Q&A with Jennifer Roth

Jennifer Roth, general manager of WBFO-FM 88.7, has been a member of the UB staff since 1990. Prior to joining UB, she was co-producer of the National Public Radio program, "The Thistle & Shamrock."

Why have you chosen a career in public radio instead of commercial radio?

Growing up, I was glued to commercial radio, just as my own kid is today. I especially loved listening to the Vikings' games and-in the wee hours, when everyone else was sleeping-to clear channel stations from distant places. In 1972, when I got my first radio job, at KUOM at the University of Minnesota, I had never before heard a public radio station. But there it was, "All Things Considered," and the bridge was irrevocably crossed. For me, the possibilities (for using imagination and creativity, for engaging the mind and the soul, for reaching someone in a meaningful way) all lie in public radio. Plus, I cannot bear commercials.

What's the most challenging thing about being general manager of a 24-hour-a-day radio station?

I think the most challenging thing about any job is keeping it fresh. If you're a manager, then you also have to instill that drive in others.

Then there's the challenge of being responsible for something that never sleeps and never stops. In the olden days, when many stations signed off at midnight, I would heave a huge sigh of temporary relief along with the "swoosh" of the transmitter being switched off for six hours. Now, even when I'm on vacation, I'm wondering who's on board at BFO, how things are going, and I can call in from anywhere, any time, and actually hear what's on the air.

Fund-raising obviously is an important part of the life of any public radio station. When is your next drive?

You just happened to catch us in the throes of our Fall drive, which gives me an opportunity to ask the UB community to support WBFO with a membership pledge if they haven't done so yet. "Now is the time, dear professor, administrator, staffer and student, to come through for your NPR station. You can help us meet our goal of $145,000-our highest goal ever. Call 829-6000-and thanks!"

How frequent are WBFO's fund drives, and do you ever get tired of them?

Two on-air drives a year-Fall and Spring-is what it takes to reach WBFO's membership goals. These contributions make up a third of our operating budget, with the rest of the fuel coming from UB, our annual grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and business underwriting.

Tired of fund-raising? I wouldn't be honest if I said it didn't take a toll. But it's a golden opportunity to get feedback from the folks who use our service. We have 5,000 members and a weekly audience of nearly 100,000. Our audience comes to life via the phones and I can't begin to tell you what impact that has on the staff of WBFO (not to mention the impact of the financial contributions on our ability to provide the current level of service.)

What role do volunteers play at WBFO?

Volunteers are here at Allen Hall right now, answering phones in "Pledge Central," bringing in food to sustain the troops and giving us moral support. Macy Favor, host of "Jazz Favorites," just arrived to produce his show for Sunday's broadcast. And tomorrow we're expecting the rest of the weekly program volunteers to add their unique voices to the BFO schedule-Dick Judelsohn, Ted Howes, Joanne Schlegel, Barbara Herrick, Jeff Pieczyinski and Family, Randy Keller, Rob Campbell. Others, like reporter Jen Gold and our UB student interns, will be around later. Volunteers help make the station what it is.

How does WBFO decide what programs to subscribe to?

We use a number of criteria. Here are several of them: quality, quality, quality. Our Program Director David Benders puts new and proposed shows through excruciating tests, asking questions like "How would it fit into the schedule and what would it replace?" "Is something like this already available to Buffalo listeners?" "Would our audience be interested in it?" And Dave seeks out opinions of others-our Advisory Board, for example-before signing on a new show. Any suggestions from you, Reporter readers?

What are the station's most popular shows?

According to Arbitron, our top-rated shows are Saturday blues, "Car Talk," "Morning Edition" and-in terms of market share-"Sunday Polka Party."

Do you plan any changes to WBFO's programming in the near future?

We're always trying to make WBFO an ever-better radio station; we're keen to learn what listeners like and don't like; and we're always open to change. Right now, with listenership and membership support increasing, our plans are to continue strengthening the primary formats-NPR news and jazz.

Why is WBFO's history rooted in jazz, as opposed to, say, classical or some other style of music?

Buffalo's own history is rooted in jazz, so it makes sense that WBFO would dedicate itself to exploring and furthering this important form of music, especially given that the classical music radio niche is already filled here by WNED and several stations coming in from Toronto. Bert Gambini, our music director, does a terrific job making jazz sing on WBFO.

What question do you wish I had asked, and how would you have answered it?

Ask me what I think is WBFO's greatest strength and I'll answer: it's our staff members, who keep the station running wondrously well, day in, day out. I am grateful to them for what they bring to the workplace and I enjoy learning from them, watching them grow and working together to make good radio.