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Division of Academic and Student Affairs 
Student Media

WKNC to make program available as podcast

February 19, 2008

WKNC 88.1 FM, the student radio station at North Carolina State University, made its weekly public affairs program, “Failure to Refrain,” available as a podcast on Feb. 20.

Jeff Horn, a senior in economics, started “Failure to Refrain,” a program centered on economics and its impact on politics, law, philosophy and other areas of interest, in the fall 2007 semester. Horn and his co-host Nathanael Snow, also a senior in economics, wanted a program that would increase the frequency and quality of public debates, both on the N.C. State campus and in Raleigh.

WKNC 88.1 FM, the student radio station at North Carolina State University, made its weekly public affairs program, “Failure to Refrain,” available as a podcast on Feb. 20.

Jeff Horn

Jeff Horn

Nathanael Snow

Nathanael Snow

Jeff Horn, a senior in economics, started “Failure to Refrain,” a program centered on economics and its impact on politics, law, philosophy and other areas of interest, in the fall 2007 semester. Horn and his co-host Nathanael Snow, also a senior in economics, wanted a program that would increase the frequency and quality of public debates, both on the N.C. State campus and in Raleigh.

“We’re both inspired to share the science of economics and the lessons in decision-making we’ve learned from it with others,” Horn said of his and Snow’s desire to start “Failure to Refrain.” John Boyer, a sophomore in meteorology, joined the show as a newsreader in October.

“The VCR and now DVR have made it possible to watch a TV show whenever you want,” said Jamie Lynn Gilbert, WKNC station adviser. Podcasting is like a DVR for radio. Listeners subscribe to the podcast and have the show automatically downloaded onto their computer each week.

Failure to Refrain , which airs Wednesdays from 7-8 p.m., encourages a dialogue with its audience and often features listener call-ins. Recent discussion topics include immigration, recycling and global poverty.

WKNC and the Technician student newspaper also podcast the daily newscast “88.1 Seconds of Technician.”