2008. Year in review at Bexley Public Radio.

2008. Year in review at Bexley Public Radio.

Death of Station Manager John Manning

John Manning died during the summer of 2008. John served as station manager from the beginning of broadcast at the station in 2007. He was retired from the professional staff at Columbus State Community College. In addition to his administrative and management work, he also performed regularly as an on-air personality hosting a morning local news show.

Student Interns

Bexley High School Students get classroom credit for radio work at WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM. Credit and non-credit interns include Robert Moore, Tim Nassau, Sara Lemar. Lucy Freccia. Zach Fries.

New Coverage of Harness Racing at County Fairs

Bexley Public Radio added coverage of county fair harness races. During the racing season, the station followed performance of a two-year-old filly owned by Ron Bates of Amanda, Ohio. The filly is Rose Run Keepsake who had a successful 2008 season. She set track records at Scioto Downs and the Northfield track. The two-year-old filly turned out to be horse of the year setting track records at Scioto Downs and Northfield tracks. Summer intern Liz Jones was responsible for production work related to covering the harness racing events at country fairs.

Bexley Garden News

Amy Maurer, the Noontime Gardener continued her second year of advice and criticism of the flora and gardens of Bexley. Her feature on “Edible Bexley” followed the blossoming, growth and maturation of the ziziphus fruit. The fruit was harvested in the autumn and a meal was prepared featuring the fruit as a stuffing in the entrée and as the principal fruit in a dessert.

Columbus Middle School Spring Debate Competition


Bexley Public Radio recorded and broadcast the Columbus middle schools spring debate competition at Capital University. The competition is sponsored in part by Columbus Public Schools Gifted and Talented Program.

Local News Reports

Bexley Public Radio continued relying on The Eastside Messenger, The New Standard, Bexley News, The Catholic News and the Bexley High School Torch for local news reports. The station also added experienced reporters Dianne Garrett and John Matuszak to cover Whitehall and Bexley city halls.

Host Joe Contino added sports coverage to local news and host Lee Edmondson and Mel Greenball rounded out the reading of local news.

As a weekly feature, Chris Geldis offered his critical reviews of Bexley parking lots. Katy Taylor presented a program of recipes, literature and travel. She negotiated special copyright permissions for the content of her show.

On Fridays, Mel Greenball and Terry Pugh developed and implemented a program format that included news coverage but looked toward more relaxing week-end activities.

Also, on Fridays, Kris Galloway presents a regular report on activities and programs at the Jewish Community Center.

The station also reports on daily lunch specials from Bexley lunch spots including the Jewish Community Center kosher senior lunch program.

Laura Franks Bexley Consumer Price Index (The Bexley CPI)

Laura Franks completed her fifth quarterly report on retail prices in Bexley. The Bexley Consumer Price Index now has more than a full year of price data for retail sales in Bexley and inflation and deflation rates for full year and year-to-year can now be reported.

Culture Correspondent Reports From Other States

Dispatches from Bexley Public Radio culture correspondents Joanna Tornes, Paul Peltier and Dave Schwenker were regular features reporting on events happening in Alaska, New Hampshire and West Virginia from a Bexley perspective.


Daily Wall Street News and Features on Financial and Business Topics.

Frank Ingwersen of Sweeney Cartwright, Kevin Kale of Manning and Napier gave regular Wall Street reports. Frank reports Monday through Thursday and Kevin reports on Friday. Chris Johns assisted Frank Ingwersen in his reporting.

The Joseph Group, a capital management firm licensed Bexley Public Radio to use their weekly newsletter, WealthNotes.


The financial collapse on Wall Street provided opportunity to focus on local effect. Live radio discussion of the financial and operational impact of the collapse on charities and nonprofits, community banks and higher educational institutions was offered to listeners. Chuck Gehring of Life Care Alliance discussed the impact on his organization and peer organizations. Bankers from First Bexley Bank and Cooper State Bank discussed the financial strength of their own institutions and explained why the bail out made sense for other riskier banks. As to higher education Trinity Seminary, Franklin University and Columbus State Community College were represented. Individual participants were Evelyn Levino, Vice President, Students, Franklin University; Will Kopp, Vice President, Institutional Advancement, Columbus State Community College; Mark Ramseth, President, Trinity Lutheran Seminary; Steve Koch, Professor, Communications, Capital University; and Dave Mallet, President First Bexley Bank.

Bexley Public Radio also reported on the Symposium on the Economic Crisis, presented by the Council for Ethical Leadership at Capital University November 10, 2008.

A five member panel moderated by Erick Zanner, of the School of Management and Leadership at Capital, discussed the scope of the crisis and their assessments of the impact and future.

Other panelists were James W. Coons, principal of J. W. Coons Advisors and chair of Governor Strickland’s Council of Economic Advisors, Mark E. Schweitzer, a senior vice president and director of research of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Peter E. Klingelhofer, a consulting analyst with the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, Michael Distelhorst, professor of law at Capital where he teaches commercial lending law and Nancy H. Rogers, who at the time of the panel discussion was serving as interim Ohio attorney general and who returned to work as Dean of The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law following the November election.

News From Other Markets

Other markets covered at Bexley Public Radio included central Ohio auction markets like Garth’s in Delaware County and sales at Leslie Hindman’s auction rooms in Chicago, and also at Sotheby’s and Christies in New York.

Professor Reg Dyck of Capital University commented on certain civil war items on the auction block at Leslie Hindman’s during the Spring and Toni Dunleavy, proprietor of Etcetera Boutique commented on vintage clothing auctions at Sothebys and Leslie Hindman’s. Discussions of these auctions included catalog price estimates prior to an auction and, after an auction, discussion and analysis of hammer prices compared to pre-auction estimates.

Swann’s annual auction of African American art during Black History month was also featured on Bexley Public Radio. Swann is an important New York auction house.

Election 2008

During the 2008 election season, Bexley Public Radio covered presentations on two statewide ballot issues, namely Issue 5 and Issue 6. If successful, Issue 5 would remove legislative limits on the charges made by payday lenders. Issue 6, if it were successful, would authorize a gambling casino in Clinton County. The presentations were sponsored by The Fuller Society at Capital University. Cynthia Duncan is the faculty advisor to The Fuller Society.

Green Policy Adopted

Bexley Public Radio adopted a green policy on environmental matters during 2008.

Special Christmas Show

As a special program for Christmas day broadcast, station staff read John Greenleaf Whittier’s poem “Snowbound.” The text of the poem used by station staff was a reprint provided by Berkeley publisher Wonderella. Sections of the poem were separated by Gregorian chants provided by special arrangements with the abbot of Clear Creek Monestery in Hulbert, Oklahoma.



New Editorial Positions Created and Staffed

The radio station appointed a commentator identified only as The Most Sensitive Man In Bexley. A second position called the Human Rights Activist was also created during 2008.

The MSMIB produced three commentaries during 2008 on topics ranging from protests in front of Bexley residences, street safety and allocating the cost of sidewalk repairs.

The Human Rights Activist investigated and issued a report on the improper conduct of the Ohio Ethics Commission related to Bexley Parks and Recreation employment of two of Mayor John Brennan’s children.

Size of Audience

Arbitron diarists have not listed the minimum ten entries for WCRX-LP to appear in reports prepared for that organization.

Estimates of audience size based on anecdotal reports made to station staff are available.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation was formed to provide training and radio broadcast experience to students including adults. The actual measure of whether the organization is meeting its objectives is the number of individuals who receive training and experience at the radio station.

Fifteen months after receiving its broadcast license, Bexley Public Radio Foundation provided two Bexley High School students with training and experience that qualified for high school class credit.

Audience size is important but it is not the only measure to consider when Bexley Pulbic Radio is evaluated.

Time-Share Agreement

There are irregular discussions among the time-share signatories about areas of the agreement that need to be changed, cross promotion, equipment needs and changes, shared budgets, shared staff and coordinated marketing.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Design is copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text is copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. The styles "The Most Sensitive Man in Bexley" and "MSMIB" are the property of Bexley Public Radio Foundation.