Thank you WHFR listeners to supporting and listening to WHFR. Currently there is a power outage at Henry Ford College and WHFR. We hope the power will be restored quickly but expect to be back on the air Wednesday morning.

WHFR has a few live and locally produced programming back on the air! Halloween came early for WHFR listeners with the return to some of our live DJs in the studio. For the first few weeks we will have one show/dj per day and the first round of shows feature both evening, morning and early afternoon listening times. Jazz returns on Tuesday evenings 7-10pm, Wednesday afternoons Noon-2 and Sunday mornings 10am-1pm. Big Band & Broadway return on Friday mornings 10am-noon. Singer-songwriter, folk & indie return on Saturday mornings 10am-noon, Rockabilly/Gothabilly/Psychobilly returns Monday nights 6-8 and Noise/Ambient/Electro-Acoustic returns on Thursday afternoons Noon-2pm.

We hope to have more DJs per day before the end of the year but this all depends on our volunteers, HFC, and how many current cases of COVID-19 are in the community. This has been a long road getting back on the air and we are excited to have a few shows on for the time being.

Please check our website and social media for updates.

More on the original Slow Return Story below.

UPDATED: On Halloween WHFR will air our special Halloween Playlist all afternoon and evening!!!!

WHFR is excited to be providing some Halloween Programming this week on Thursday Oct 29 and Saturday Oct 31. Each show will be kicked off and concluded by WHFR's very own Mrs. Robinson and feature 3 hours of a special kid-friend playlist curated by WHFR PD Mike D. This program is perfect for anyone who loves Halloween or for a soundtrack for your Halloween afternoon. Tune in Thursday from 5-9pm and Saturday from 1-5pm. This program was put together as a soundtrack for the two Trunk or Treat drive-thru events hosted by HFC's Support Staff Association (SSA), Henry Ford College, the Dearborn Heights Police Department, the Dearborn Police Department, Freedom Fighters, and Visions of the Youth. For more info about these events please check out https://www.hfcc.edu/news/2020/trunk-or-treat-help-local-police?fbclid=I...

Happy Halloween from WHFR!

“How do I know the City Clerk received my absentee ballot?” “May I vote on Election Day if I forget my ID?” “Will I be safe at the polls?” “Will we know on Election Night who has been elected President?” “Where are the drop boxes?”

The League of Women Voters Dearborn-Dearborn Heights recently invited the city clerks from Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and Inkster to an online meeting to answer questions like these from League members and the local public about the upcoming election.

WHFR Radio is pleased to air this informative meeting in its entirety this Friday, October 30, on the WHFR Journal local news and views talk show, airing from 1pm-2pm on 89.3 FM and streaming on the web at whfr.fm.

For more information on voting in this November 3 election, go to lwvddh.org or vote411.org.

America is facing a nationwide poll worker shortage. Fewer poll workers means fewer polling stations being open, and longer lines that not everybody can afford to wait in.

Luckily, you can help!

Power the Polls is recruiting a new wave of poll workers to help protect democracy this November. In Dearborn, poll workers are paid two hundred dollars, and can be as young as 16!

Help ensure safe and fair elections in your community. Sign up today at powerthepolls.org/CVPM.

Once again Bandcamp is waiving their fees for all purchases made on their site Friday September 4, 2020. This means anything purchased that day, the full purchase amount goes to that artist and/or independent label putting out that release. Many of the artist WHFR supports sell their music on Bandcamp and we even sell our release Motor City Gems on the site. Support independent music and WHFR by making a Bandcamp purchase on Friday Sept 4th. Links located below.

Bandcamp website: https://bandcamp.com/

Motor City Gems link: https://whfr1.bandcamp.com/album/motor-city-gems

Friday August 28 was not only stormy outside in the morning but inside WHFR too. While we have some technical difficulties - there will be a Classical Playlist playing until we can get Classical 24 back up at WHFR. Thank you for your patience. - WHFR Operations Manager Lara Hrycaj

WHFR is pleased to feature a new WHFR DJ Spotlight Series for our home page so our DJs can stay connected with you while we're temporarily away from the Studio A chair. You might find music reviews, suggestions for staying active, backstories about how we got into the radio business, and some nice comments to help us all stay connected. Enjoy!

This article original was part of a Story on Henry Ford College's Website and slightly edited here. We are so Proud of Mo and all of her accomplishments.

“MO-Tivation Nation” nurse eager to return to HFC airwaves

Imana “Mo” Minard wears many hats. She’s a nurse, an adjunct instructor, and a DJ. Previously, she was a paramedic.

“Although my primary job responsibilities are as a nurse, I always manage to end up involved in something else,” said Minard, laughing. “I never say no. Today, I might be on a panel discussing cultural diversity and inclusion. Tomorrow, I might be talking to a patient’s family. Next week, I might be explaining about our community’s needs, or I might be appearing in a video for our Clinical Language Services. It is truly endless.”

Minard – who was recently profiled in Corp! Magazine – is Director of Nursing at Beaumont Hospital Farmington Hills and teaches nursing at the University of Michigan (U-M) in Ann Arbor.

She is also a DJ for WHFR-FM, HFC’s official independently owned and operated radio station, hosting the show MO-Tivation Nation, which normally airs every Monday from 10:00 p.m. to midnight. She has been doing this for more than a year. However, her show has been put on hiatus due to the pandemic.

“As soon as the College says we may return, I am front and center!” said Minard, who lives in Van Buren Township with Charles Minard, Jr. – her husband of 18 years – and their two children, ages 15 and 13.

MO-Tivation Nation
A mutual friend introduced Minard to Marjon Parham, who hosted her own radio show at WHFR.

“We clicked immediately. A great friendship developed, and I have learned so much about the radio business from her,” said Minard, who has been a DJ since 2017.

Parham gave Minard HFC Chairperson of the Department of Communication and Media/WHFR General Manager Susan McGraw’s contact information.

“At the time I called Susan, the classes were not in session. Susan promised she would remember me, and she did,” said Minard. “She called me to let me know when the course necessary to participate would be starting. I signed up immediately.”

Minard completed the WHFR Staff Training class at HFC, which provided the first step in allowing her to DJ on the radio station. On MO-Tivation Nation, Minard plays music that uplifts, inspires, and encourages her audience. She also conducts interviews with local business owners or anyone who has an uplifting story. She’s served as a substitute DJ on other WHFR radio shows.

“My favorite part is the interviews. I am a people magnet, and I enjoy hearing other people’s stories,” said Minard. “All of my guests are notable. This is one of the reasons I love WHFR. We focus on the independent artists and names you may have never heard of. I consider every guest a high-profile personality and treat them as such. There's a Detroit music producer named Big He (Phil Hernandez El). I booked him during our Radiothon, not realizing it was that time of year. He stayed the entire show and helped me read scripts for donations. He did so well, I thought he worked with us at WHFR!”

Minard added with a laugh: “I often say, ‘Please don’t make me choose between radio and nursing.’”

“DJ Mo is a positive and passionate member of our WHFR team,” said McGraw. “She puts her heart into her radio show and genuinely cares about each and every listener she reaches. Mo is a joy to have on our airwaves.”

Tune in to WHFR FM radio to listen to current programming. You may also listen online. The station is playing classical music while it awaits a safe return to its on-campus presence.

(click article title to read full story)

WHFR is pleased to feature a new WHFR DJ Spotlight Series for our home page so our DJs can stay connected with you while we're temporarily away from the Studio A chair. You might find music reviews, suggestions for staying active, backstories about how we got into the radio business, and some nice comments to help us all stay connected. Enjoy!

("NORMAL TEXT" if you click on headline to read full story)

M̀ike̸ De͢re͢nie͏w̶ski ̀r̸e͟i͠g̢ns̴ t̷he̸ ai̶r̸w͡av̶es̕ w̵i̵t͡h ̶W͢H͡F̡Ŕ’s lo̢n̛ges̢t̛ ru̸nnin̴g͢ ŗa̴d͢i̡o ̴s̴ho̸w,́ Skro͏c̴kin̛' Ýȩr ͝Buto̡w.̴ Beg̴in̴n͡i̷n͝g ̕in ͝1991 ̵a̕n̕d̶ sti҉l̨l ͝t̡òda͞y͏, Mi̶ke ̛k̴e̶e͏ps͡ his l̨i͝s͞te͞ne͟ŗs ́“in ̶t̀he͏ k͞noẃ” b̡y̕ ̕s̵h̵a͡r͠ing͝ ̀m̶u̸s̡ic ̶ran͞g̛ing ̸f̴rom in̕die̡ ͢girl ̀ b҉an̵d͏s tò h̛igh q̷u̧al̀ity no̸ise.

Durin̵g ̶hi̶s t͡im̶e a̸t ͡th͟e ͞sta͟tion,̨ in̷ ̨ad҉di̧t̡i̵òn̵ t́ǫ ͢p̷r̸og͟ram̕mi̶ng͢ h̷is ́re̡gu̶larl̴y͟ sch̕ed̕u͟led͟ shoẃ, ̛he h̴a̶s̸ sȩrv̴ed ̀a͞s ̀P͢r͝ǫmotio̶ńs̵ ̢Co͏ord̡iǹator̢ and҉ al͢so͞ ̶Ṕro̶g͝r͠a̵m͟ ̴D͢i̢rec͝to̧r (t͝w̴ic̨e)͟. In͢ ͞ad̸di̧ti̕on҉ ͜to ̀h͠i͏s ̕PD͡ ̧d̶ut́i͢e͡s, h͡e̶ ̢is̨ ̨cu̸r̴re̶ntly the ͢Ou̸t̡er̛ ͝Limi҉t́s Music D̡i͠re̡c͠t͝o͝r, ̛N͝e͞ws̵l̢e͢tter Ed͞i̕tor of̸ the ͏Lo̢yal ҉Listeneŗ (bot͞h pr͢int a͡n̵d ͞“e̢” ҉èditio͢ns̨), ͘an͢d ̶cre͢àt̛o̷r of͢ ̶th͢e͏ ͢WH̵F̢R҉ Ręc̡o͏rd S͏how͞,͝ ̢t̷h̛e ͘an͜nu̵a͞l ͠b̛en̴ęf͡it ̡e̸ve͝n̕t ͞th͢a̴t̷ r͟a̵i͝ses ͡o͢ver $10̸00̀ in̨ ̡d͡onati̷ǫn̕s̕ ̡funds̷ for ͡th̷e̛ s̵tat̕ion͞.
̡
Sk͏ŕơckin͠’ Yer Buto̕w… ̵has̵ a ̨b̢ig̷ ̢soir̀e͝e͞ o҉f s̸urp̸rises ̀a̵nd a HUGE ͡ann̶o͢u҉nc͏e̕m̷e͏nt̵ ̨in s̶t̷or̨é ͞f̷or 20̸21, i̕t҉s ͏30̀t́h̷ y̨eàr̴ ͝of ̵bro̧a̢d̛c̢ast…́ ́Śtay ͡t̕un͡e̵d̸!

-DJ ͜M̛arie̷, ͡f̛or̛me̛r ̵ẂHF̷Ŗ ̷s͞t́a̷ff ͡m͠emb͝e͡r

Typically around this time of year, WHFR would be preparing to participate in Dearborn Homecoming and inviting you to visit our tents at the festival to meet your favorite DJs, peruse our purged CD collection, and grab some free WHFR swag. This year we are asking you to do something that is not quite so interactive, but is sure to be just as entertaining: attend the Dearborn Homecoming Virtual Online Fundraiser, taking place 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. on August 7th, 8th & 9th.

The event will include interviews with representatives from the Dearborn Homecoming charity partners, scenes from previous homecomings, and details on how to donate. Each 9 p.m. showing concludes with a collage of previous year's fireworks displays (additional detailed activities listed below).

Here is the main link to donate and with more info about the event. To donate to WHFR, make sure you scroll down and choose “WHFR Radio/ Henry Ford College” https://dearborncommunityfund.org/2020/06/30/dearborn-homecoming-2020-on...

We know that many of you are big fans of our traditional CD purge, where we offer older CDs and records for $1-per-disc donations. Those funds directly finance WHFR's operating expenses (most of which still exist even though we aren't actually in the studio these days). Sadly, the CD purge isn't happening this year, but you can still support WHFR directly by donating to the station anytime at https://giving.hfcc.edu/whfr

We hope that you will attend the Dearborn Homecoming Virtual Online Fundraiser. Also, being an online event, this is an especially great opportunity to reach out to former Dearborn residents/Detroit locals and WHFR/Henry Ford College alumni who may have moved away and would like a little taste of home! Please feel free to share this info by posting to social media and/or personally inviting friends, family, and anyone else who you think would be interested in this event. Thank you!