Works in Progress

While Carroll McKenney Public Media has many program plans, we hope you realize that — with the reality of being a new “start-up” with the attendant limited resources and an all-volunteer “staff” – we’re trying hard not to “over promise” and “under deliver.”

Additionally, we hope you will take the time to participate in shaping the roster of “issues and voices” you hear here. How? Simply post a comment – where provided — about any of the programming…or use the “contact us” link. Be sure to let us know how to reach you, too! And if, you’d like to be considered for an on-mic role as a producer, segment host or commentator check out this page.

Here’s a quick review followed by a more detailed description of works either in progress or under consideration. Let us know what you think.

Central Florida Matters
many short 4-9 minute “features” on a range of issues and voices including 1-2 minute commentary/opinion segments for each program are planned. We’ll also have room for “ear candy” pieces and unique aural transitions between segments.

State of Our Spirit
a monthly program addressing Central Florida issues centered on our region’s “spirit.” SOS will address the prevailing mood or outlook characteristic of Central Florida in the moment. Ideally, the series will showcase local issues that address moral controversies, and topics that contribute to greater social understanding.

Historical events
celebrating a major historical milestone of an event which impacted the life and people of Central Florida

Faith Walk
produced as a twice yearly documentary following the steps to, through, and after the ordination of a local Rabbi, Pastor, and Imam.

Discussions
Developing and hosting community discussions. CMF will convene occasional community gatherings to more widely engage residents in discussion about a local issue. Parts or all of each convocation will be recorded for potential use in CMF programming.

Student Voices
Developing local student “voices” from area high schools and colleges who will serve collaboratively with CMF to conceive, write, produce and pilot their work for a CMF program.

Metro Area Alliance
Formalizing a metro area alliance of emerging independent digital media producers to more formally advance their potential in the public media genre and to provide each with wider recognition and access to resources to perfect their mission.

Central Florida Matters

many short 4-9 minute “features” on a range of issues and voices including 1-2 minute commentary/opinion segments for each program are planned. We’ll also have room for “ear candy” pieces and unique aural transitions between segments.

Features

Coping in Seminole County — reflecting how residents, neighborhoods, businesses (for profit and non-profit), and local government are accommodating the economic downturn all of us are experiencing.

Under the Radar — Ordinary Central Floridians Doing Extraordinary Things… profiles of our neighbors and what they do for us…such as those who…

care for our souls (priests, imams, pastors, hospice caregivers),
bury our dead (grave diggers, funeral directors, crematory managers),
keep us safe (police, highway patrol, crossing guards, stadium security),
teach our children (public/private school teachers, special education teachers),
bring us the news (editors, reporters, anchor persons, newspaper delivery persons),
clean our streets or theme parks,
take our expressway tolls, or answer our 9-11 calls.

The History of Our — neighborhoods in Central Florida. In east Seminole County, such neighborhoods which come to mind include Taintsville, Jamestown, Geneva, Chuluota, and Slavia.

A similar version of the above could be produced centered upon “the history of our” local synagogues, cathedrals and churches, or still-standing local schools like Oviedo’s Lawton Elementary or Sanford’s Seminole High School, or area cemeteries, famous streets and roads we travel every day, even local businesses still operating decades later from the same location.

Heard in Central Florida — audio excerpts from speakers at local civic clubs, organizations, societies or special gatherings. Coming to mind are speakers (of local and national repute) from keynote addresses at Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, varied events from the local Chambers of Commerce events, or Seminole Community College’s regular on-campus events/seminars/institutes.

I’ve Always Been Curious About — an audio series of 6-9 minute profiles of those persons with whom we come into periodic contact who have responsibilities and jobs about which we know very little and may – until we get to know them — appreciate even less…such as the attendant at the county refuse transfer station who deals with our trash or the school crossing guard who daily shepherds our children safely from curb to curb.

Seminole County Focus Feature — On being black in Seminole County; or, on being adopted in Seminole County; or, on dying in Seminole County; or, on being addicted…retired….imprisoned…gay…Puerto Rican…Muslim…poor…or homeless. Each feature should look at the nature of being that subject matter. We should hear from those who are the subject and gain their perspective on it. We should also talk to those who service or support the subject, and we should learn how Seminole County compares on this subject to other Central Florida counties.

Art is Where You Find It — in the church, workplace, or on the road. Art in Central Florida is not only found in our museums and art centers —it’s every where and in the eye of every beholder. Such “beholders” regularly join us on a sound and walking tour of where they find art in our midst. Maybe we didn’t see it; yet, now we will. We’ll learn more about it, where it is and how to get there. Maybe next time, we’ll find our own art!

Passing the Torch — at subtle and not so subtle occasions there exists a local story of succession, transfer of power, or the passing of a mantel. In a series of 6-9 minute features, Passing the Torch will take the listener into the bitter sweet moments of a local family dealing with the consequence of children coming of age and taking important responsibilities once held by a parent or another family member; or with the prospect of a new future facing long serving elected leaders or company CEO’s standing down from intense and iconic service; or with the angst surrounding the death of a patriarch or matriarch and the life now faced by those next in line. In an intimate and personal style, told by those Central Floridians who experienced them, these transitions – little understood and often even less known – will be individually explored and showcased.

Untold Stories from — our area’s retirement centers. Hundreds of our communities’ elderly – 80-95 year old residents live full and productive lives in local retirement centers. When focused-on long enough, each have stories to tell — unique, poignant, and with an inevitable twist back to contemporary issues that a younger population confronts today. We’ll open an aural treasure chest of these “untold” stories.

Over 60 — Sixty years of anything seems to be more exceptional than just 50 years. This series will profile and examine a selection of people, places and institutions in our region that in 2009 celebrate attaining that 60-year mark. We get to know a couple celebrating their 6-decade marriage anniversary, a local company who has hung on for this long, a just-released felon starting his probation at age 80, and an older brother’s remembrances on the 60th anniversary of the death of his younger sibling.

Commentary/Opinion

A 2 minute commentary and opinion segment will be included in most Central Florida Matters. The “voice” will be a local person that “matters” or should matter addressing (from prepared remarks) her or his point of view about an “issue” that matters (or should). Central Florida Matters will encourage and accommodate on-line feed back via the program’s comment page. Some comments will be quoted in future programs along with audio recordings of telephone comments from listeners.

The program’s hosts will introduce the commentator and give credentials and context as to some may find that person qualified to speak to the subject. The host will return after the commentary monologue to encourage feedback from listeners. There will be no dialog or exchange between host and commentator.

Ear-Candy

Two segments of each Central Florida Matters will provide 1 to 2 minutes of what we call “candy” for the ear.

These pieces are intended to momentarily shift the program’s intensity or to increase the pace or to add occasional humor, surprise or texture to the listening experience.

Examples of such “ear candy” subjects could be a series of quick sound bites from 7 or 8 local residents –identified or unidentified — commenting upon their likes and dislikes of a local area; or students dealing with homework; or drivers coping with construction delays; or joggers enjoying the heat of a sunny day on a rail-trail; or visitors reacting to their visit to a local museum.

In other examples, tied to a particular time of year or event or anniversary, subjects will be asked to respond or react to their understanding (or lack there of) of the relevance of the event in their life.

Aural Transition Elements Between Segments

Similar in purpose as the above “ear candy,” but still adding a different style of “localism,” will be short 30-second aural elements serving as pauses or “page turners” between chapters in a book, while featuring the sounds of Central Florida.

Recorded on location, these elements will help listeners focus on local sounds around us we may easily take for granted…until captured and presented in a manner that makes us smile, or catches us by surprise, or simply stumps us until explained later in the program.

For example a quick sound montage of “would you like paper or plastic?” or a school crossing guard’s repetitive cautions spoken to his young student pedestrians, or the sounds encountered by a local toll-road toll collector.

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State of Our Spirit (SOS)

State of our Spirit will be a monthly program addressing Central Florida issues centered on our region’s “spirit.” In the belief that local electronic media steer clear of the abstract “spiritual” thread in the hard news issues they cover, State of Our Spirit will instead focus on the spirit-filled aspects of how selected local news issues impact…

Our sense of self
Our will or enthusiasm for living
Our generosity, personality, temperament, values, loyalty and attitude

The values and behaviors that influence us: the divine and the inspiring, together with our rules, decrees, and traditions.

SOS will address the prevailing mood or outlook characteristic of our region in the moment.

SOS will illuminate, not advocate; present, not judge. However, participants and issues within each program will offer specific points of view. SOS will address the complexities and interconnections of spirit in the life of individuals and institutions in Central Florida.
Ideally, the series will showcase local issues that address moral controversies, and topics that contribute to greater social understanding.

The issue of “localism” will be the overarching focus and fabric of the series. While global, national or state issues may well be addressed within the program, they will be done so with a strong local perspective. If there is no local or relevant point of view, the subject will be left for other media to address.

Per se, SOS will not be a series on religion, ethics or morals. In the same manner, the listener to SOS need not be religious, ethical or moral!

SOS will have as robust a Web presence as resources will allow. The pages will enabling the visitor to experience a value-added relationship with the series and the people and issues explored on each program. To continue the exploration and outreach, it is contemplated that discussion groups will be created on line and as well as physically in geographic locations.

Twice per year, SOS will produce a 60-minute special originating outside the studio in the community. Subject matter experts will be convened to discuss issues in front of a community audience. The audience – their questions and reactions — will also be included in the program.

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Historical events

Once or twice each year, CMF will propose the production of a documentary looking back on a major historical milestone of an event which impacted the life and people of Central Florida.

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Faith Walk

Faith Walk will be a twice yearly documentary following the steps to, through, and after the ordination of a Central Florida Rabbi, Pastor, and Imam.

The documentary will enlist the participation of each “student” to narrate his or her own walk of faith from young disciple to a full fledged and mature cleric. Additionally, the listener will get to know their family, advisors, challenges, failures, successes and temptations along the long walk toward their faith… or towards failing in it.

Ideally, candidates of each faith will be identified by an advisory group. Each candidate would be from the Central Florida region. Each would be in his or her junior or senior year of high school and will have demonstrated a serious and formal likelihood to commence a life-long journey toward serving his or her faith as a minister.

The documentary commitment will likely span a 15-year period with an assessment made every 4 or 5 years whether to continue the project or adjust it.

(Note: the subject focus on a group of local theology students could just as effectively be modified to instead focus on any number of other unique and less followed professions or situations such as – medical school students, first year public school teachers, actors and artists, inmates, mental patients, etc.)

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Developing and hosting community discussions or seminars

In follow up to any of the above subjects, CMF will convene occasional community gatherings to more widely engage residents in discussion about the issue. They will be convened when an issue previously addressed via CMF programming reaches a public interest level suitable to creating such an event. On most occasions, the event will be conducted in collaboration with other entities such as universities, museums, councils or community groups.

Parts or all of each seminar will be recorded for potential use in CMF programming.

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Developing student “voices”

Elements of selected CMF programming will be assigned to a high school or college student who will serve collaboratively with CMF to conceive, write, produce and pilot each element.

Funding will be sought to offer a student a modest honorarium and to support the specific work of CMF in this area.

The student will be selected annually by a CMF-empanelled selection committee. The committee will promote the candidate recruitment process to area public high schools and colleges. Students will be identified for their emerging interest in media, reporting, and production.

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Formalizing a metro area alliance of emerging independent digital media producers

Much of the programming described in CMF’s vision will include the important work and talent of emerging local independent digital media producers and civic/social journalists. The initial relationship between CMF and these producers gives rise to the need to more formally advance their potential in the public media genre and to provide each with wider recognition and access to resources to perfect their mission.

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