By VICKI URBANIK

Chicago Public Radio station WBEZ was greeted with an enthusiastic and adoring crowd in Chesterton Thursday, as the station considers expanding its presence in Northwest Indiana with a local bureau.

More than 40 people crowded into the Bertha Wood room at Thomas Library for the station’s first Community Advisory Council meeting outside of Illinois designed to hear from the listening public in Northwest Indiana, and the Duneland community in particular.

Clearly, many in the crowd were already fans of public radio. Some residents pleaded with WBEZ to open a Chesterton bureau for local programming, while others blasted the current Chicago media coverage of Northwest Indiana as overly sensational.

And residents offered the radio station plenty of story ideas – from hard-hitting analyses on race relations in Northwest Indiana to stories that promote this region positively, such as features on the world-reknown Indiana University Northwest art instructors, the vibrant art fairs and community theaters, and the celebrations at the Port between Polish residents and their relatives.

WBEZ wants to open a local bureau for its Chesterton affiliate, WBEW, and is currently looking for a suitable site.

Though no firm announcement about the bureau was made Thursday, WBEZ station manager Torey Malatia said after the meeting that the station hopes to have the bureau opened by September. It is still exploring whether it would hire new reporters or relocate current staff, he said.

A WBEZ board member has donated seed money to help get the rent payments started, Malatia said. Though in all probability the bureau will be in Chesterton, he said WBEZ hasn’t ruled out Valparaiso or other surrounding areas, either. He added that WBEZ has a strong listening audience in both Chesterton and Valparaiso.

The purpose of Thursday’s council meeting was to reach out to the public and hear what media needs aren’t being met. A common theme was that Northwest Indiana is ignored by Indianapolis, and that Chicago broadcast media reports on the region only when there’s crime or other sensational stories.

Chesterton Duneland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Laurie Franke-Polz said Porter County is the fourth fastest growing county in Indiana. Though Chicago residents have “found us, the media hasn’t.

Valparaiso University President Alan Harre, an avid WBEZ listener, said in an opening address that the issues facing Northwest Indiana are complex and cannot be covered in quick soundbites. Issues like race and ethnicity, urban sprawl and mass transportation needs are “begging” for solid analyses and extended coverage, he said.

He also said the public has very little knowledge about higher education opportunities in Northwest Indiana, since the media has largely ignored this topic.

WBEZ Community Advisory Council member Joe Grossbauer said he moved to Chesterton from Chicago 11 years ago and has found that the region is so diverse that it defies simple definition. For example, he noted that within a 15-minute drive from the library, one house recently sold for $5 million, while another residence is on the market for a mere $14,000.

He said Northwest Indiana is economically tied to Chicago, but Chicago doesn’t yet identify itself with this region.

WBEZ has applied for, and received, Federal Communications Commission approval to increase the power at WBEW and has three years to carry out this mission, said Ron Jones, vice president of programming. The WBEW transmitter is located in Michigan City, but the license is issued to Chesterton.

Jones prefaced his comments with an apology for the current spotty service on WBEW due to damage believed to have been caused by a lightning strike. Repairs are underway.

Jones noted that WBEZ tried two experiments recently of split programming, with WBEW offering two shows targeted to Northwest Indiana not heard on WBEZ. One involved interviews with Indiana Democrat Gov. Joe Kernan and his Republican opponent, Mitch Daniels; the other involved public health.

Two WBEZ reporters who cover Northwest Indiana issues, Melba Lara and Ben Calhoun, urged listeners to give input and provide story ideas. The newsroom number is (312) 948-4650 and the fax is (312) 832-3158. WBEZ is at 91.5 FM, and WBEW is at 89.5 FM.

7/16/2004