WPKN, Inc.

Mission Statement

WPKN'S PROGRAMMING IS INTENDED NOT TO DUPLICATE THAT WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON EITHER COMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS OR THE SO-CALLED "PUBLIC" RADIO STATIONS. WHEN THE FCC DESIGNATED THE 88-108 MEGAHERTZ FREQUENCIES AS THE FM BAND BACK IN 1945, IT RESERVED THE TWENTY CHANNELS AT THE LOWER END OF THE BAND EXCLUSIVELY FOR NONCOMMERCIAL USE. AT THE TIME, THE COMMISSION INDICATED THAT IT WAS DOING SO IN ORDER TO FOSTER "DIVERSITY OF PROGRAMMING SERVICES," i.e. THE WIDEST POSSIBLE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS.
WPKN'S APPROACH TO BROADCASTING IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. WE SEEK TO SERVE THOSE WHOSE NEEDS ARE NOT SERVED BY OTHER RADIO STATIONS. WE NEVER PROGRAM TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR, AND WE NEVER CONSULT RATINGS SERVICES. OUR MORE THAN 65 VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BE AS DIVERSE AS POSSIBLE AND THEY AREN'T REQUIRED TO CONCENTRATE ON ANY PARTICULAR KIND OF MUSIC OR STYLE OF PRESENTATION.
WPKN IS A 10,000 NON-COMMERCIAL, EDUCATIONAL RADIO STATION LOCATED IN BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT. IT SERVES AN AUDIENCE OF APPROXIMATELY 40,000 PERSONS. PROGRAMS ON WPKN INCLUDE NEWS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS (e.g. INTERVIEWS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, ARTICLES, COMMENTARIES, DOCUMENTARIES, AND PHONE-IN SEGMENTS), LIVE MUSIC, RECORDED MUSIC, LECTURES, RADIO DRAMAS, READING ALOUD, AND EXPERIMENTAL SOUND MIXES.
IN RECENT YEARS, "PUBLIC" RADIO PROGRAMMING HAS INCREASING BEEN TAILORED TOWARD REACHING THE LARGEST NUMBER OF LISTENERS. AS THAT TREND HAS GROWN, SPECIALIZED PROGRAMMING THAT APPEALS TO RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBERS OF LISTENERS HAS BEEN CURTAILED. THE RESULT HAS BEEN THAT OPEN-MINDED LISTENERS HAVE BEEN DENIED ACCESS TO UNIQUE FORMS OF MUSIC AND OUT-OF-THE ORDINARY SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT.