BY RANDY McNUTT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
OXFORD -- Come Friday morning, Miami University's radio station, WMUB, will combine cyberspace and talk radio.
WMUB Forum, a pilot program, will focus on listeners' e-mail questions and comments to the station on 88.5 FM.
"We don't know how many e-mails we'll get or what kinds of questions will be asked," said Cleve Callison, general manager. "But if the show takes off, we could expand it -- maybe to twice a week or some other schedule."
Darrel Gray, hired in mid-June as news and public affairs director, will host the new show from 9 to 10 a.m. Fridays. It will be repeated at 7 to 8 p.m. Fridays.
"He has extensive background in this kind of show," Mr. Callison said. "Of course, we expect it to continue, but it will be evaluated and we'll make adjustments as we go along."
On Friday, the first show's topic will be "Growing Up Male in the '90s." On Sept. 25, Mr. Gray will interview Jim Cash, author of Unsung Heroes, a book about U.S. presidents since Abraham Lincoln. Station executives are working on a Web site for the new show, http://www.wmub.org/forum.html. The station's new Web site, which lists the programming schedule, is http://www.wmub.org.
Mr. Callison, who came to WMUB 1 1/2 years ago, said inspiration for the e-mail show came primarily from Cincinnati Reds broadcasters Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall, who take some e-mail questions during games.
Over the summer, the station also made other programming changes: adding spot news reports during the 6 to 9 a.m. portion of National Public Radio's Morning Edition and airing local stories, both originally produced and from Ohio Public Radio.
"We will place a premium on training and offer opportunities that give students real-life broadcast journalism experience," Mr. Gray said.
