WDFH became a member of the Pacifica Radio Network in the summer of 2004.  This involved the installation of a satellite receiver, which brings Pacifica programming into WDFH and enables us to broadcast it to you. 

The construction of technical facilities for community radio stations often resembles a barn-raising, and this was no exception: on two sunny summer weekends, we gathered volunteers and put up the dish.

Our plan was to put the dish on the roof, but delays in the structural analysis of the building in which our studios are located meant that we had to temporarily install it on the ground in order to get it up and running before the Democratic Convention started.  This first installation happened on Saturday, July 17.  Just two days later, the results of the structural analysis came in, and so after we took a breath following our coverage of the Democratic National Convention, we gathered people again, this time on August 8, took the entire thing apart, hauled it up to the roof, and put it back together again.

On Saturday, July 17, our team included Vinny Cohan, Gil Bassak, Doug Koch, Gregg Fore, Jonathan Mastrojohn, Marilyn Sophos, Troy Bass, and Marc Sophos.

L-R: Gregg Fore, Vinny Cohan, Gil Bassak, Doug Koch, Jonathan Mastrojohn
work on installation of the satellite dish that will bring Pacifica programming to WDFH,
Saturday, July 17, 2004.

L-R: Gil Bassak, Gregg Fore, Jonathan Mastrojohn, Doug Koch, and Vinny Cohan
after a long, hot day of work.

Our team on August 8 included Gil Bassak, Stefan Wernli, Marilyn Sophos, Cuper Vargas, Doug Koch, Gregg Fore, and Marc Sophos.

L-R: Doug Koch, Rex Latchford, Gregg Fore, Cuper Vargas, Gil Bassak,
Marc Sophos, Stefan Wernli up on the roof

Gil Bassak and Doug Koch

Stefan Wernli and Gregg Fore

Doug Koch and Marc Sophos; Stefan Wernli upper right

Gil Bassak and Jane Botticelli, hosts of WDFH public affairs program In Focus

Jane Botticelli came up and visited for a while after
conducting an In Focus interview on Sunday afternoon

Jane Botticelli and Gil Bassak look on as Stefan Wernli, Gregg Fore, Doug Koch,
and Marc Sophos work on the base of the antenna.  Note the beautiful view of the Hudson River from our studios.  Just out of the picture to the left, across the river atop the Palisades in Alpine, NJ, is the historic tower constructed by Major Edwin Howard Armstrong, the inventor of FM — an inspiring presence in clear view of our studios.

The end of another long day — Doug Koch, Marc Sophos, Stefan Wernli

Photos: Josephine Arce, Rex Latchford, Jane Botticelli, Marc Sophos