One of the things that we are really excited about at the station is the reaction we have gotten from both businesses and individuals telling us that more music is being brought because of what we play. Our friends at local stores have expressed their enthusiasm and we get labels and the artists expressing their thanks too. We think we are playing the part in the business that public radio is meant to play: supporting the artists that don't get played on commercial radio.

It is always refreshing to get calls and emails from the listeners chastising us for making them spend too much on cd's! I regularly get calls from people standing in record stores who can't quite remember a song that they have heard but want to buy it then and there. So we know that you love to buy music and support the station , so now there is a new way to do both.

On Tuesday The Current launched our CD of the Week. Each week we'll pick a new CD to highlight. We'll play tracks from it all week and listeners will be able to contribute online and get a copy of the disc at the $120 level . We're kicking things off with the new Death Cab For Cutie CD "Plans." Every review I've seen so far is a rave .

If you haven't been to the fair yet, don't forget to go to the horticultural building to see the crop art. Local artist Kim Cole has been kind enough to make a portrait of me. I am honored. It's the talk of the office, people who have never spoken to me before are coming up to compliment me. I never quite understood the power of seed art!

- Mark Wheat