With hundreds of television channels to choose from, it is easy to miss out on many programs, especially when it comes to local programming. Yet Athens has its own wealth of TV programs — including one dedicated solely to celebrating local women.
Women Today and Yesterday is a part of Athens Community TV. Host Lois Whealey of Athens interviews local women who are active in the greater Athens community and discusses women from the past who have “made an impact in the way we see the world today” during the hourlong program.
Whealey, now in her 70s, started the show in 2006 after being urged by friend and producer Nan Mykel.
“I realized that there were a lot of very interesting women in Athens who are
doing a lot of very important things,” Whealey said.
Since Mykel’s suggestion, Whealey has hosted more than 230 shows, interviewing Girl Scout troops, visiting professionals and talking with Athens women planning upcoming events.
Today, Mykel is still by Whealey’s side, every step of the way.
“I come in every week to support her to keep it going,” Mykel said.
The show airs on Time Warner Cable channel 9 at 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; and at 2 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays. Each show focuses on one interviewee, with shows premiering on Fridays and airing throughout the following week, said Matt Green, executive director of ACTV.
Despite being a hyper-local program, Whealey said she doesn’t feel restricted by a dearth of possibilities.
“There’s really no lack of people to call on,” Whealey said. “Although I always seem to have an ‘Oh goodness, who am I going to have this week?’ kind of thing, there are so many interesting women here.”
Whealey described both her grandmother and her mother as “unusual women,” as they both pursued education and careers that were outside of the norms of the time. She added, “I like unusual women,” saying it’s that spark that she looks for in her subjects.
“You try to record their lives in a way,” Whealey said. “Well, as much as you can in the hour that we talk.”
gm220908@ohiou.edu
