New History Series on WQCS

WQCS Contributes to State-Wide History Show “Florida Frontiers,” the half-hour radio magazine launched in January by the Florida Historical Society, recently received nearly $22,000 in grant funding from the Florida Humanities Council to help support  next year’s programming. Each weekly show includes a segment produced and hosted by Janie Gould of WQCS. Her segments were originally aired as WQCS’ popular “Floridays” shows and “Road Map” travel features. Topics have ranged from  sugar cane growing in Indian River County to the North Florida home of acclaimed author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, among many other subjects. When “Florida Frontiers” was started, Florida Historical Society executive director Dr. Ben Brokemartle said, ”Thanks to the talents of Janie Gould and Ted Burrows from WQCS, and public radio reporters around the state, ‘Florida Frontiers’ promises to be a high-quality program.” “Florida Frontiers” can be heard on WQCS HD2 every Wednesday at 1 p.m., It is also carried by WMFE in Orlando, WFIT in Melbourne and WUWF in Pensacola.  All of the shows are archived and accessible at myfloridayhistory.org. WQCS and the other stations received the historical society’s Hampton Dunn Radio Broadcast Award this year.

WQCS History Features

Features reporter Janie Gould hosts and produces “Floridays,” an award-winning weekly show about  life in Florida, from mullet migrations to early television,  changing fashions, colorful politicians, and many other subjects.  “Floridays” airs Fridays at 7:20 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. and is available on this website. Go to Audio Archive and then Programs. Gould’s series about offbeat places to visit in Florida is also available on the website.  Her “Road Map” series took her to the historic winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford in Fort Myers;  a garden in Palm Beach County founded by Japanese settlers;  a structure on the Treasure Coast that was built when U.S. Grant was president; and many others. She recently launched “Hidden History,” an occasional series about places on the Treasure Coast that visitors might not notice.  One recent story focused on the Breconshire, a British ship that sank off  Vero’s beach more than a century ago. Its mast can be seen when the tide is low.  “Hidden History” airs at 7:20 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The broadcast features evolved from WQCS’ oral-history project.  Using a specially equipped recording trailer, Gould traveled the Treasure Coast and gathered interviews with nearly 300 people.  She produced segments and specials about Florida’s Boom and Bust; killer hurricanes; war memories, and other topics. Her specials, “Walks of Life,” “On the Job,”  “Hard Times,” and “Road Map,” were aired this summer and can be heard on this website. Go to Audio Archive and then Programs. Gould is a member of the board of the Florida Historical Society and the Heritage Center in Vero Beach. Those with story ideas may contact her at JGould@irsc.edu or at 772-979-0452.