WFCR
Hampshire House
University of Massachusetts
131 County Circle
Amherst MA 01003-9257

phone: 413-545-0100
fax: 413-545-2546
e-mail: radio@wfcr.org

Click here for a map to Hampshire House, and here for a maps of the University of Massachusetts campus.

Check out the comprehensive, printable 88.5FM WFCR, HD-2 WFCR, and WNNZ program grid.

WFCR maintains playlists of music heard on classical, jazz, and Safari programs. Choose the day you want from the calendar.

Both All Things Considered and Morning Edition post rundowns of their programs which include the music played between news stories and features. Click on these links to go to the archives of their programs and choose the date you are looking for. NPR also runs a web-only program, All Songs Considered, which plays in their entirety the selections heard between stories on All Things Considered.

If you want a cassette or CD of a WFCR news story, send an e-mail to News Director Jill Kaufman at jkaufman@wfcr.org.

NPR offers tapes and transcripts of Morning Edition, All Things Considered and other programs. You can call 1-877-NPR-TEXT (1-877-677-8398) or order transcripts online. Complete details are at www.npr.org/transcripts/index.html.

To listen to WFCR online (and to take advantage of many other offerings on the web) you will need to install a free player from Real, Windows, or WinAmp. For Real, visit the RealPlayer download page and select the "Free RealOne Player" link (it may be difficult to find - as of October, 2003, it was in the upper right hand corner of the page in light grey type). Follow the instructions for downloading and installing the player and then listen to WFCR online. Real Audio will tempt you to upgrade or to join a plan which requires monthly payments, but this is not necessary in order to listen to WFCR online. Most of our archived on-demand audio files are also encoded in Windows Media format; the Windows Media Player is also free, and available for PCs and Macs.

This is the nature of streaming on the web. When you launch the player it always takes a few seconds to connect to the source of the streaming - and then there will be further seconds while the first signals are being downloaded. Typically the player will give you the message that you are "connecting" or "loading" plus a graphic that shows the percentage gradually reaching 100%, at which time you can actually start listening. Thus the signal is delayed by a significant number of seconds by the time you can hear it. The actual broadcast is preceded by a recording of our General Manager, Martin Miller.

You'll also notice that sometimes the sound disappears while your player rebuffers. It may be caused by congestion on the internet or some other technical factor. It will usually begin again just where it left off - you're not missing anything, just not hearing it for a while. Each time this happens that buffer gets a little farther behind.

The players are also set to automatically disconnect after two hours of unattended listening; you may reconnect to the stream immediately. We do this because bandwidth is expensive and we don't want listeners going to bed, for example, with the stream connected.

Your membership - or contributing listener status - expires one year from the month you either made your first gift or the date you last made an annual contribution - not the date you may have made an additional gift in response to a mailing or to an on-air fund drive.

However, if you would like to change your renewal month, for any reason, please contact the Development office at 413-545-0100 or email radio@wfcr.org. Renewals are usually sent out three months before your expiration date, so the sooner you respond, the fewer reminders we will need to send. And, you do not need to wait until you hear an on-air fund drive to contribute - 60% of contributing listener support comes directly from mail and approximately 40% comes in as a response to our on-air drives.

Thank you gifts are sent four to six weeks AFTER YOUR PAYMENT - CHECK OR CHARGE - gets to WFCR and is processed. Some gifts are ordered and/or sent from outside business places, so this factor can effect the date you actually receive your gift. As soon as your money is received, the gift is on its way — from here or somewhere else. It all takes time and other resources to make it happen. Thanks for your patience and understanding - and your support.

The old Emergency Broadcast System was tested using an announcement: "This is a test..." but the new one sometimes is tested without such an announcement. The new system, which went into effect several years ago, is designed to operate automatically, without the need for human intervention. When WFCR runs scheduled tests (which are mandatory at least once a week), they are preceded by a "This is a test" announcment. However, there are instances designed into the system whereby it will override all other programming to make its tests or announcements of such emergencies as severe weather warnings without a preceding announcement. Sometimes it is possible to delay the tests or announcments to make them fit into our program schedule, but at times they will break into the programming unexpectedly.

WFCR Public Radio 88.5 FM for Western New England offers an array of sponsorship opportunities for area businesses. For details, check our underwriting page. For information on WFCR underwriting opportunities, web banner advertising, and event sponsorships, call 413-577-0779.

WFCR receives support in many ways from volunteers, most frequently during fund drives, but also on an ongoing basis. If you would like to contribute by volunteering your time and talents, please fill out the online volunteer form or contact our volunteer coordinator at 413-545-0100.