The NCRA is proud to announce a new partnership between GroundWire, the association's bi-weekly Canadian grassroots radio program, and Contact, the flagship interview and current affairs program of VoicePrint.

VoicePrint is a division of The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc and targets the 5 million Canadians who can’t independently access newspapers, magazines or even a government document due to, for example, low literacy skills, blindness, vision restriction, physical or learning disability or just getting older by .

GroundWire is the 29-minute news program produced by the community radio sector that features stories that are local and national in scope, with a focus on human rights, labour issues, indigenous rights and environmental activism as well as an alternative perspective on current affairs.

Monthly starting September 11, excerpts from VoicePrint’s interview program Contact will be included in GroundWire and broadcast on at least 20 campus and community radio stations across the country, including CKDU in Halifax, NS, CHCR in Killaloe, Ontario, CHRY in Toronto, CFCR in Saskatoon and CFUV in Victoria. VoicePrint will also air episodes of GroundWire.

“This new program exchange marks the latest chapter in our long history of working with community radio," says Arlene Patterson, Director of VoicePrint Operations. “We’re extremely pleased that the richness of our Contact program will be available to a greater number of listeners through this innovative partnership,”

NCRA Executive Director Kevin Matthews agrees.

“VoicePrint has done so much to bring accessible news and information to local communities, many of which are also served by NCRA members. It’s an ideal partnership -- two organizations with strong roots in the community and a commitment to quality programming joining forces to better serve our respective audiences.”

Disability and accessibility issues are one of the 12 priority bureaus for GroundWire. And Matthews says VoicePrint's participation will be vital to the inclusion of diverse voices within future editions of the show.

Last year, Contact won a Peter Gzowski award in the “Radio News Information Program” category at the annual Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) awards. It airs every Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. It is also available at: www.voiceprintcanada.com.

GroundWire is available at: http://ncra.dnsalias.com/groundwire/

What People are Saying about GroundWire:

"NCRA's GroundWire takes on this essential work toward equality in the media by adding in a mix of voices that are not heard from enough in the mainstream press," -Meagan Perry, Executive Producer, Rabble Podcast Network.

"GroundWire allows for a new type of large-scale, cross-country collaboration that we haven't seen before. The program gets to harness the best independent, DIY journalists currently working in campus/community radio. As the mandate of campus/community radio is to bring attention to marginalized voices and issues, GroundWire is the best news you aren't hearing about - but should be." - Charlotte Bourne, NCRA President and Program Director, CJSF Burnaby

"GroundWire is carving out a unique space on Canadian airwaves. And with over 30 independent journalists contributing to the program, it is as diverse as the people that make it." -Neskie Manuel- a Secwepemc Nation-based independent journalist

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Stations currently airing GroundWire: CJSR, Edmonton, AB; CKUT, Montreal, QC; CFRC, Kingston, ON; CJSF, Burnaby, BC; CKLN, Toronto, ON; CKDU, Halifax, NS; CKXU, Lethbridge, AB; CHMA, Sackville, NB; CHRY, Toronto, ON; CFMU, Hamilton, ON; CFUR, Prince George, BC; CJLY, Nelson, BC; CORT, Cortes Island, BC; CFRU, Guelph, ON; CHUO, Ottawa, ON; CHCR, Killaloe, ON; CFCR, Saskatoon, SK; CFUV, Victoria, BC; CKLU, Sudbury, ON.

Media Contacts:

Kevin Matthews

Executive Director of the National Campus and Community Association

1-866-859-8086

kevin@ncra.ca

Jacky Tuinstra Harrison

GroundWire Coordinator

416-939-0936

groundwireprod@gmail.com

Arlene Paterson

Director, VoicePrint Operations

416-422-4222 ext 222

TF: 1-800-567-6755 ext 222

apatterson@voiceprintcanada.com