Radio program to educate on GLBT community, issues

Bloomington has long been a city known for its cultural diversity and artistic endeavors. Recently, these two traits combined for the creation of WFHB-FM's newest talk radio program "bloomingOUT," a radio program based on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender issues. \nThis is a show that is run completely by volunteers to "educate, entertain, and engage listeners on issues and events affecting the GLBT population of south central Indiana by facilitating communication between the GLBT community and the rest of the Bloomington population," according to the "bloomingOUT" mission statement.\nThe program originated as a part of WFHB's News and Public Affairs Initiative. This plan was meant to boost the station's amount of talk programming from 5 to 20 percent within the past year, said WFHB News Director Chad Carrothers. In reviewing all of the programs already scheduled and the large listener response the station receives, adding a GLBT program was the obvious answer, Carrothers said. Once the program begins airing, it will complete the News and Public Affairs Initiative.\nAfter deciding the character of the show and inviting a community discussion to receive input from various groups around Bloomington and IU, "bloomingOUT" was born.\nMark Brostoff, the associate director of undergraduate career services, and Helen Harrell, of the African Studies department, are co-hosts.\nIn collaboration with WFHB and the new show's staff, "Members of the GLBT community were involved with the content, layout and design of the show," said producer Jeff Bennett.\nThe show will first air from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 9 on WFHB 91.3 and 98.1 FM.\n"The hour-long show will include national and local news that has importance to the local GLBT community, interviews, live musical performances and guests, field reports from local GLBT reporters, an events and entertainment calendar, and commentary on issues of interest to the GLBT community," Brostoff said.\nThe staff of the show hopes that its lineup will educate and inform the entire community, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, about the issues of GLBT population, such as Indiana Equality, the boom in GLBT television representations, same-sex marriage and civil rights cases. Bennett said he believes that a program like "bloomingOUT" has the potential to initiate important conversations about the lives of real people in the community.\nCarrothers also has high hopes for the program and the impact it will have on Bloomington and the IU population.\n"We want to open up the lines of communication between the GLBT community and the rest of that Bloomington population," Carrothers said. "We want to help these two segments of our community talk to each other and learn about each other, and themselves … these people are not 'on the fringe' as so many people think. They are our brothers and sisters, our friends, and business associates. They deserve to be heard."\nBecause the show is still in its pre-production stages, no musical guests have yet been invited for the early October premiere.\nWhile many of the staff positions are already filled, "bloomingOUT" will have openings for free-lance correspondents who would like to write and produce stories and interviews for the program. \nAnyone interested in volunteering for WFHB and "bloomingOUT" or simply to find out more information should e-mail news@wfhb.org. Or if you are interested in being a musical guest, contact correspondence director Lee Chapman at ljchapman@aol.com. \n-- Contact staff writer Liv Cole at olcole@indiana.edu.