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<br /> `~oc~~h Radio: Kids No` Seen But Heard We
<br /> BY MARTHA SHIRK - ,
<br />
<br /> /GUTH TODAY Cortespondent
<br /> -BERKELEY. Calif.
<br /> is 6:30 on a Friday might. and t-~ -,y
<br /> KPFB Radio's weekly show, Youth •
<br /> m Control.' is 30 minutes from air "".,y -
<br /> time. '
<br /> Inside a romerted storefront on
<br /> Aaron Luther King Jr. Way, bus[ a few ~ -
<br /> docks from the birthplace of the Free - " f
<br /> speech Movement. 20 youths ate fin- ~ ~ ~,.d. f i~ -i ~ "i f`~ ` .
<br /> thing up their news reports, commen- _ ~ -~.~;r -
<br /> e,
<br /> mes or song introductlons. One of the ~ ~ ~ - _
<br /> estgnated rommentators sits N Iron! ~ ~ ~f
<br /> f a blank computer screen. alternate-
<br /> + b1Ung her nails and burying her face ~ ~ ; r -
<br />
<br /> , her hands. ~ R,,
<br /> In the statlori s production studio.
<br />
<br /> vee teenagers ar•_ tapinP a public ser- S~
<br />
<br /> ::.z announcement aoou[ a rooe Dove ~ ji1" $
<br /> rr upcoming Indigenous People's Dav,
<br /> erkeley's answer to Columbus Day. A - " ~A -
<br /> J is uaiting to time the five rap and R ~ ~ ~ a?`=:~
<br /> M # o
<br /> B tunes 're plans to play dur-mg his
<br /> 0 n:mutes of airtime. Half-ea[m ~
<br /> feces <(veFjle plea, empty soda cans ~ ,N1.
<br />
<br /> nil cu[-up newspapers litter the work it a
<br />
<br /> ,tiles. ~ .
<br /> Suddenly, Wilma Consul. who's NEW 790: Many Vouch Radio graduates like Mintfa Hickey become peer teach+:rs after they complete rho 12-5raek
<br />
<br /> rpe[~,asing the nerve. and conrrnmtary cours_.:; is a way of "giving back.'
<br />
<br /> miss, calls ouu'Ei;;frt more mum[es. _
<br />
<br /> Sys. Keep wn[mg. You can do it" of mtensire. hands-on Gamin m radio Atno the m
<br /> This is Youth Radio. one e( the g ~ P @~'s other:,ew out- MciHce Lo the 3eacae
<br />
<br /> andest expenmen[s m youth empow- Production and broadcast journalism, reach efforts t, a radio pra3•,--: !on train- The stinraney of Youth Radio today
<br />
<br /> ment that American radio has ever showcased m the kve,two-hour show Ing p:pgtam at Log Cabin lanrh. a makr. it asy ;p forget }.r-ie<ut yeas of
<br />
<br /> :en. every Friday night The program's de[entlon center operated by Sat, -':at:`t Idewq, ;ts prriecessur h.:983,
<br /> Why radio2'Because radio is a core motto: 'tiVe are taking over the airwaves .Francisco Juvemie Hall. It's kind o(a u! ar[hqu sz ~„?ecknl @r.• hga.ao m
<br /> zdium.' says Ellin O'Leary, the orga- our minds and the music of our pprtable vers:~n of Youth Radio. Oz:da+:d t~•;,r, hpased Youm Ne+:';.'By
<br /> .:auori s executlve duector 'and this genemuon.- 'Many r:tthe kids might not even be 199()• there ere: a ro adults arcru,d airy
<br /> ~eeratlon probably Ustens to radio Other You[h~Radio acnvlUes include here U preg[ams such as Youth Radio mare, and It •ars Ilkc lvt*1 p(the Flies;
<br /> supplying news features and rom- sa p•[,e~,.
<br /> ore than any prrwrous one." had been available to them >n thetr Ys
<br /> Founded as Youth News N 1979 by °
<br /> Pn[aries to both commerofal and past,' say : Fred E. Jordan Jr.. L rmer O'Leary. 4 ,bad heert Involved with
<br /> . l,ubllc radio stations :Including KYLD- Youth News cn acrd otT slntt its h.
<br /> Buis Freedberg, a South African cY6e( prbbatlon officer for the San gn.-
<br /> FM IWILD 107.7). one of the Bay area's w.hUe buitdl.
<br /> ithropalogist who was doing field work F'ra:ectscn Juvenile Probation ~g• ig r.%ver at the Bay
<br /> Berkeley High School. Youth Radio most popuiaz radio stations, and Department. area's largest co:nrnerc!al station,
<br /> ~s evolved into a sophisticated multl- Navonal Public Radio, with Its 546 A haUr.+ark of Youth Radio Is Its KgEi*. its public radio statlor,. KPFA.
<br /> member stations and 13 mllhon listen- and F1PR u9 :990, Frr,ibag, by Uren
<br /> Iturat broadcast training. media emphasL on youth tratning youth'-~
<br /> vocacy and violence orwenuon pr±m- e1S' usutg -graduates' of Youth Radio as °jcu.:taiia4 asked ha~.a come track nn
<br /> Since 1995, a three-year grant of board Youth News t:~ [rv to satx lt. She
<br /> am. Although there are many efforts S500.000 from rJte CaliforNa Wellness Prey teacrm,s.'Ftom the begL-+nina the ;mss shurkr.:i by wh;.:t she (ourd.
<br /> Duna d,e country to put more youth kids have seat bark as of the -Bemuse of wbat hod'.. <:...a
<br /> Foundation has enabled Youth Radio [o P~ r
<br /> :ces on the public airwaves, Youth deal.' said O7,eaty. PPm-
<br /> dio is widely regarded as the best. tra.rrirtg Y°urrg People elsewhere frig In the schools, the L!c acy sidlls
<br /> Several of the program's graduates N Cahfernla about using the~medla to - (he prcr teaching ronttpt also t}te kids was 100 tlma: vrm.:, :'ran ikuy
<br /> ~eady are finding jobs that enable deliver antl-violence messages. Few helps solve one of Youth Radio's most had hem N 1979, whin we:-e
<br /> ,r. to keep making their mark on the }routh groups have accns to a broad- vetlng prpulems: what to oiler youths ahrady shorktng.' she svr. '+:;n Ute
<br /> naves. But what really impresses cast signal. So Youth Radio has mine who crmplete the 12-week ptogr-am but othv hand, thetr technical pe~udm,.T
<br /> rgraru otfiMals are the number of uP wltfr the rnncept of 'cammtuuty dori i want to go back 1o just hanging was much Netter.'
<br /> adu - Perhaps a hundred or mole - actlon street teams' -mobile Gls who ouc an street corners on Friday mghts. OTrary was surprlsal in finr' ;;»la
<br /> io have made gmuhre progress as demonstrate h simtrlated broadcast 'R'e tell th® now that one they+re !n intr~t among'9Os teens rn ;
<br /> epos ;+ag
<br /> item. booths haw they work on the air. Such the program, our door is always opm to news or writing rnmmmtartcs. .`,e
<br /> demos at falls and other community them.' O'Irary said. Advanced classes strength of the old Youth News nPr;x~
<br /> ig
<br /> :uaehood Ozrtreach events always include a pry-youth and one "street team' offer other oppor- Uon. "Ihe wannatu: 9arbata Wa'~ey~
<br /> The rare proCnm prtmdes 1? weeks messaCe. tun:des (or contlnued partictpauon. were no IonCer arou-nyd.' she sa,d
<br /> •.'.•.,.--'^T REGT9yEp r1*,,.~ / LFS. Q ~o
<br /> f:otnutili. D1a~~
<br /> r BY------- 4 _
<br /> Date__~J, i Idle n0.
<br /> ~~nry Council ~ resen a /-/SEDC
<br /> 1Ge1. Drefe_ f~AN f 5 19~
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