WORDS / KODY FORD

PHOTO COURTESY / FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC TV

For decades, Fayetteville Public Television has served as a tool of expression and free speech in Northwest Arkansas. One such way is through the show Open Mic. Produced by Blaire Hastings, Open Mic serves as an outlet for talent, organizations and people in Washington and Benton Counties have five minutes to broadcast their ideas and original creative pieces to television and Internet audiences. 

“Open mic is a great option for many people,” Hastings said. “Musicians can utilize it for their original songs and non profits can also use it for alerting the public of events that they are raising awareness for.”

During Covid-19 lockdown, FPTV filmed all of their interviews virtually and launched two versions of Open Mic— “Make your voice heard,” which encouraged people to engage in opinions as well as artistic expression, and “FPTV Team” series, which was a series that supported women in broadcasting. The programs included guests like Jamie Weiss (40/29), DJ Dom Blake (105.3 FM) and Michael Day (Dayvision).

Filming for Open Mic takes place on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Fayetteville Public Television studio, located at 101 W. Rock St. Visit www.faypublic.tv for more information.