WHRB COVID-19 Updates

Image courtesy of Hamish Nicholson ’20.

September 21, 2021

To the listeners of Harvard Radio Broadcasting (WHRB):

We are heartened to bring you this update as we continue to adjust our operations during the pandemic. This semester, Harvard has invited all undergraduates back to residential housing. As a result, starting September 15, WHRB air will be hosted live around-the-clock for the first time since March 2020. The circumstances on Harvard’s campus and in the world around us are in constant motion, but our commitment to bringing you unique, informative, and high-quality programming has not changed.

The community of undergraduates at Harvard Radio are unwavering in their care for and commitment to our listeners. We welcome any feedback and questions you may have. You can write to us at president@whrb.org and gm@whrb.org. You can also reach other members of the WHRB staff via www.whrb.org/contact. If you are interested in supporting WHRB, you can make a tax-deductible donation by mailing us a check or supporting us online at www.whrb.org/support.

With gratitude,

Ellie Taylor ’22, President
Margaux Winter ’21, General Manager

February 21, 2021

Dear friends and listeners of WHRB:

As we near the end of the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we write to you with another update regarding WHRB’s programming.

This semester marks the start of the most air hosted live on WHRB since March of 2020. In the fall, you may have tuned in to pre-produced Classical, News, Hillbilly at Harvard, and Sports shows. Starting this month, and continuing through the semester, our DJs have begun broadcasting an increased number of live shows, both from WHRB’s studio and from their homes across the world. With the return of many juniors and seniors to Harvard’s campus, we are delighted to be bringing you in-studio air once again.

The challenges of the pandemic are felt by all of us, but WHRB remains committed to serving the greater Boston community with quality broadcasts. We believe that the medium of radio connects us despite the necessity of distance. Many undergraduates are working tirelessly to bring you the broadcasts that you know and love. WHRB is staffed by a community of student volunteers who are driven by our commitment to our community of listeners, and, as an independent 501c(3) non-profit, we do not receive financial support from Harvard University. If you are able and moved to support WHRB, you can make a tax-deductible donation by mailing us a check or supporting us online at whrb.org/support. We thank you for your support and listenership, and as always, we welcome your thoughts and feedback.

With gratitude,

Ellie Taylor ’22, President
Margaux Winter ’21, General Manager

April 21, 2020

Dear Friend of WHRB:

We’re writing to check in with you as the world continues to shift beneath our feet. Like you, we are adjusting as the circumstances of this pandemic evolve. We are working hard to bring you the high-quality broadcasts that you expect, along with a sense of comfort as we all shelter for the good of the community. As we mentioned in our last letter to you, we’ve shifted to mostly broadcasting pre-recorded shows. Of course, much work goes on behind the scenes in order for us to remain on air at all.

As you may know, WHRB is a commercial, non-profit organization, completely staffed by undergraduate student volunteers, and is financially independent from Harvard University. Most of our operating budget is earned through advertising campaigns for musical events, and since most concerts in the area have been postponed for the foreseeable future, many of our partners have had to cancel their ad campaigns on WHRB. Given these cancellations, we project a potential loss of more than a third of our annual operating budget in the next five months. The largest portion of that budget goes to pay rent on our transmitter in downtown Boston, making WHRB’s broad reach in the Boston area possible.

To continue providing the high standard of broadcasting that you know and appreciate from WHRB, we are asking our listeners for help. If you are able, please consider doing what you can to support WHRB during this challenging time. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, all gifts to WHRB are fully tax-deductible. To support us, you can donate online at whrb.org/support or mail a check to:
WHRB Treasurer
389 Harvard Street
Cambridge, MA 02138.
Your gift of $25, $50, $100, or more will help us continue our tradition of thoughtful, adventurous, and engaging programming.

We thank you for your continued support at this time, and we welcome your thoughts and feedback. Sending you best wishes from the WHRB staff.

Best,

Allison Pao, President (president@whrb.org)
Emily Spector, General Manager (gm@whrb.org)

March 16, 2020

To the listeners of Harvard Radio Broadcasting, Inc. (WHRB):

We would like to provide you with an update on WHRB programming in light of recent events related to COVID-19. In response to the risks of COVID-19, on Tuesday, March 10th, all Harvard undergraduates were asked to vacate campus dorms by 5pm, Sunday, March 15th.

WHRB will continue to stay on the air 24/7, uninterrupted. Because most of our students will be away from campus, much of that air will be comprised of pre-recorded shows. Nonetheless, we will continue our live broadcasts of Harvard Memorial Church's Sunday Services, the Metropolitan Opera, and Hillbilly at Harvard. Please note that pre-recorded classical music programming will temporarily replace some feature shows (including Special Concerts, New Releases, Historic Performances, and Sunday Night at the Opera). Sunday News and Sports Shows (As We Know It and Sports Talk) will broadcast periodically but no longer on a weekly basis, and there will be no live Sports broadcasts at this time.

WHRB-FM has a duty to the Harvard and Greater Boston communities. As our mission states, we "offer musical, cultural, educational, informational, and other programs and materials for the entertainment and profit of the public." Particularly during this difficult time when people are being asked to stay at home, we believe that the medium of radio can serve as an important source of information, community, and enjoyment for everyone. For that reason, we are committed to continuing to provide high-quality broadcasts to our listeners.

We thank you for your continued support at this time, and we welcome any feedback or questions you may have. If you want to learn more about how you can support us, please visit whrb.org/support. The fastest way to reach us is via email (president@whrb.org and gm@whrb.org), but you can also leave us a voicemail at (617) 495-9472 and we will do our best to get back to you soon.

Best,

Allison Pao '21, President of WHRB

Emily Spector '21, General Manager of WHRB

Harvard Radio Broadcasting, Inc.
389 Harvard St.
Cambridge, MA 02138