2009 Annual Report - Wisconsin Public Radio

Ideas Network
The Ideas Network broke new ground in 2009. New programs, events and awards were the
highlights of the past year.
In May, The Saturday Special launched on the Ideas Network. This special hour allowed WPR to
bring listeners interesting, unusual and often provocative programs selected from stations and
producers from around the world. Some programs were just a single hour, while others presented
a short series of related programs. Visit their website for programming details:
http://wpr.org/saturdayspecial/
In June, WPR broadcast from the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair in Custer, Wisconsin.
Luckily, Mother Nature was kind, as the shows were broadcast from an outdoor tent! Hosts on
site under the WPR tent included Veronica Rueckert, Larry Meiller, Jean Feraca and Ben
Merens. With vendors, exhibitors and visitors from throughout the U.S. and Canada, this was a
fantastic venue for WPR to showcase itself and its “homegrown” shows. WisconsinEye Public
Affairs Network was there to film the broadcasts which can be found here: http://wpr.org/r/?114
In 2009, The Joy Cardin Show won a Northwest Broadcast News Association merit award in the
“Talk/Public Affairs” category.
Here on Earth with Jean Feraca won a Brass Crescent Award for the groundbreaking series
“Inside Islam.” The Brass Crescent Awards began in 2004 with the purpose of promoting the
best writing of the Muslim web and exposing them to a greater number of readers. “Inside Islam”
is a collaboration between UW-Madison’s National Resource Centers and Wisconsin Public
Radio. It brings listeners dialogue and debates in order to challenge misconceptions and
illuminate diversity.
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