapers have announced that their print version will not be available as soon as spring of 2009. So, TRRS is faced with the dilemma of what to read. Do we ask volunteers to come in and read from the local newspaper websites? Do we find other information which is still in print and fill our days with that? Do we spend more time on literature?
The greatest concern is that all the above will be moot if TRRS cannot sustain itself financially. We need your help to keep the lights on, the bills paid, and the studios operating. Again, this is the greatest challenge Triangle Radio Reading Service will face in the coming months. You can help, by making a donation of at least $50 to TRRS today. If every friend, volunteer and listener would make a $50 donation, TRRS would be certain to have the resources to make it through the remainder of this fiscal year.
As you will note in other articles, TRRS is planning to use local broadcasts to fill the entire day. We will no longer use In Touch Network from New York City for our overnight programming. This means a new program guide needs to be published, our website updated, and information sent to those radio reading services that use TRRS as a network for their broadcasts.
As we begin the wind-up of 2008 and embrace the future, I hope you will remember the challenges ahead and make a gift to TRRS so we can fulfill our mission of providing local news and information to people who, for whatever reason, cannot read standard print.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and our superb staff, I wish you the very best now and in the new year to come.
Sincerely,
Brian Hoyle, President
1
Donations
1
DonationsContinued
COMPANIES & AGENCIES
Counties of:
Durham, Orange.
United Ways:
FranklinCounty, Triangle
Towns of:
Cary, Carrboro and Chapel Hill
City of: Raleigh
Corporations:
1st Presbyterian Church, Circle Number 4
N. Raleigh United MethodistChurch
Ben Eason Fund of Triangle Community Foundation
Wardson Construction
BROADCASTUNDERWRITERS
Carter Glass Insurance Co.
News & Observer
Prime Mortgage Lending
Raleigh Kiwanis Foundation
United Arts of Raleigh & WakeCounty
LIONS CLUBS
Raleigh Downtown
SilerCity
Warrenton
Apex
Burlington
Carrboro
Creedmoor
Durham
Epson
Franklinton
Fuquay-Varina
Garner
Henderson
Littleton
North Raleigh
INDIVIDUALS
Allen, Rufus
Andretta, Joy M.
Browne, Noelle S.
Campbell, Willard G.
Cox, Raymond
DeFoor, David
Funkhouser, Edward
Gernhardt, Claire K.
Goldstein, Brian
Hauver, Dee
Healy, Michael C.
Hendrickson, Judy
Hogg, Nancy
Johnson, Karen
Jones, Jr., L. Merritt
Koeppen, Karl & Pat
Lehman, H. Eugene
Leopold, Bob
Lyons, Stella
Mark, Stephen M.
Mauney, Katherine
McCoy, W.J.
Monroe, Terry
Morgan, Patsy S.
Musselman, Lorraine
Norma, Sylvia
Osborn, Dorothy
Philips, Elizabeth
Prather, Mary
Schrader Webb, Wanda
Stratford Book Club
Subervi, Felix
Sumner, Charles D.
Thomas, Robin
Thomson, Randy J.
Van Sant, Carolyn
Zucker, Robert
GALA SPONSORS
Capitol Broadcasting Company
Catevo Group
DoctorsVisionCenter
Eye Care Associates, NC
Hunter Industries, Inc
Martin Marietta Materials
Richard Dunnagan & Assoc.
Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community
GALA DONORS
Barbour, Durwood
Benrud, Audrey
Bernard, Chris
Black, Elwood & Marjorie
Brack, Fred & Kathy
Bradley, John & Statia
Campbell, Alex
Chapin, Glenna
Cloud, Pam & Randolph
Cotton, Missy
Crosby, Luci
Dunnagan, Richard
Enzor, Earl & Anita
Fuhrman, Cecily
Funkhouser, Ed
Ginsburg, Mark
Glass, Carter & Karen
Hauver, Dee & Bob
Hemby, Jim Joan
Hollander, Missy
Holroyd, Mary & Casper
Irvin, Jim & Gay
Jones, Julian & Margaret
Jones, Jr., L. Merritt
Katz, Frances
Kennison, Becky
Laxton, Randy & Barbie
McCoy, Louise & Steve
McFeeters, Dorothy
McGimsey, Jim & Kim
Mitchell, Thomas
Nelson, Thelma
Norton, Sharon
Ornt, Ace
Otterbourg, Bob & Sue
Raiter, Terry
Rodgers, John & Catherine
Roebuck, John
Rosenbaum, Phyllis & Don
Russell, Laura & Reid
Sansbury, Becky & Ed
Saucedo, Susan & Eduardo
Seamster, Greg & Jackie
Skehan, Mike & Pat
Southerland, Bob & Faye
Suchsland, Karen
Sullender, Jennifer
Tenser, Barry & Lori
Thomas, Catherleen & Art
Thorpe, Dolores & James
Thomson, Randy & Chris
Tran, Quang
Vadala, Laura
Van Scoyoc, Peggy
Weller, Ann
Whitaker, Josh & Charolette
Williams, Carol
In-Kind
Benrud, Kurt
Campbell, Alex
Dixon, Marilyn
Edwards, Karen
Glass, Karen
Holroyd, Mary
IBM Corporation
Koeppen, Karl
Leopold, Bob
Mattson, John
Reed, Pat
Saucedo, Susan
Schlesinger, Jackie
Skehan, Mike
Tatum, Jeff
Thomson, Randy
Thank you to all who brought in paper products, soft drinks, light bulbs, and cookies. Please accept our sincere appreciation for donations left in OX (our office expenses piggy bank) and those anonymous donations we find left in the studios when we arrive!
Triangle Radio Reading Service211-103 E. Six Forks Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27609-7743
919-832-5138
fax: 833-5220
e-mail:
Director……..Linda Ornt
Layout/Editor…MayTran
Issue 46…….....Fall 2008
TRIANGLE RADIO READING SERVICEis a proud recipient of funding fromUnited Arts Council of Raleigh and WakeCounty
An umbrella fundraising organization that raises money from individuals, businesses and government entities to provide arts programming, arts services and arts education throughout Wake County.
1