"You're listening to WRIU, Kingston, 90.3 on your FM dial, and this is SpeakEasy with Dr. Jim."
For the past six seasons this radio station ID has welcomed listeners to a radio talk show purposely designed to promote awareness, understanding, and personal responsibility in sexual relations. the tone of each presentation deftly treads a fine line between informing and entertaining, since topics can potentially run the gamut from serious and life-threatening to playful and at times even "stimulating."
In advocating for sexual rights and sexual health, few mediums have the impact and long-range effect of talk radio. Public radio stations, with their emphasis on providing a variety of programming without commercial influence, command a unique forum for speaking out on the issues of comprehensive sexuality education. Controversy discussed over the radio waves seems to be an accepted norm to a much greater extent in contemporary society than inclusion in classroom curriculums or even in presentation content at parent/teacher meetings. Our radio talk show provides a level of anonymity that is most conducive to individual exploration of personal values and finding answers to very private questions, since the listeners are never identified.
In southern New England tune in every Thursday afternoon from 12:30-1pm on WRIU, 90.3 FM for a lively half-hour talk show with your host Dr. Jim and a potpourri of talented specialists ready to share information, suggestions, and occasionally personal experiences with our radio audience. Typically, the format of teh program begins with a brief overview of the topic of the week, followed by "On the Street", a collection of responses to a relevant question, recorded somewhere on or off campus. Finally, we open the phone lines (401-792-9030) to anonymous questions from our listeners. We also have the capability of answering "almost" live questions sent over email (mail@neihs.org).
Sample Topics:
The Vagina: Myths and Reality - In honor of the Vagina Monologues
Valentine's Day Special - How to rekindle current flames and spark new ones
Parent/Child Communications - What a parent can do to teach/promote healthy sexuality
Advocating for Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health - How to get involved
Domestic Violence in America vs. Other Countries
Flesh for Sale: Sex in the Media - What is erotica and what is porn?
Anniversary of Women's Studies - P.A.G.E. & other gender groups on campus speak
TV and the Internet: Important Sources of Sexual Information - How much of it is correct?
Homosexuality: Marriage/Sex/Relations - History that doesn't just talk about the Greeks
Sexual Deviations: The Bizarre and Scary
How Important is Sex as You Age?
Sexual Insecurities: Is Your Penis or Breast Size Too Small? Performance anxiety and more
Drugs and Alcohol and the Effects on Sexual Performance
Clothing: What is sexy and what is "too much"?
Public Service Announcements:
The requirement that all public radio stations air one-minute public service announcements (PSAs) each hour lends itself to the development of a series of concise, ear-catching, entertaining, and informative messages dealing with sexuality issues. A CD of PSAs advocating sexual health issues is currently being produced and will be made available to public radio stations nationwide.
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