Re-release of ‘Apalachicola Doin’ Time’ features water war update, companion CD

January 19, 2007

Gainesville, Fla. — Public radio stations WUFT-FM, Classic 89.1 and WJUF-FM, Nature Coast 90.1 recently re-released the award-winning news documentary “Apalachicola Doin’ Time.” The re-release updates the water war involving Florida, Georgia and Alabama over the Apalachicola River, and includes a companion CD featuring all of the songs in the documentary.

The re-release of “Apalachicola Doin’ Time” and the new companion music CD will be featured at 5 p.m., Jan. 21, in a WUFT/WJUF-FM special “Across the Prairie” hosted by Cathy DeWitt.

More than 30 years ago, Gainesville songwriter and musician Dale Crider wrote the song that served as inspiration for the documentary. Other musicians featured in this sound portrait include Mike Jurgensen (a three-time winner of the Will McLean Best New Florida Song Competition) from New Port Richey; Jeanie Fitchen (Florida’s 2001 Heritage Award Winner and First Round Grammy nominee) from Cocoa; Ken Skeens from Orlando, Mark Smith from Gainesville, Harvey Reid from York, Maine, and Steve Gillette from Bennington, Vermont. The two-CD set will be distributed by the Will McLean Foundation through its Web site at www.willmclean.com and at folk festivals throughout Florida.

“This project fulfills the lifelong mission of Will McLean to ‘Save Florida Through Music,’ ” says Margaret Longhill, president of the Will McLean Foundation. The not-for-profit foundation is named for the late Will McLean, legendary songwriter and member of the Florida Artist Hall of Fame.

The water war documentary has national significance as other areas face similar water challenges. “Apalachicola Doin’ Time,” which won the 2000 Radio-Television News Directors Association Edward R. Murrow Award, was originally broadcast by more than three dozen public radio stations across the country in more than 10 states.

“Apalachicola Doin’ Time” is a collaborative effort between WUFT/WJUF-FM professional news staff and telecommunication students from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Donna Green-Townsend and Bill Beckett served as co-producers; Daniel Beasley and Joshua Azriel served as associate producers.