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11 Things I Love About KOPN Community Radio

Working my way toward the end of my sixth month as general manager at KOPN community radio, I thought it might be fun to make a list of some of the things I love about working there and in that world. I love my job, so I think it will be pretty easy. I think it will also be easy to make a list of things I hate, but we will save that for another day.

1.  At it's best, community radio really is about the whole community.

2.  We seek to provide a voice for those who might not otherwise have it.

3.  The music really is just so freaking cool. I have heard a wider variety of music in the last six months than in the previous six years.

4.  Working here means learning something new pretty much every day.

5.  My favorite thing is probably the volunteers. So many are so incredibly generous with their time, knowledge, and talent.

6.  Perhaps this is a backhanded compliment, but there are always problems to solve and pretty much always a small or large crisis. As general manager, I love the challenge of that.

7.  There are so many people there who are different than I am. I love spending time with them and learning from them.

8.  Pretty much everyone in community radio is involved because they have things they want to share with the world -- music, ideas, or whatever. Is that cool or what?

9.  A big part of community radio today is preserving and sharing the decades of history behind us.

10.  I spend a big part of every day with people who are sharing their time because of what they love, not because they are getting payed.

11.  We have an important, even essential place in the community, and I love that.

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