The Education Town Hall hosts guests in-studio and via telephone. Distance and schedule are key factors in choosing to appear by telephone. In addition some larger group discussions work better via telephone.
SHOW FORMAT
The show airs 11 a.m. to noon Eastern on Thursdays. Generally, the program includes an introduction and feature report at the top of the hour followed by two segments, one beginning at roughly 11:05 and one close to 11:30. Pre-taping is NOT ordinarily an option at this point.
Many guests bring talking points and, where appropriate, related statistics or event details. But prepared remarks are not necessary or helpful. The aim is discussion. It is best to keep responses short to allow for variety of topics and, where applicable, different voices. In most cases, guests and listeners will be ready for more when the time is up.
Let hosts know before the show if there are specific points you hope will be raised.
STUDIO LOGISTICS
The We Act Radio studio is located at 1918 Martin Luther King, SE, just off Good Hope Road. We are walking distance from the Anacostia Metro Station and on many bus lines, including B2, 90, 92, and P6. Street parking is available but can be tight right on MLK.
If at all possible, guests should arrive 15 minutes before air time, i.e., 10:45 a.m.
For the second segment, it is possible to arrive later, but this does not permit any questions or chat with the hosts before going on air.
Studio facilities are pretty bare-bones. Amenities are available, around the corner —
- Anacostia Arts Center, with free wifi, A/C, restrooms, 1231 Good Hope Road (cafe currently closed)
- Grubb Pharmacy Mini-Mart (coffee is quite good, few snacks), across Good Hope
— and just down the street:
- Turning Natural juice bar, 2025 MLK;
- King’s Cafe, 2100 MLK, cheap and quick.
TELEPHONE LOGISTICS
For individual interviews, program staff will call to establish a telephone link a few minutes before your segment airs.
The Education Town Hall has interviewed protesters outside on the street; we’ve interviewed teachers while students passed in the hallway and the bell rang for the next period; and we’ve interviewed people stuck in locations where piped music was unavoidable. We can conduct interviews via cellphones, as long as the connection is stable. However, if at all possible, it’s best to use a landline in a location where there is little background noise.
In advance of air-date, please make sure to share the telephone number where you’ll be on the morning of the show.
For group discussions with those off-site, Education Town Hall sometimes employs a conference call. It is best if guests can join and leave the call while we are off-air or on break, so that the entering and leaving does not interrupt the discussion.
When we have multiple persons on-air at once, it is helpful for guests to briefly state their names for listeners and others in the discussion.
Education Town Hall Forum 