Over the past four months, while most of the East End has been stuck in lockdown, 88.3 WPPB-FM, based in Southampton, Long Island's only National Public Radio station, has undergone a radical makeover.
The WNET Group, the company that owns the PBS television stations Thirteen in New York City and WLIW21 on Long Island, acquired the station in March, its call sign was changed to WLIW-FM in June, and, on Tuesday, it began broadcasting from a new studio.
Its new home, a storefront space at 51 Hill Street (next door to Southampton's movie theater), provides passers-by with a peek into a broadcasting booth. It's a symbol of the ownership's commitment to engaging with the community, said Diane Masciale, the vice president and general manager.
"One of the first things I did was put 'MetroFocus' on the radio," said Ms. Masciale, referring to a show that covers issues pertinent to the region. A recent episode focused on the Anti-Racism Project, a Long Island organization that seeks to root out the underlying causes of systemic racism.
In the coming months, the station plans to increase its amount of local news coverage, highlight the East End's artist community in lifestyle and entertainment programming, and, once the pandemic ends, hold special events.
In the meantime, it is providing listeners with a "more seamless listening experience" thanks to an upgraded antenna, an enhanced signal, and a full slate of NPR programming that WPPB couldn't afford to carry. "The station provided us with a great foundation, but it was under extreme economic pressure and didn't have the resources," Ms. Masciale said. "That was one of the reasons we acquired it."
Listeners can now hear "Morning Edition," "Fresh Air," "All Things Considered," "This American Life," "Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!" and more.
And whereas WPPB had been a stand-alone station, WLIW-FM can make use of content created by its sister television outlets and have access to their distribution networks, including smartphone apps, digital media players like Roku, and smart speakers like Alexa and Google Home. "We have to go where the audience is, and the audience is everywhere," Ms. Masciale said.
She cited two ongoing WNET reporting initiatives, "Peril and Promise," which focuses on climate change, and "Chasing the Dream," which looks at income inequality, as examples of reporting that would translate well to East End radio.
"Public media is different from commercial media because we also have to engage with the community," said Ms. Masciale, whose career history includes stints at "Today" and "Good Morning America." "And radio is so intimate, it provides a wonderful opportunity to engage with the public."
One of the things that hasn't changed at the station is the roster of popular local personalities on the airwaves, including Brian Cosgrove, the host of "The Afternoon Ramble," Gianna Volpe, the host of "The Heart of the East End," and Ed German, the host of "The Urban Jazz Experience" and "Friday Night Soul."
Despite the myriad changes, morale is high among employees, said Ms. Masciale. "We've got brand-new studios and brand-new equipment -- the staff is thrilled."
