History
Many more people than those listed below have contributed to our successes so far. You know who you are – “phone home!” We’d love to hear from you. Let’s keep adding to this collective memory.
1994
A small group of community activists, journalists and dreamers met in an Oakland café to discuss how to counter the new proliferation of “hate radio” – a genre brought to new lows by Rush Limbaugh and company. The National Radio Project and its flagship radio series grew out of those discussions. An experiment of 13 weekly programs titled Making Contact began.
1995
Special coverage of the Media Democracy Conference with Janine Jackson, Laura Flanders and Norman Solomon.
Janice Leber begins producing Making Contact on her home cassette machine.
1996
International Media Project formed as the non-profit, with Peggy Law as Executive Director.
UnConventional Coverage ’96: live daily coverage from the Democratic and Republican conventions.
Denise Graab joins in on the admin work and station relations.
1997
Helped establish the Institute for Public Accuracy as a fiscally sponsored project of International Media Project.
Phillip Babich comes on board as Managing Producer and Making Contact host.
Shereen Meraji joins Making Contact as an Administrative Assistant, later becomes Production Assistant, and then Associate Producer.
1998
Making Contact breaks through the 130-stations mark.
Ongoing fiscal sponsorship set up for Feminist International Radio Endeavor (FIRE) in Costa Rica.
The Women’s Desk formalized with Lisa Rudman as its first Coordinator.
Laura Livoti becomes Managing Director of National Radio Project.
1999
Globalization Desk launched and led by Laura Livoti
World Trade Watch: Live daily coverage from the WTO and the battle of Seattle with Julie Light of Corporate Watch and Norman Solomon as hosts.
Stephanie Welch joins National Radio Project as an Associate Producer.
Rosalyn Fay joins the staff as an administrative assistant.
Fiscal sponsorship initiated for the East Timor Radio Collective.
2000
UnConventional Coverage 2000: Live daily coverage from the Democratic and Republican conventions hosted by Norman Solomon and Elizabeth Robinson.
Shereen Marisol Meraji becomes an Associate Producer.
Ongoing fiscal sponsorship established for ARPAS Association of micro-stations in El Salvador.
Inside Capital: Special programs produced with Free Speech Radio News from the D.C. meetings and protests of the IMF and World Bank.
The Prison Desk is formalized with Eli Rosenblatt as its first Coordinator.
2001
Live Wire Independent News: a pilot daily news program during February, collaborating with community radio stations and independent media centers.
Beyond Headlines: eight month series produced weekly in response to the events of 9/11.
The Media Collaborative on Colombia is formalized.
2002
Civil Liberties Initiative launched.
Laura Livoti becomes Acting Executive Director of National Radio Project
2003
Welfare Radio Collaborative is formalized with Women of Color Resource Center.
Lisa Rudman becomes Executive Director.
2004
National Radio Project celebrates 10 years
Aimée Pomerleau becomes Production Director.
Justin Beck comes on board as an Associate Producer.
Dori Taylor joins staff, focusing on Marketing, Station Relations and Development.
Queer Youth Collaborative with KPFA’s Apprenticeship Program is launched.
ElectionWatch ’04: monthly edition of Making Contact, which focused on election-year issues.
2005
Tena Rubio comes on board as Senior Producer.
New National Radio Project website is launched.
Pauline Bartolone comes on board as an Associate Producer.
Peace & Real Security Initiative launched.
2006
Justin Beck becomes a Producer.
Dan Turner surpasses the 10-year mark as Super-Volunteer.
2007
National Radio Project wins two “Excellence in Journalism” awards from the Society for Professional Journalists.
2008
Andrew Stelzer joins Making Contact as a producer.
Khanh Pham becomes Associate Director.
Making Contact participates with other Media Consortium members in Live From Main Street to produce a series of pre-election programs.
2009
National Radio Project launches an Environmental Justice series launched, focusing on green jobs, climate change, big oil, urban gardens, and food justice.
In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Making Contact begins a monthly “How We Survive” series, looking at how communities around the U.S. are responding to the economic crisis.
Pauline Bartolone rejoins Making Contact as a Producer and Web Editor.
2010
The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern Caifornia Chapter) awards Andrew Stelzer for Explanatory Journalism for his documentary about civilian oversight of the police called “Breaking Through the Blue Wall of Silence.”
Karl Jagbandhansingh becomes our Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator, as a VISTA/Americorps Digital Arts Service Corps member.
Kyung Jin Lee joins Making Contact as a Producer.
2011
Esther Manilla joins us as Interim Producer.
