Annual CPB SAS Survey – 2018
Submitted 2/15/2019
6.1 Describe your overall goals and approach to address identified community issues, needs, andinterests through your station’s vital local services, such as multiplatform long and short-form content,
digital and in-person engagement, education services, community information, partnership support,
and other activities, and audiences you reached or new audiences you engaged.
WXPN is committed to reflecting a musically diverse community. This goal is fostered by our continued
commitment to making great radio and creating compelling digital content, and connecting with local,
community and national organizations. This responsibility drives us to advance our efforts toward newtechnology-driven distribution to maximize the impact of the events we produce, tell our story andstories of the musicians and audiences we serve, and build our national brand, listenership andmembership. As part of the culturally diverse Philadelphia metropolitan area, the station’s on-air anddigital efforts reflected a greater integration into that diversity in FY18.
WXPN’s goal of deeper engagement with a wider audience was realized in FY18 with an exploration ofgospel music and its enduring influence on soul, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, hip-hop and otherforms of popular music. The year-long project, the Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul was brought tocommunity first with a free screening of the documentary film, How They Got Over in February 2018. A
series of free concerts was produced in churches and local venues, 3 of the shows were performed in
FY18 with locally regarded and internationally renown artists who draw from gospel’s influence in theirmusic today. The concerts drew new audiences to XPN. Live performances, a comprehensive website
and ultimately, a nationally distributed documentary are the elements XPN used to tell gospel’s story.
Partnerships that have contributed to the project’s formation included local church leaders and experts
in the field. Field research was conducted in the Philadelphia region, Nashville and Memphis. Additional
details about the Gospel Roots are found in section 6.4 of this report.
XPN’s local footprint took us to Penn Park for the 4th Annual 5K Run for Musicians On Call on October 1,
2017. 700 guests registered for the Run. The event grossed $95,000 for this important program. In
December 2017, Helen Leicht assembled a group of local artists, some of whom participated as part of
the Musicians On Call program for an in-the-round Home for the Holidays radio special. Refer to section
6.2 for additional information about the impact of XPN’s Musicians On Call program.
WXPN celebrated 10 years of the station’s broadcast on 88.7 WXPH in Lancaster with a Funky Friday
Dance Party hosted by David Dye. 600 area members attended the event at Tellus 360 on 11/10/17.
WXPN’s Robert Drake hosted a Land Of The Lost Dance Party featuring a live broadcast to the station’s
newest listeners on signal 91.9 WXPJ at the Long Valley Pub & Brewery in Northwest NJ on 5/14/18. In
June another community engagement event in the XPJ area was presented at the Sherman Theatre in
Stroudsburg, PA with Lake Street Dive filling the venue with a sold out crowd for the free concert.
2018 was Kids Corner’s year to Celebrate their 30th Anniversary. On 5/22 Kids Corner Night at thePhillies took Kathy O’Connell out the ballgame at Citizens Bank Park for The home team played Toronto.
XPN Local favorite, singer-songwriter John Flynn performed the National Anthems of the USA and
Canada. The program and events of its 30th anniversary are discussed in sections 6.2 of this report.

As each new project is considered we ask ourselves, “what’s the radio, what’s the digital, what’s theevent.” XPN’s multi-platform approach helps us to define and lead in community engagement. Ourterrestrial broadcast reaches 400,000 listeners who enjoy a broadcast of curated playlists from a varied
programming schedule serving audiences in Philadelphia, Lancaster and York counties, Harrisburg andthe Lehigh Valley, Worton Baltimore, Maryland and counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania and Northern
New Jersey. In FY18, WXPN enhanced our technology and delivered more on video, and produced
outstanding, unique live events. Our membership and underwriting bases were extended throughincreased interactivity with Northeastern PA and Northwest NJ regions. All these advances helped thestation grow in a evolving media environment. WXPN members enter the conversation with the stationand each other through the station’s Twitter, Facebook and the XPN weekly E-news. Visitors to thewebsite can find information about the station’s programming with a glance at the station’s program
guide and may stream recently archived specialty shows. Four streams are available for online listening:
WXPN, XPN2, Folk Alley and the World Cafe archives. In FY18 members and listeners engaged with thevideo channel, VuHaus featuring local events including WXPN’s Free At Noon shows, archived footage oflive performances from World Cafe, station event performances, and WXPN’s 2018 Non-Commvention(May 15-18, 2018). In December 2017, a contributing host was hired for nationally syndicated World
Cafe; another key strategy to add to the vitality of the World Cafe was to deepen the program’s podcast
elements to allow listeners to hear more about artists interviewed beyond the on-air features. Newfeatures were added to The Key, the banner under which WXPN presents local musicians at concerts
throughout the city. XPN’s website features a comprehensive concert calendar. XPN produced andbroadcast the annual XPoNential Music Festival at the Camden Waterfront at Wiggins Park and the
BB&T Pavilion in partnership with Live Nation. Archival video of the festival can be visited at
http://thekey.xpn.org/tag/xponential-music-festival-2017/ Latin Roots Live Series of free shows wereattended by WXPN members and listeners drawing a significant new audience from the region’s Latino
community and fostering an important partnership with AfroTaino Productions. Combined marketing
efforts toward community building were part of what made the project a success.
WXPN hosts the annual Non-Commvention bringing radio station and music industry staff toPhiladelphia. Non-Comm was expanded to 4 days in FY18 with public-radio-focused conference sessions
and a diverse roster of live performances. XPN members were offered admission to the shows at a musicpass rate.
Penn Quaker Basketball games continued to be broadcast and streamed. XPN extended the stream andbroadcast schedule to include March Madness when the Penn Quakers were seeded in the tournament.
XPN’s scheduled programming is enlivened with engaging musical productions, including our annual
playback of the listener-voted year end countdown. On 11/29/17, WXPN began a 13 day playback of themusic of the ‘70s, the XPN 70s AtoZ with a playlist of over 4600 songs. Most of the music wasappropriated from the station’s massive RCS digital library, and CD library, and the DJs brought theirerudition and their personal album collections to reinforce the project to the delight of members andlisteners. For some listeners, the AtoZ experience was a time of music discovery. The playback’s listeners
took to social media at #XPNAtoZ to dialogue about the music. Like XPN’s comprehensive AtoZ the year
before, the 70s AtoZ boosted listening throughout its airing. The 70s A - Z pdf is available for download
here.

Programming stunts designed to develop themes in music are also built into individual daily programs togive listeners the opportunity to be one with the station: on the Morning Show, listeners’ suggestions
are incorporated into the playlist for the popular Friday Morning Mix Tape also found on the Spotify
playlist. Philly’s Federal Donuts staff curated an appetizing playlist for the Friday Morning Mix Tape on
June 1, 2018 aka, National Donut Day - for broadcast at 9 a.m. with Host, Kristen Kurtis. The
summertime series Throwback Thursdays returned in FY18 with weekly-themes starting with a focus on
1967. Listeners joined the upbeat conversation with comments on The Key. The series ran every
Thursday 6/1 - 8/31/17.
6.2. Describe key initiatives and the variety of partners with whom you collaborated, including otherpublic media outlets, community nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, thebusiness community, teachers and parents, etc. This will illustrate the many ways you’re connectedacross the community and engaged with other important organizations in the area.
WXPN values and cultivates relationships across the regions we serve in collaboration with a substantial
number of partners including non-profits, government agencies, educational institutions and businesses.
Each are important contributors to the station’s success and outreach in the communities we serve. The
annual summer XPoNential Music Festival sponsored by Subaru is the biggest event the station produceseach year. Approximately 300 volunteers bring their time, talent, and positive approaches to help
produce the event. The Festival generates opportunities to renew and deepen partnerships with thefestival’s title sponsor Subaru, event promoter Live Nation, and with the event partner, Camden County.
Families are welcome to experience XPoNential with a special rate for children which includes freeaccess in The Camden Children’s Garden which is operated by the non-profit Camden City Garden Club,
Inc. The festival’s vibe is also enhanced by a village of vendors on the site who share the audience’s
interests and ideals. Like all the outreach events XPN espouses, XPoNential builds on our bond with thecommunity - exponentially. It also provides critical support to the artists who perform for thousands
over the course of the weekend. The XPoNential Festival spanned 3 days 7/26-28/17 at Camden’s
Wiggins Park and the BB&T Pavilion. Our online partner VuHaus brought the event to the streaming
audience and provided video reprise with a 45-song video playlist. XPN’s partnership with Live Nation
provides a higher profile for XPoNential. Booking is underway for July’s event, and Subaru will be back as
the title sponsor.
World Cafe Live and WXPN share resources to produce weekly free shows for Free At Noon with local
and national musical artists. World Cafe Live provides the venue for the productions and WXPN books
the artists and produces this Friday afternoon event attended by members and listeners from thecommunity. Comcast, the recognized business leader in communications found a partner in XPN,
recognizing the importance of serving the local community. They connect with XPN and the community
as the presenting sponsor for Free At Noon. Their underwriting support has continually grown on WXPN.
Initially, Comcast underwrote with WXPN in the Philadelphia region and later grew in terms of theirmarket reach with WXPH in Central PA. Reflecting the value of WXPN listeners as customers, their spots
are now broadcast to Northeastern PA and Northwest NJ on the station’s WXPJ signal.
WXPN works with area hospitals and musicians to deliver 10 programs that bring live music to thebedsides of patients in the WXPN Musicians On Call program, a partnership between WXPN and thenon-profit New York-based Musicians On Call program. XPN volunteers are trained and participate as
guides that accompany local musicians through area health care facilities in Musicians On Call.

Participating hospitals include Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Hospital of the University ofPennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Lourdes Health System, Philadelphia Veterans
Administration Medical Center, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Christiana Care Health System’s
Wilmington DE Hospital, and Main Line Health System’s Bryn Mawr Hospital.
WXPN fundraisers help the WXPN Musicians On Call program thrive. WXPN’s 4th Annual 5K Run forMusicians On Call presented by Subaru helped support the non-profit program on 10/1/17. The annual
race attracts members and listeners as well as racing competitors to the course through the Universityof Pennsylvania’s Penn Park. Approximately 700 people registered; $95,000 was raised for the program.
In addition to Subaru, 5K sponsors included Lourdes Health System, Thomas Jefferson University, MainLine Health, Penn Medicine, Pam Carter and Liam Rowe, World Cafe Live, and McKeever Event MGMT.
WXPN is frequently asked to bring the program to more patients. WXPN’s 5th Annual 5K Run forMusicians On Call reprised in FY19 on 10/7/18. Next year, XPN will introduce a new feature, “Be The
Match” to bring awareness to the bone marrow transplant program which is part of the national nonprofit The National Marrow Donor Program founded by the Federal Government.
Subaru sponsored WXPN’s 2017 Giving Tuesday on 11/28/17. With their support, 5 meals were donatedto Philabundance for each person who gave to XPN: 700 members contributed over 3,500 meals. In
FY19, WXPN partnered with Subaru and PAWS, the non-profit connecting the community with homelessand at-risk animals.
Kids Corner Host Kathy O’Connell and Producer Robert Drake are frequently featured as guest hosts andpanelists at community events for kids and their families in Philadelphia’s arts and educationalorganizations. Kathy O’Connell made appearance for a variety of area organizations:
July/August 2017 - Smith Memorial Playground, Philadelphia – hosted 2 concerts in the summer series
August 2017 – Long Island New York Children’s Museum – hosted Trout Fishing In America concert
October 2017 – Mauch Chunk Opera House, Jim Thorpe, PA – hosted concert; Kathy made appearancesin Collingswood, NJ for the annual Book Fest and at the American Birding Expo at the Convention Centerin Oaks, PA.
On 3/3/18 Robert Drake emceed Flowers After Hours at the annual Philadelphia Flower Show with a
70s-themed dance party.
Kathy and Robert’s outreach brings awareness and exposure to the Kids Music genre and the artists
working in this music arena. For these artists, the industry has changed. Classic novelty artists built theshow’s music collection, now independent kids’ artists occupy a huge kids’ music market. These family
music artists come together at the biennial kids music conference KindieComm in Philadelphia. To foster
the program’s outreach goals, In FY18 KindieComm was produced with an added celebration of Kids
Corner’s 30th Anniversary concert at World Cafe Live Philadelphia (4/20-22/18).
Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul explores the connections and intersections of gospel and secular music asa way of evoking gospel's central place within the history of American popular music. The project
included 6 free live performances, radio programs, an interactive website featuring exclusive
contributions from authoritative voices in gospel and popular music, and a documentary told in 4 onehour long segments. The documentary is distributed nationally by NPR in FY19. The Gospel Roots of

Rock and Soul was supported with a grant from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. Among thecontributors and experts in the field of gospel music that XPN partnered with were Peabody awardwinning producer and host of the Sunday Afternoon Gospel music program on 96.3 WHUR, Jacquie
Gales Webb; producer and narrator of the 2018 film How They Got Over-Gospel Quartets and the Road
to Rock 'n' Roll, Jerry Zolten; host of Philadelphia’s Gospel Highway 11 and the Martin Luther Medal of
Freedom winner, Linwood Heath; host of American Routes and folklore specialist in the cultures of the
Gulf South, Nick Spitzer; and Ann Powers, NPR’s music critic, journalist and author.
Latin music has a presence on the World Cafe website that explores the volume of music from Spanishspeaking countries. Latin Roots radio programming is made possible by the Wyncote Foundation. The
Latin Roots Live! Series was produced in partnership with AfroTaino Productions and made possible by
the William Penn Foundation. Live streaming of Nuevofest 2018 (7/16/17) on VuHaus was presented bySubaru and hosted by WXPN from Fringe Arts in Philadelphia.
Live at the Kelly Writers House is a collaboration between the Writers House and WXPN. Six episodes ofthe program are recorded at Kelly Writers House in front of a live audience for broadcast on WXPN
during the fiscal year. Audio for each of these episodes is available on Kelly Writers website.
6.3. What impact did your key initiatives and partnerships have in your community? Describe any
known measurable impact, such as increased awareness, learning or understanding about particularissues. Describe indicators of success, such as connecting people to needed resources or strengthening
conversational ties across diverse neighborhoods. Did a partner see an increase in requests for relatedresources? Please include direct feedback from a partner(s) or from a person(s) served.
WXPN’s inspiration to research music’s gospel roots for The Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul project was
generated from the success of XPN’s earlier projects in Blues and Zydeco, and most recently, Latinmusic. Each of these genres, although essential to the American music story are less commonly shared
between audiences, and WXPN committed to bringing new audiences to experience them. WXPN
received a grant from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage to explore gospel music’s influence on
generations of musicians who evolved the brand away from its exclusively spiritual roots into secularand popular music. Gospel artists modeled the sound and performance styles that manifest in rock androll, soul, jazz, rhythm and blues and other innovative musical blends. The project reveals how gospel
connected and continues to connect across generations and styles while retaining its own brand, role,and importance. As the Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul project was launched, field research wasundertaken in Memphis, Nashville and Philadelphia with a team of staff, producers, and experts in thegenre. They scheduled interviews and events with gospel artists that embody the genre’s origins in thereality of today’s contemporary communities and churches.
In February 2018 the project was announced with features including live concerts, film screenings,
panelists and audience Q&A, and a radio documentary.
On 2/25/18 two free screenings of the documentary film, “How They Got Over” articulated gospel
music’s role in the birth of rock and roll and was presented to the public at the Prince Theater in
Philadelphia with a Q&A with the film’s writer and director, Robert Clem. Six free live concerts
celebrated the heritage and influence of the music. Three of the shows were scheduled through the endof FY18: an extraordinary kick-off concert on 3/8/18 under the direction of John B. Hedges directing the
combined choirs of the First Unitarian and Mother Bethel Churches to an overflow crowd at the First

Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. The registered audience was 383, with every pew filled for an SRO
evening of song. WXPN General Manager observed, “we made some new friends and deepened thebond with some we already had.” On 3/29/18 The Fisk Jubilee Singers performed at World Cafe Live fora registered audience of 366; on 6/9/18 the sacred steel gospel group, The Campbell Brothers and acappella singers Fairfield Four performed for an audience of 323. The concert series continued in FY19
and content from live shows was compiled.
In FY19, the Dixie Hummingbirds at World Cafe Live on 8/19/18 and the McCrary Sisters at World Cafe
Live on 9/22/18. The grand finale brought the live performance segment of the Gospel Roots project toa close at the Bright Hope Baptist Church in North Philadelphia under the artistic and musical directionof Dr. Donald Dumpson, minister of music and arts at Arch Street Presbyterian Church. The evening
performance included gospel, spiritual, and gospel-influenced R&B and blues songs by the Gospel Music
Preservation Alliance Choir, the Philadelphia Heritage Chorale, The Gospel Blenders, and the Henderson
Sisters with a special guest appearance by Sarah Dash of Philadelphia’s legendary Labelle for a show thatfilled the church to capacity.
Packed houses and diverse audiences testified to the appeal Gospel Music has to contemporary
audiences in the Greater Philadelphia region. The 6 shows that WXPN produced in venues and inchurches helped to set the stage for production of a 4-part Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul documentary.
To connect the message of the genre’s place in musical history to a national audience, WXPN worked
with producer Alex Lewis and his team to produce the Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul documentary, withnarration by Grammy Award winning Gospel singer CeCe Winans. The team compiled more than 50
original interviews from musicians and gospel music historians and experts. The documentary depicts
how crossover from gospel to pop paved the way for generations of singers and musicians to follow.
These histories are explored with early music samples and music compiled from the shows WXPN andpartners produced over the course of the past year. The primary sources for the archival audio usedwere from WHYY’s program, Fresh Air and from The WFMT Studs Terkel Radio Archive. The Gospel
Roots of Rock and Soul documentary consists of four one-hour radio segments. Locally, WXPN scheduled
broadcasts of the documentary on February 4, 5, 6 and 7 beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Philadelphia’s Jazz andClassical music station WRTI scheduled broadcasts February 10, 17, 24 and March 3 at 8:00 a.m. WHYY,
the public media radio station made the documentary part of its 8PM Radio Sunday Specials series to
run February 17, 24 and March 3. Response to the documentary has been very encouraging. NPR is thenational distributor. At the time this report was submitted over 190 stations committed to its broadcast
while others have expressed interest in committing it to their schedules. A list of the stations’ air times
can be found at http://xpngospelroots.org/stations/ The completed project illustrates that Gospel
music, so essential to American music is the foundation of contemporary music.
In addition to the outreach that XPN’s projects like Gospel Roots makes possible, our programming
reach benefits our brand throughout the broadcast regions we serve and provides opportunities to build
relationships that support growth. XPN’s Business Support staff added to XPN’s community withbusiness and non-profit partners throughout our expanding listening region on WXPJ 90.9 in
Northeastern Pennsylvania and Northwestern New Jersey. Sponsors have discovered that crosspromoting their products in the Philadelphia region on 88.5 and on 90.9 have been cost-effective withgrowth benefits. An XPN sponsor, Valley Forge Tourism added underwriting on WXPJ to raise awarenessof their resources and brand. Their regional brand is Arts Montco which launched in 2017 in the Greater

Philadelphia region to guide and connect residents with the wealth of arts and culture available. Their
message has an affinity with WXPN listeners and members. XPN Morning Show host, Kristen Kurtis
spoke at Arts Montco’s launch by the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board on 12/13/2017 for
100 arts enthusiasts and influencers from across Montgomery County and the region. WXPN was invited
to the event because VFTCB values WXPN part of the arts and cultural community. WXPN’s relationshipwith Arts Montco developed to cross-regional importance when in FY19 Arts Montco sponsored theMarina Stage at the XPoNential Festival. XPN’s partnerships connect regions with audiences bringing
them to a deeper awareness, appreciation and support for the arts and cultural experiences. The
Promenade at Sagemore in South Jersey also determined that the expanded station footprint benefitedthem by extending their reach to listeners in both the Philadelphia region and Central New Jersey.
Long-time clients in Central PA have reported business growth including, Appell Center in York, PA on
88.7 sponsor since 2007. The client developed a music series, Cap Live featuring XPN-centric artists; XPN
Welcomes shows are supported with underwriting on XPN which provides opportunity to book a wider
variety of artists in to their theatre. Iko’s Music Trade (York) feels that their presence on XPN has helped
increase sales of used vinyl & CDs. Swedish Motors (Marietts/Lancaster) receives feedback from
customers who appreciate their support of XPN and has seen an increase in new business. Harrisburg
Academy is an area prep school that values public radio and appreciates the intellectually curious XPN
audience.
6.4. Please describe any efforts (e.g. programming, production, engagement activities) you have madeto investigate and/or meet the needs of minority and other diverse audiences (including, but notlimited to, new immigrants, people for whom English is a second language and illiterate adults) during
Fiscal Year 2018, and any plans you have made to meet the needs of these audiences during Fiscal
Year 2019. If you regularly broadcast in a language other than English, please note the language
broadcast.
WXPN’s programming reflects the station’s commitment to meet the needs of minority listeners andother diverse audiences on air, online and by bringing events into our broadcast communities. For
instance, World Cafes Latin Roots programming and website are dedicated to exploring Latin music andculture. Latin Roots Live provided free live Latin music performances to new audiences in FY18. XPN’s
kids call-in radio program, Kids Corner has made an impression on children and their families for morethan 30 years. World Cafe Sense of Place traveled to South Africa to connect with the nation’s
experience of apartheid and renewal expressed through its artist’s paths and musical diversity.
Since 2015, WXPN’s nationally syndicated program World Cafe highlighted Latin music on the radio
program, Latin Roots. Drawing inspiration from the radio program, The Latin Roots Live concert series
and website explores the variety of music forms from Spanish-speaking countries and people and has
introduced a local and national audience to the genre. The digital connection also gives the existing Latinmusic audience more opportunities to engage with bands they know and enjoy. In FY18, XPN brought
Latin music to venues in Philadelphia for free, live performances including Nuevofest at Fringe Arts
(7/16/17) and to World Cafe Live on 10/29/17 with La Tribu DeAbrante and Combo Cimbita.
Latin bands performed for thousands of guests at the station’s annual XPoNential Festival with Chicano
Batman and Xenia Rubinos (7/29/17) and Adia Victoria (7/30/17).

In FY19 WXPN hosted the 5th annual Nuevofest, in a celebration of the new sounds of Latin alternative
music, produced in association with Afro Taino Productions. Seven outstanding Latin American artists
performed: Delaporte, Dos Santos, Elena Y Los Fulanos, Femina-X, Ife, Orquesta Akokan, and Very Be
Careful. The day of music brought together musical styles including punk rock, electronic beats,mariachi, son, cumbia, salsa, and classic Cuban. All of the bands XPN featured can be explored at theLatin Roots website. WXPN has been awarded a grant from NEA to hire a part time producer for World
Cafe Latin Music segments. This additional support will help XPN continue to remain current, wellinformed and interesting as we endeavor to deepen the station’s commitment to a national audience of
Latin music lovers.
XPN’s Kids Corner Host Kathy O’Connell and the show’s producer Robert Drake bring awareness of andexposure to the Kids Music genre with frequent appearances in the region. This outreach also benefits
the artists who work in the family music business. To foster Kids Corner’s outreach goals for the show
and for Kindie artists, WXPN hosts a biennial conference, KindieComm. In FY18, the conference
concluded with the celebration of Kids Corner’s 30th Anniversary concert at World Cafe Live
Philadelphia on 4/22/18. Kids Music Independent artists from across the country attended the 2-day
KindieComm Conference held 4/20-21/18 featuring break-out sessions and activities to connect witheach other and share their work. In response to the artists’ requests for more networking, a peer eventfor registered artists was added to opening night at the host hotel, the Sheraton University City. Novelty
music radio host and icon Doctor Demento was the keynote speaker. Kids Corner’s 30th Anniversary
coincided with Demento’s 50th anniversary of broadcasting. A full itinerary of conference sessions isavailable on the website. The conference was attended by 108 people in the industry.
It is an extraordinary achievement to keep a show on radio for 30 years and a singular achievement for acall-in show that is programed for kids. The celebration of the Kids Corner 30th Anniversary was aticketed public music event featuring 9 bands at World Cafe Live. The program kicked off with thePhiladelphia Boys Choir and Philadelphia Chorale. At WCL Downstairs, a multi-media band for adults andchildren - the new wave of Kindie music, Lard Dog and the Band of Shy opened for long-time Kids Cornerfavorite band, Trout Fishing in America. 301 people attended the event sponsored by the Elmwood Park
Zoo. Valuable publicity of the program’s story in a Philadelphia Magazine article and Philly.com addedinterest to the event. Growth has been the key to the longevity of WXPN’s Peabody Award and Major
Armstrong Award winning Kids Corner. The show performs the important function of providing apresence for the genre’s artists. Taking cues from the culture, the Kids Corner matured with technology,
learned from the talent they interviewed and introduced, and from the wisdom of their young listeners.
The show’s host and producer observed many changes throughout three decades, some related totechnology, and they produced segments of the show around these observations. In response, theprogram innovated its format, and is less fact and game based than when it started out. Its focus today
is on entertainment and education with monthly guests like the Schuylkill Center for Environmental
Education’s Mike Weilbacher, and the Franklin Institute’s Derek Pitts. Guests previously visited thestudio to do the show live, now more segments are pre-recorded. Live segments now focus on theinteraction between Kathy and the kids, fitting the radio call-in format and creating a safe respectful
space for kids to share their thoughts and opinions. In FY19, a series of podcasts is being developed forfamilies.
In FY18, the World Cafe Travel Series, Sense of Place visited South Africa 9/17-10/1/2017. WXPN’s
General Manager traveled with World Cafe On-Air Host David Dye and World Cafe Senior Producer Kim

Junod to lead a group of 39 WXPN members as they captured the sights and sounds of Cape Town andJohannesburg during recording sessions. The artist sessions told a story in each city as the group wentfrom life in the country’s economic hub, Johannesburg, to Soweto and south to Cape Town. Visitors
gained an understanding of South Africa in the towns’ experience of apartheid. Visitors to the website
can experience the country's history and renewal through music in the recording sessions with Jonny
Clegg, Freshlyground, Native Young, McCoy Mrubata, Sannie Fox and Sol Gems. Their sessions werebroadcast on World Cafe in 2018. The 1/18 broadcast from Johannesburg and Cape Town gives thelistener insight to the impact of the country’s difficult social history from the artists Sol Gems who
discussed their perspective as a part of the “born free” generation, those who entered the world after
the end of Apartheid in 1994. Artist Sannie Fox moved to South Africa as a child right around the time
Nelson Mandela was elected. She discussed her family ties to the anti-apartheid movement in a song on
her album. Cape Town born saxophonist McCoy Mrubata left school after the 1976 student uprising. He
discusses the future of regional music on the 1/25 broadcast. Anthropologist and an artist, Johnny Clegg
discusses how he was drawn to Zulu culture and then created interracial bands at a time it was illegal to
do so on the 2/1/18 broadcast. The World Cafe’s impactful broadcasts of these world-view expanding
visits are important features and accompaniment to the travel experience, as is the World Cafe Sense ofPlace website. he program is funded by the Wyncote Foundation and will advance its mission toconnect with diverse cultures and music in FY19.
5. Please assess the impact that your CPB funding had on your ability to serve your community. What
were you able to do with your grant that you wouldn't be able to do if you didn't receive it?
CPB funding helps to support WXPN’s general operations and gives us the opportunity to devote assets
to seek other resources to help pay for new and creative initiatives and services. In FY18 WXPN received$429,494 from CPB or 5.4% of the station’s total revenue. This support helps XPN accomplish
programming, membership, marketing, community engagement and digital expansion goals.
CPB support allows XPN to focus on connecting artists with audiences and to give exposure to artists
who aren’t recognized on commercial radio stations. This support allows us to take chances and play
new music, not just the music of established and well-tested artists. This is also reflected in WXPN’s
musical discovery outreach that benefits local artists. As a community resource, XPN brings local
musicians into partnership in support of XPN Musicians On Call, furthering our mission of connection.
The artists involved with XPN Musicians On Call, along with program volunteers bring live music toparticipating hospitals and comfort to patients and their families as they face some of the most difficult
health challenges of their lives.
CPB support has allowed XPN to connect with families for the past 30 years with a daily show focused onchildren, Kids Corner. The show provides a space for kids music artists to be heard by an enthusiastic
audience, and brings expert knowledge to them with guest scientists, authors and historians to name afew. The call-in format gives kids a connection with the Host and radio audience on any number of
relevant topics from Halloween costumes to using technology safely. The show’s program and format
provide a safe respectful space where kids can share their thoughts and opinions. Their contribution
strengthens the community providing a deeper level of communication, understanding and fun.
WXPN has an excellent record of fundraising for operations, as well as for targeted projects, but adecrease in CPB funding could impact the number and duration of on-air fund drives conductedannually. XPN produces 3 on-air fund drives each year in addition to targeted fund drives for Giving

Tuesday and the year’s end. Losing the nearly a half million dollars in CPB funding would force us tofundraise for several additional weeks. Increased fundraising time would negatively affect station staff
resources, too, as staff time would be redirected to performing fundraising alternatives. Other options
could include charging fees to events that we currently provide free of charge to registered members
and others in the community. If XPN had to provide added activities to this end, financing these
activities would also add to the station’s operating costs.
CPB’s funding is effectively managed to encourage XPN’s growth and sustainability.
WXPN’s Sustaining Membership program is very strong, with 72% of members participating in the
program and contributing over 50% of member revenue. While the program remained robust in FY18,
we are looking ahead to advance our membership program and increase member numbers. Our loyal
donor portfolio provides a sustainer base that is willing to support the goals, innovations and projects
XPN identifies. Members increased their average annual gift amount by $10 in FY18 as a result of ourcultivation efforts. New campaigns are being initiated to tell members that their generosity isappreciated. After our successful fall fund drive, XPN hosts, staff and board members joined forces to
man a phone bank for a Thank You Telethon.

Philadelphia is recognized as city with a great music tradition. WXPN is a standout among thePhiladelphia region’s radio stations. CPB funding helps XPN to program great music in an eclectic fusionof genres. Listeners on-air and online are familiar with our AAA sensibility woven with rock, soul, funk,rap, hip-hop, Latino, pop, classical, jazz, blues and Americana. CPB funding allows us to offer free live
music every Friday for Free At Noon showcasing artists that reflect the diversity of the musical genres
XPN plays from local and national artists.
Because of strong operational support from our members and CPB’s commitment to XPN, we can
explore stimulating genres of music. FY18, we began an exploration into the roots of Gospel music which
would engage listeners to provide them with an awareness of gospel’s history and status. For thisproject we expanded our audience locally on-air and online, through free events, and nationally with theGospel Roots of Rock and Soul documentary that tied the project together in FY19. Special projects likethe Gospel roots connect XPN with our listeners and bring new audiences and partners to us who
appreciate our mission. Our programming and projects illustrate to the public the cultural trends andhistories we consider important. These efforts reinforce community involvement and connect thestation with members who embrace and support our vision. Growing our major donor base is an
important objective in the coming year. This special group of informed and involved members enjoy
being part of the expanding landscape of musical experiences that XPN provides. They also have thebenefit of access to limited performances at XPN’s invitation. It is vital to XPN to appeal to people who
nurture the station’s mission with their presence and financial support. CPB funding is an important partof sustaining the unique experiences that attract a range of listeners, from members and new audiencesin the community to the station’s major donors.
CPB support of WXPN allows us to cast a wide net to fashion and connect a varied audience who enjoy
supporting our vision and mission throughout an expanded broadcast region. By investing in available
stations, we’ve been able to expand our FM reach. With the addition of 90.9 WXPJ in Northeast PA andNorthwestern NJ, XPN’s impact has grown. With the expansion, WXPN produced events that broughtexposure for musicians to the region. New regional sponsors support XPN’s unique blend of musicalstyles and special programming features as well as the events presented throughout the community.
Sponsors have discovered that cross promoting their products in the Philadelphia region on 88.5 and on
90.9 have been cost-effective with growth benefits. As XPN continues to expand their footprint throughPennsylvania and New Jersey, their business partners also experience exponential growth.
CPB funding strengthens WXPN’s mission to connect the community with artists and audiences online.

XPN’s online outreach is strong with awesome coverage of the Philly music scene on The Key.
The online blog spotlights local artists with new music, bringing bands in studio to perform for
the Key Studio Sessions, and with interview/photo shoots with High Key portrait series. Social
Media Coordinator for The Key, John Vettese comments that he’s happy with the balance ingenres and styles and general variety and diversity in voices that we're showcasing as comparedto other programs and media outlets. With strong writing from The Key staff, special coverage
like The Essential Love Songs of Philadelphia, explore old and new songs with themes of lovefrom a variety of angles. Community engagement for the station and artist is at the top of XPN’s
mission. The blog develops this mission at local events and will continue in FY19. The Key partnered witha local independent promoter to put on Key-curated local music showcases. In November, close to 200
people attended at Underground Arts, and the next one is tentatively set for late March.
Thank you, CPB!