[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 31262]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     TRIBUTE TO THE PEOPLE OF WAMU

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 18, 1999

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the House to join me in 
honoring WAMU 88.5 FM's regional public affairs program, Metro 
Connection, which recently won not one but two Achievement in Radio 
Awards in the 13th annual competition sponsored by the March of Dimes 
to recognize excellence in Washington area radio. Washington area 
residents are especially proud that this is the fourth consecutive year 
that Metro Connection is being honored as the best locally produced 
public affairs long-form program. Washingtonians have long admired the 
professionalism and wonderfully interesting programming of those 
sharing in the honors, including News Director Kathy Merritt, line 
producer David Furst, and reporters Annie Wu, Lakshmi Singh, Julianne 
Welby, and Lex Gillespie. Metro Connection also won the best news 
series award for its ``20th Century Washington'' series, a review of 
the city of Washington as it has evolved during this century. Kathy 
Merritt, David Furst, Annie Wu, Lex Gillespie and Andrew Pergam, who 
received this award, take us on a fascinating journey in a 10 part 
series, one story for each decade of the century, with special features 
each month. This is radio at its substantive and interesting best. 
Those of us fortunate enough to live within listening range of WAMU's 
Metro Connection value its focus on us, on where we live, and on what 
we do. Metro Connection is an especially welcome visitor in Washington 
area homes on Saturday mornings at 11 a.m.
  Mr. Speaker, many Members of the House and Senate count themselves 
among WAMU's 454,000 avid listeners in the Washington area. 
Congressional Members of every political stripe listen with 
appreciation to WAMU's variety of news and public affairs programming, 
to its celebrated and elegant talk show host Diane Rehm, to Public 
Interest with Kojo Nnamdi, and to its bluegrass and other music. Now 
Metro Connection and its creators have brought honor to their medium 
and their hometown station. WAMU is a beacon of broadcasting 
excellence. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the people who 
have made WAMU an award winning resource for the residents of the 
Washington area.

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