Peter Payette is the Executive Director of Interlochen Public Radio and Instructor of Media at Interlochen Center for the Arts. He has had ties with Benzie County his entire life.
IPR has been in operation since 1930. In 1970 it was a founding member of NPR. It operates two music channels--a classical station (88.7) and a news station (91.5)--rare for a rural market. Its mission is to connect northern Michigan with the rest of the world.
Classsical stations are particularly rare, IPR's being one of only 66 in the entire country. A featured program is The Interlochen Collection, a weekly program of music from the archives of Interlochen Center for the Arts. The station also airs Classical IPR in Concert, broadcasting live and recorded performances by the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and others. Classical IPR also produces Kids Commute ("classical cartunes") every weekday morning.
IPR's news station features NPR-quality journalism both from NPR nationally and IPR locally. In the latter category the station has carried pandemic stories and environmental news in the popular Points North program and otherwise. A new development sponsored by IPR is Red Pine Radio, a group of community members learning to make their own radio stories.
In answer to a question that followed his presentation Peter said that IPR is planning (and hoping) for an on-campus summer program. With regard to fundraising during the pandemic Peter said that listener support has been "very strong."
As one member noted, it was good to see Peter as well as hear him.
Peter's PowerPoint program is available as a Download.