WBFO to Focus on Chautauqua Institution Programming

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- WBFO 88.7 FM, the National Public Radio affiliate operated by the University of Buffalo, this week begins a summer-long series of reports on the Chautauqua Institution's 2002 season.

Weekly previews of the morning lectures, produced by WBFO's Mary Van Vorst, will begin airing on June 21.

Van Vorst will share her conversations with Justice Albie Sachs from the first week of the season; Naomi Shihab Nye from week two; Michael Crooke from week three; Barbara Byrd-Bennett from week four; William Kristol from week five; Sister Joan Chittister from week six; William McDonough from week seven; Peter Singer from week eight; and Jay Winik from week nine. They will be broadcast during National Public Radio's Morning Edition Fridays at 5:35 a.m., 7:35 a.m. and 9:35 a.m. and at 8:35 a.m. during Saturday's Weekend Edition program.

Additionally, WBFO's Bill Raffel will present Chautauqua Institution concert previews on his program, "Music Notes," airing Mondays at 6:35 and 8:35 a.m. Nancy Bargar, WBFO's Southern Tier reporter, will file stories from the institution throughout the summer.

Joyce Kryszak, news and cultural affairs producer, will broadcast occasional pieces on the Chautauqua Institution.

"We are excited about the scheduled lineup of morning lecturers," noted WBFO news director Mark Scott. "Since the upgrade of our Jamestown signal a year ago, we have recognized the increased value of covering the largest tourist attraction in Chautauqua County. Our listeners are arts oriented and there is no substitute for the quality of Chautauqua guest lecturers. We are happy to renew the station's commitment to covering Chautauqua."

Last year an anonymous Buffalo couple made a commitment to provide five years of funding for WBFO's increased coverage of Chautauqua Institution programming.

"We are thrilled to be able to share 'the Chautauqua experience' -- in some of its many dimensions -- with WBFO's listeners," said Jennifer Roth, WBFO general manager. "Our Chautauqua Institution features," she added, "will be available online to listeners who miss the broadcast, and to anyone in the world by way of our audio archive at www.wbfo.org ."

July will mark the eighth anniversary of the construction of WBFO's repeater station in Chautauqua County, WUBJ 88.1 FM. A signal expansion project was funded last year by the Gebbie Foundation, the Sheldon Foundation, the Hultquist Foundation, and the Johnson Foundation. Grants from the Carnahan-Jackson Foundation and the Baird Foundation are helping WBFO to develop awareness, listenership and programming for listeners in Chautauqua County.

WBFO also serves the Olean area by way of a repeater station located at 91.3 FM.

WBFO is an affiliate of National Public Radio and airs a mix of NPR News and jazz. The station's news team was recognized this month by the Associated Press with five awards.