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EAA Radio crew |
In its 16th year EAA Radio's 45 volunteers were
very busy through the eight days of live AirVenture programming. Broadcast
locally on 93.3 FM and on the Internet, 8,000 people listened to the webstream
for an average of 23 minutes. Every live morning interview slot was filled
throughout the week as the EAA Radio hosts talked to scores of people live in The
Studio in the Sky at the Bill Fobes Broadcast Center along the flightline.
Over 160 interviews were recorded.
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"The schedule filled-up early this year,
which was unprecedented," said Co-Chairman Thomas Balisteri.
"However, we anticipated this and many additional interviews were
recorded off air."
One of the new shows this year, EAA Radio
Live from the EAA Welcome Center, was a smashing success as each day
200-300 people sat in the audience to watch as EAA Radio hosts interviewed.
Aviation luminaries such as Cessna's Jack Pelton, Sean D. Tucker, Jeff Skiles,
Sully Sullenberger, and FAA Administrator Randy Babbit all took the Welcome
Center stage to chat in front of a worldwide audience.
Balistreri co-manages EAA Radio with
Co-Chairman Jim Gray, who handles many of the technical details, training, and
human resources. Gray is also an associate professor at St. Cloud State
University (SCSU) and brought 12 radio interns with him to assist in the
monumental effort.
"The internship program with SCSU is in its 5th year and is mutually
beneficial to EAA and SCSU," Gray said.
"The interns get an intense course in all
aspects of radio operations and EAA Radio receives much-needed skilled
assistance during the short 10 day time the station is operated live."
AirVenture attendees may have also seen the EAA
Radio Rover, a white SUV festooned in EAA and RotorWay International logos, at
various locations around the grounds. The Rover supported the daily remote
broadcasts of EAA Radio On the Fly!, which broadcast live from the
various areas of AirVenture, including Ultralights, Vintage, and the Seaplane
Base. The Rover was outfitted with a pneumatic mast that could rise to 40 feet
to beam the signal back to EAA Radio.
Broadcasts from the Welcome Center and for On
the Fly! would not have been possible this year without the support of
RotorWay International, which signed on as EAA Radio's first official sponsor.
"We looked at what EAA Radio has done over
the years and we felt that it was important to let people hear and know what
happens at EAA is an important part of the process," said RotorWay
International CEO Grant Norwitz during an interview from the EAA Welcome
Center.
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