Connections

Keeping our diverse community informed

Anymore these days, it seems many political candidates are forced to spend an inordinate amount of time deflecting controversy during their election campaigns instead of focusing their attention solely on promoting their individual plans to strengthen our communities.

This has certainly been evident during the current race for mayor of Philadelphia, throughout which some unfortunate finger-pointing has often prevented a serious examination of what is at stake for millions of residents and thousands of people who work in and visit the city over the next four years.

If people don't have all of the facts, how can we expect them to make informed decisions -- decisions that profoundly affect the future of our region -- when they head to the polls on Tuesday, November 4, or any other election day?

Research shows that, on average, WHYY's Members are more active in their communities and exercise their right to vote at substantially higher rates than the rest of the nation. For these reasons, WHYY doesn't make endorsements or conduct polls. What we do instead is identify high-quality sources of public policy information and produce original news and information programming, on-air and online, to support your ability to be the best-educated citizen in our community.

This year, we crafted the "You Gotta Vote!" campaign, a series of spots currently airing on WHYY-TV that pair some familiar "opposites," including basketball coaches John Chaney from Temple University and Fran Dunphy from the University of Pennsylvania, and newspaper editors Amanda Bennett of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Ellen Foley of the Philadelphia Daily News. These memorable match-ups emphasize that, despite our many differences, we can all agree on one thing: everyone must vote in order to make our region an even better place to live and work.

Right up until the end of Election Day 2003, we are presenting in-depth analysis on some of the key issues in the campaign for mayor of Philadelphia, which is undoubtedly the region's most pivotal election race. On WHYY-FM's Radio Times, we brought together two of the city's most politically influential men, Bruce Crawley and Carl Singley, for an extremely candid debate with host Marty Moss-Coane about the role race will play in this election, as well as a host of local experts for a series of insightful discussions on various topics, all of which are archived on the Web at www.whyy.org/election03 along with additional WHYY-FM reports and links to more resources.

We partnered with the Pennsylvania Economy League to present the WHYY-TV special The Next Mayor: Issues Philadelphia, airing Sunday, November 2, which examines the unique challenges faced by the city's next mayor, and ultimately, by everyone in the Delaware Valley. On Election Day, we will partner with FOX News to bring you the most comprehensive, up-to-the-minute local coverage on TV, FM and on the Web.

Beginning Monday, November 3, we are joining a nationwide collaboration of public radio stations to present a weeklong series of programs centered around the theme "Whose Democracy Is It?." In addition to producing several local specials, we are helping to initiate a national conversation about the health of American democracy by contributing pieces produced by 91FM reporters on Morning Edition, Day to Day and All Things Considered.

I am especially pleased and proud this month to report yet another new step in the growth of our News & Public Affairs service -- one that distinguishes WHYY as a technology leader in this region and reaffirms our commitment to find increasingly innovative ways to enrich the lives of the people in the diverse communities we serve. Beginning November 3, we will now provide viewers with a streaming video archive of the complete 30-minute broadcast of WHYY's Delaware Tonight, the only weekday broadcast television news program based in The First State, on the Internet at www.whyy.org/tv12/deltonight.html.

Coinciding with the program's 40th anniversary on the air, the launch of "Delaware Tonight on Demand" -- the first and only fully-archived, on-demand Internet news service available in Wilmington and Philadelphia -- makes it possible for people to get the week's news stories and other features of regional interest at their own convenience, fulfilling the need for a service that many Delawareans have requested over the past several years.

From our youngest citizens to those now living "the second half of life," we know a community that is informed and involved is one that thrives. As we continue to enhance our many on and off-air services for the benefit of everyone in this great region, we look forward to connecting with you every step of the way.

Best regards,
William J. Marrazzo
President and Chief Executive Officer