I am an Asheville resident and president of the board of directors of Asheville FM, a nonprofit community radio station, that has been broadcasting locally via the internet since 2009, and on the FM dial at 103.3 FM since May 2015. This letter concerns one of our shows, “The Final Straw,” that is syndicated in various radio stations across the country.
“The Final Straw” has been on our schedule as a weekly, hourlong program for 12 years now and has many listeners in our area.
It is important to note that Asheville FM does not take a stand on issues or editorialize but allows free speech among our individually produced shows. We accept applications twice a year, and anyone in the community can apply for a show. The opinions expressed by any show host or guest are not necessarily the opinion of Asheville FM, its volunteers, staff, management or board of directors.
Our decision to air a show depends on its appeal to the broader community and that aligns with our mission, which is: “We keep Asheville thriving by producing diverse and eclectic programming that inspires our listeners to build connections across our communities and to discover new music and ideas.”
We have over 60 shows now, and they all are individually produced. Our content is music, talk, sports and news.
We sent a press release that Mountain Xpress published online [avl.mx/clt], which we are grateful for, and as far as the Asheville Police Department, we have had the chief of police and other representatives of local law enforcement on various talk shows over the years, and our news team has interviewed candidates for sheriff and other political offices.
We believe in the health and safety of our entire community and give voice to marginalized people and groups, like the unhoused, racial justice organizations, people living with disabilities, LGBTQ+ citizens and other minorities. We have the only Spanish-language show in Buncombe County. And we offer youth programming and opportunities for youths to share their voices on the air. And so much more community outreach!
We truly believe in Asheville and are proud of our volunteers and DJs. We invite the Asheville community to listen to our programming and thank everyone in our vibrant, inclusive community for your continued support.
— James Dougherty
President of board of directors
Asheville FM
Asheville
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