Summer 2005

Cyberpage

OWING LARGELY TO STIGMA, journeys from dependency into recovery were considered intensely private affairs. Nowadays, they're broadcast all over the place - and that's a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say. Updates on advocating for recovery, intimate stories of personal recovery and much more can be heard on a growing number of recovery-themed radio stations around the country - most of them also available in streaming audio on the Internet. Here are some sites which merit your attention:

GRACE STREET is a live talk/music radio show from Portland, Maine that is hosted by recovery advocate Marty O'Brien. Grace Street focuses on issues of addiction and recovery. According to O'Brien, "Our show attempts to open the door a little to give a glimpse of sanctuary. We do this with great music and storytelling."

A recent listener described the show as "a voice of hope in the night." Grace Street is committed to the idea that public advocacy helps remove barriers and provide exit ramps out of the cycle of progressive addiction and is a small part of a larger story. That story suggests that recovery is accessible, sustainable, and relevant.

Guests call in from across the country and include treatment providers, musicians, poets and authors. Grace Street has a growing volunteer base of artists, graphic designers, and filmmakers. Grace Street, WMPG 90.9 FM, Tuesday evenings 7:30-8:30 pm, live at www.wmpg.org.

MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION, hosted by Jim Nayder, is a show which brings to listeners true stories of recovery from alcohol or other drug dependency told by those who have lived the experience. Each unique story documents the remarkable changes that take place in the life of a recovering alcoholic or addict, capturing the heights and depths of emotion that seem to be a part of every story.

Participants tell their own stories, remain anonymous (if they choose) and come from every walk of life. Those not familiar with the world of addiction as well as those in the process of recovery will find these lively experiences fascinating and moving. Magnificent Obsession, Sunday mornings at 5:30 am, live at www.wbez.org.

THE RECOVERY RADIO SHOW was founded by two longtime friends, Bob Munck and John Tomkinson. Munck has over 14 years in recovery. Tomkinson has many years of experience in the broadcast industry and is also in recovery. They host a Saturday evening (6-8 PM Pacific Time) show. Listeners may talk live to them by calling their toll free number 888-275-2240 during the show time.

12STEPRADIO.COM, launched in April 2004, was founded by Bill Zimmerman. The Internet-based programming received over 12,000 visits in January. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to the recovery-oriented music, 12StepRadio.com is now offering a forum for listeners to connect online.

RECOVERY TALK is now in its second broadcast year.

It's heard twice-weekly on WDFH-FM, 90.3, in New York's lower Hudson River Valley. Veteran journalist-producer Robyn Leary, who hosts the show from the Dobbs Ferry, NY, campus of Mercy College, is also president of Recovery Network Foundation. The foundation's mission is to create recovery-dedicated material for TV, radio and film, including launching television's only 24/7 Recovery Channel (tm).

Recovery Talk's programming mix features, interviews with leaders and experts in addiction and recovery, people in recovery who tell their stories, think-pieces on addiction and recovery as they relate to the arts and philosophy, and programs that probe the spiritual components of sustained recovery. The show, which airs Fridays at 1:30 p.m. (EST), with an encore Sundays at 8:30 a.m. (EST), can be heard on the web at wwww.wdhf.org.

[Information courtesy Faces and Voices of Recovery]