Media Bridges' 20th Anniversary and WVQC Fundraiser

From Media Bridges:

Local Musicians Help Raise Funds for New Community Radio Station


As Media Bridges Celebrates their 20th Anniversary,

Cincinnati Prepares for a New Addition to the Local

Media Soundscape.


Cincinnati, Ohio - August 21, 2009 - On September 5th, Media Bridges, Cincinnati's community media center, will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary. For the past two decades, this local nonprofit has been providing Cincinnatians with the means for making their voices heard by creating their own media. Through the provision of free equipment and free classes, Media Bridges has enabled local individuals and organizations to produce documentaries, television shows, radio productions, websites, and other types of electronic media.


The celebration will culminate in the FREE WAVE RIOT, a live concert starting at 8pm at the Know Theater in downtown Cincinnati. Featuring performances from local musicians IsWhat?, the Tigerlilies, Fourth Letter Gang, J. Dorsey Blues Revival, Losanti, the Frankl Project, and Culture Queer, proceeds from the event will help Media Bridges in their efforts to launch WVQC-FM, a low-power FM station featuring local content.



FREE WAVE RIOTMedia Bridges facility



WHAT: A celebration of Media Bridges' 20th Anniversary, as well as a fundraiser for the launch of 95.7 WVQC: Radio Free Queen City. Tickets are available starting Monday, August 24th at www.mediabrides.org or at Media Bridges (1100 Race St., Cincinnati, OH 45202) for a suggested donation of $9.57. Tickets will also be available at the door of the event.

WHO: Perfomers include IsWhat?, the Tigerlilies, Fourth Letter Gang, Cuture Queer, J. Dorsey Blues Revival, Losanti, and the Frankl Project.

WHERE: The Know Theater, located at 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

WHEN: September 5, 2009, 7:30pm-Midnight. Doors open at 7:30pm. Performances start at 8:00pm.



For more information, contact Christa Zielke, Media Bridges Development Coordinator, at 513-651-4171 ext.16 or christa@mediabridges.org .

Just Right

Channel 12 Newsmakers: Streetcars with Mayor Mallory Today!

Wonderful informational talk about the current streetcar system plans this morning on Channel 12. If you are unsure about the streetcars or if you know people who aren't please take the time to watch this 18 minute video. They've done a great job accurately talking about all the most asked about issues including the current budget crisis, the actual route the streetcar will take and why, its impact in other cities, what a modern day streetcar actually is and looks like.
I really encourage everyone to show this video to as many people as you can.

Click Here

For instance,
Did you know that modern day streetcars can be tracked on your Blackberry or iPhone? They are equipped with GPS tracking so that you can accurately check where the next car is and how long it will be before it reaches your stop! That's freakin Awesome!

Mayor Mallory Speaks Frankly About Streetcars/Budget Issues

I am reluctant to say this, but its about time the Mayor addressed the media and the general public about this very critical issue. For our city to remain united and focused on what's best for our future we need a strong central voice that will speak up on behalf of the city's best interest. As I've been preaching now for I don't know how long, the current proposal to bring inner-city rail transit (streetcars) back to Cincinnati is an opportunity that we can not afford to miss. Very clear, reputable data from many different sources show that rail transit projects such as this are good for cities and create huge returns in economic development. This leads to new residents, businesses, tourism, entertainment, and the list goes on. All of these things increase the city's tax revenue base. Cincinnati is in a financial mess now, not only because we are in the midst of a worldwide and nationwide economic recession, but also because we have failed in years past to invest in our most important asset...Our City Center.
Great strides have already been made in recent years reversing the damage of the 1950s suburban sprawl and highway expansion that caused the exodus of citizens from city centers to various suburban neighborhoods. The city has begun investing in our downtown from fountain square to the banks all the way up to OTR where new residents and businesses are already beginning to pop up everyday. However, we can only go so far without first providing a means for all of these people to move about efficiently without the automobile as their primary mode of transportation. These neighborhoods can not achieve the density of population necessary to give our city the boost it needs with out providing other means of transportation. There simply isn't enough room in such a small area for all of those cars and parking lots. People need to be able to get around with out a car.
I truly believe that right now our city has the opportunity to be on the forefront of a movement that is sweeping the nation. The cities who emerge from this economic crisis with a plan to decrease dependence on foreign oil, attract residents and businesses back to the city center, and make the city THE place to live again are going to be the most successful and prosperous cities in the 21st century.
As the mayor aggressively points out in the video below, allowing the anti-rail charter amendment to pass this November will mean the end of such vital projects as the Cincinnati Streetcar, 3-C Corridor Passenger rail, and regional light rail. We have a chance to use federal money to stimulate our local economy like its never seen before. We can not let this opportunity pass us by or we will forever remain a city that is simply a collection of suburbs and we will forever be a city just struggling to pay its bills.
Thank you Mayor Mallory for fighting so aggressively for this city's future. Please continue to reach out to the citizens of this city so that they can be appropriately informed of the dangers of allowing the anti-rail charter amendment to pass.

Video can be seen here:
http://www.wlwt.com/video/20203821/

Excellent Streetcar Post

Check out The Phony Coney today for an excellent post in support of the streetcar system. Share with all your friends, especially the ones who can vote this November and aren't yet streetcar supporters!

Anti-Rail Charter Amendment Gaining Statewide Attention

Check out these two recent articles warning citizens about the dangers of allowing COAST and NAACP's anti-rail charter amendment to pass. Hopefully Cincinnati voters will listen with an open mind to these warnings so that this measure fails. As stated in the articles, this charter amendment could have devastating effects not only on Cincinnati's future, but also potentially Cleveland and Columbus too!

Gov. Strickland on anti-rail measure

CBus Transit: Could Cincinnati Derail Ohio's Highspeed Rail Plans?

More on the Streetcar Film

The Enquirer ran a nice article today interviewing Jim Klein the film maker behind "Taken for a Ride" a documentary about the demise of the Streetcar systems in the U.S. at the hands of GM. Its sounds like it will be a fascinating film that everyone needs to see to learn about a part of our history that many don't know about.
Read the article here