Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio goes live in Nanaimo

From now on every Wednesday at 12 noon, Radio Malaspina will air Nash Holos live on CHLY 101.7fm!

This is a new experience for me, as the show has always been pre-recorded. It harkens back to the days prior to going digital in 2002, when the show was done "live to tape."

It was almost like doing the show live, but the tape could be stopped to edit on the fly and re-record a section if desired.

Can't do that with live radio, tho! So it's a new adventure.

On my debut show I didn't do a lot of talking, mostly I was getting used to the rhythm of all the controls with the mixing board, computer and CD player. I sat in the day before on Fresh Cutz, hosted by Dylan Perry. Typical of all pros, he made it look deceptively easy!

I am grateful to the lovely Ashta, who took the time to give me a wonderful introduction at the start of the show, and some help with the controls. The rest of the show was back to back music, with Ukrainian Food Flair (potato cabbage roll filling) and Ukraine News Outlook with a feature on feminism in Ukraine.

Ashta went back to her duties shortly after the intro, and then Dylan took over supervision of this nervous and confused live radio rookie. About 10 minutes or so later, a call came in from a listener excited to hear the show because it reminded her of her baba, who was a loyal listener of Nash Holos.

It's a small world. The caller happened to be Kerilie McDowall, host of the Monday afternoon jazz show Rhythm'a'ning!

All the folks I've met at CHLY are absolutely wonderful. They've been helpful and supportive and have gone out of their way to make me feel at home. Another reason to love this great little city!

In addition to Dylan's show, Ashta has invited me to sit in on the show she co-hosts, People First Radio. On Saturday I'll be sitting in on a bit of The LoveCast hosted by Dave O'Rama, and rest assured I will be angling for an invite to sit in on Kerilie's show and BobbieBeCool's as well. And who knows what else. (If I'm not careful, I'll end up spending most of my time there!)

Podcasts of these shows, and most others on CHLY, can be found on the podcast listings (here) on the station's website.

To provide the podcasts, the station works with a Victoria company called Daily Splice. Dylan helped me to get myself setup there, and a podcast of the live Nanaimo edition of Nash Holos can be accessed directly (here) or via iTunes (here).

For the second live show, I'll be taking the plunge behind the mic as well. So, stay tuned!

To those tuning in to the live broadcast, thanks for your patience and your support. It means more than you can ever know. :-)

This is an exciting development at Nash Holos, to have the show now syndicated nationally in Canada. The flagship show continues to air, as it has since 2000, on AM1320 CHMB Vancouver on Sundays at 5pm PST (new time effective June 3, 2012). The international syndication on the Taiwan-based PCJ Radio network also continues on AM, FM and shortwave radio aournd the world in 20+ countries, with the latest expansion being on Malta University Broadcasting 103.7fm  Saturdays at 9 pm following the BBC News Hour, effective June 9, 2012.

Talk to you next Wednesday, live from Nanaimo!

Maintaining broadcast standards in the face of public pressure

I am so proud to be associated with AM1320 CHMB in Vancouver.

Today they sent out a press release citing an issue with an advocacy group in Vancouver that wanted to run an ad on the station calling for a public demonstration to protest the Chinese government on the anniversary of Tiannamen Square.

The statement said that the group refused to make changes to their script to correct a factual error and comply with the station's broadcast policy, so the station refused their business.

I absolutely agree with and support station management's firm refusal to bow to public pressure. As hard as it may be, any broadcaster worth his or her salt has to remain above political advocacy in order to provide balanced coverage of events and issues of interest to their listeners.

This is something that I strive to do on my own show, despite criticism and pressure from some members of the Ukrainian community to take a political stand on this issue or that. While I may do so personally, doing so as a broadcaster is tantamount to peddling propaganda.

I know this mindset is old school and out of step with a lot of media activists today, but so be it. I have never been one to follow the crowd. I am just gratified that the folks at CHMB are of like mind, and will not be bullied into violating time-honoured broadcast policy for the sake of political correctness or expediency, and in the process compromise their integrity and shortchange their audiences.

Here is the text of the press release:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MEDIA RELEASE

May 31, 2012

CHMB AM1320 Response to Media Advisory issued by Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement

Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement requested to place a commercial ad with the station to commemorate the June 4th incident.

Any radio station reserves the right to request any commercial advertisers to change or adjust the advertising content. This is an industry practice. Upon review of the creative provided by the Society on 28 May 2012, our station requested two revisions to part of the script, one of which is not factual, and the other because it is against our radio station’s broadcast policy.

Our mandate is to provide quality programming to our listeners, and be a responsible broadcaster.

Our decision to request for a revision of the advertiser's script is in accordance with our policy not to promote any kind of public gathering in a realistic manner that will lead to a demonstration from any organization.

The station has no stance on the June 4th issue. Our news team has and will continue to cover issues that are news worthy.

Media Contact:
Tinhanei Lee, Business Development Director of Mainstream Broadcasting Corporation
604-263-1320 x118
Email

Canadian parliamentary committee shares details of visit to Ukraine

On this week’s edition of Nash Holos:

 

Canada’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development visited Ukraine last week to get a firsthand look at the situation regarding human rights, politically motivated selective justice, and the rule of law on the ground in Ukraine.

 

The Hon. Bob Dechert, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and The Hon. Ralph Goodale, Liberal M.P. for Wascana, shared their experiences and observations with political commentator Oksana Bashuk Hepburn, Simon Kouklevsky of Ukrainian Time radio in Montreal, and myself.

 

Topics included the delegations failed attempt to visit the jailed ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko, Canada’s free-trade agreement with Ukraine, and why NGOs are “cautiously optimistic” about upcoming elections in Ukraine.

 

The call airs on this week’s edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio. Local Vancouver podcast archived at www.nashholos.com (International Edition at www.pcjmedia.com/nash-holos.)

 

Or tune in tonight to the live broadcast at 6pm PST on AM1320CHMB Vancouver (streaming www.am1320.com).

 

Also on the show:

• Recipe for elegant stuffed beef patties
• Latest news on jailing of ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko, and plans for oil drilling in Ukraine
• Music by UB, Tyt i Tam, Pryvit, Oksana Mukha, Millenia, Mickey & Bunny, The Ukrainian Connection.

Enjoy!

Nash Holos archives updated to 29April2012.

Audio files & music lineup available at www.nashholos.com

Here’s what’s on:

Ukrainian Food Flair ... with Sylvia Molnar:

• Spinach as an aid for weight loss
• Sylvia’s recipe for spinach patties

Ukraine News Outlook ... with Keith Perron:

• Bombings in Ukraine
• Is Ukraine ready for Euro2012?

Special Chornobyl Feature

• Keith Perron and Jonathan Marks on the role that amateur radio played in undermining the soviet regime and exposing the facts of the 1986 Chernobyl explosion to the world


Other items of interest:

• Proverb of the Week
• Upcoming local events
• Great Ukrainian music!

Artists:

• Molodtsi (Winnipeg)
• Millenia (Edmonton)
• Tyt i Tam (Saskatoon)
• Ludwig (UK)
• Taras Petronenko (Ukraine)
• Boris Sichon (BC)
• Rebecca Sichon  (BC)
• Canadian Rhythm Masters (Winnipeg)

Audio files & music lineup available at www.nashholos.com

Enjoy!