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David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU, and today, we continue our 60th anniversary with another celebratory conversation. I'm David Fair, and through the years, we've covered the arts and humanities in a number of different ways. There are two regular segments that appeared on our airwaves that stood out in that realm. For years, every Tuesday at this exact time, you would hear Deb Polich as host of creative:impact. On Thursdays, at this exact time, Russ Collins would step in for Cinema Chat. He filled that role for more than 30 years on WEMU before bidding adieu. If you did not know, Russ and Deb are husband and wife and each independently have been leaders in the arts and cultural sector in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, and well beyond--Russ, as executive director of the Michigan Theater Foundation, which you now know as Marquee Arts, and Deb as president of Artrain and of Creative Washtenaw. To both of you, welcome back to WEMU!
Russ Collins: It's good to be back!
Deb Polich: Always, David! It feels so familiar in this space. So, yeah, it's great to be here!
David Fair: Well, I was going to ask. How did the two of you feel as you walked back into the friendly confines of WEMU today?
Russ Collins: A certain kind of deja vu and fun familiarity.
Deb Polich: So, it's been about six months, give or take a bit, since I went off the air with creative:impact. And on the way over here, seriously, I said to myself, "I wonder what it's going to feel like putting the headsets back on." Because it's been a while, and it's very familiar, but it's a little nostalgic, too. I'm kind of missing the show.
David Fair: Well, I think sometimes it's best to start at the very end of things. And I can be weird that way. So, Deb, I want to take you back to December 17th of 2024.
DEB POLICH: "You know, I started this show because David Fair, Morning Edition host, invited me to do a weekly show about the state of the arts in Washtenaw County. I can't think of a better way to wrap up creative:impact than having David as my final guest. David, welcome to the WEMU Studio and creative:impact!"
DAVID FAIR: "Well, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it. But, you know, you failed to run this retirement by me. I do not accept it. And you know, Deb, I still haven't signed off on your retirement, you know?"
Deb Polich: You know, can you hear the giggle in my voice there, you know?
David Fair: Was it a giddy happiness? "I don't have to come back!"
Deb Polich: You know, I think that's one of the things that WEMU allows us to do is to not only bring important programming to the listeners for over 60 years but also to enjoy it and to be part of the community and a member of which that you can laugh on the radio and have a good time while you're doing what we're doing.
David Fair: Russ, there was no bigger fan of or advocate for creative:impact than you. What did you take away from the weekly segment just as a listener?
Russ Collins: Well, there are so many really talented creative people in town that I don't think folks are aware of and then also the economic impact of the arts in Washtenaw County. To get those stories done well every week, it was inspiring to me--genuinely inspiring! And I know that Deb being my wife, I probably have a little bit of prejudice there, but I just thought it was a tremendous show that showcased a lot of folks that needed to be showcased and should have been showcased. And I was fascinated by most, if not all, of the shows that were done. And it won awards, so it wasn't just me!
David Fair: Indeed, you are not alone in your sentiments. Deb, you've had some time to reflect on your years hosting creative:impact now. What did you take away from that experience?
Deb Polich: Well, I've said it many times on the air. You know, I'm just a fan geek--a fangirl. And to this day, I meet somebody and go, "Oh, I should do a show with you!" And because their stories are so fascinating, and, as Russ said, Washtenaw County is just filled--chock full of--people with creative impact. And so, it's the people I got to meet, the stories that we were able to tell, and what I learned. It was quite rewarding all the way around!
David Fair: Well, I'm so glad you had that experience because, personally, the audience at large, all benefit as a result. 89.1 WEMU's 60th anniversary conversation continues with two popular former hosts, Deb Polich and Russ Collins are here to reflect and ruminate. While Russ and Deb did decide to retire roughly at the same time to move on with their life, as we mentioned, Deb signed off on December 17th of last year. Russ held out nearly a month longer and stayed on at WEMU until January 9th of this year. And, Deb, that's why he's my favorite!
Deb Polich: Oh, thanks! I'm going to cry!
DAVID FAIR: "So, without further ado, let me introduce my co-host of over 30 years. Russ Collins is here, and he is here for a final time. Russ, thanks for coming in for another Cinema Chat."
RUSS COLLINS: "Well, it's a pleasure as always, although getting up in the morning is never my favorite thing to do."
DAVID FAIR: "Well, you don't have to do it anymore!"
RUSS COLLINS: "That's right! That's right!"
DAVID FAIR: "And yet here you are right in the morning talking to me again."
David Fair: While we celebrate 60 years at WEMU, Russ, have you put any thought into the fact that you were a part of that for over half of our existence?
Russ Collins: Well, that is kind of amazing! It started with Joni Sylvie many years ago. My first encounter with WEMU was somebody that I cast in a show when I had a theater company back in the late 70s, early 80s: an Ann Arbor native and WEMU student at the time who did overnight on WEMU, Scott Hanley, and he went on to a full public radio career and station director and all kinds of stuff with a specialty in jazz, as a matter of fact. So, WEMU has had so much impact on so many lives over those 60 years. And to think that I was around on the air for over 30 of it is mystifying to me.
David Fair: Now, that is a long span of time to collect memories. Do you have any favorite moments of your time bringing Cinema Chat to the airwaves of WEMU?
Russ Collins: Yeah! So, it was always fun to do the Ann Arbor Film Festival with the director of the Ann Arbor Film Festival and get a little bit of additional information there. There was a very sad time in 2001 right after the planes crashed into the towers, and we did a show that I thought ended up being kind of poignant--obviously, a very sad time and a time of reflection. But being on the air with you and with Joni and Michael Jewett and lots of other folks, Reid Paxton was always fun and engaging, they were almost always live, so you never knew quite what was happening. And then, there's a lot of fund drives where very interesting and humorous things happen.
David Fair: And, Deb, the name of your show was creative:impact, and I want to talk a little bit more about impact. What kind of feedback did you and Russ get from the community about your contributions to what WEMU was putting out into the community?
Deb Polich: Well, I'll have to tell you, David you probably run into this too. It's very interesting to be out at a restaurant, and somebody walks up to you and says, "I recognize your voice. Are you Russ Collins or are you Deb Polich?" So, we of course knew that people were listening out there. And then, they would tell us what was important to them about the shows and how it helped them connect to what was happening culturally in our community. And then, there's just such a true appreciation for WEMU out there in the community. And that's grown as you've become more and more and more important to our understanding of what's happening news-wise in our community, in addition to the special interest shows and the jazz and the blues that you all do.
David Fair: You know, both of you have always recognized how undervalued arts and humanities are when it comes to investment and recognition. As you both watch what has happened since your retirement with new federal policies and priorities in place, how difficult do you see a career in the nonprofit arts world will become in moving forward?
Russ Collins: It's shocking and extremely disappointing that the progress that had been made for about 50 years in terms of government funding for the arts has been taken away. But the amount of funding that was provided to the arts was always pretty minimal. And we certainly understand that now with public radio. So, it really is up to the listeners. It's up to donors and foundations and businesses that believe in the arts. We hope that someday our government, again, believes in the arts, and we're particularly concerned about a lack of local government investment in the arts in Washtenaw County and Ann Arbor. There's a lot of work to be done on the national level, on the state level, and on the local level, in terms of supporting the quality-of-life things that the community genuinely values.
David Fair: And, Deb, you probably see it much the same way.
Deb Polich: Well, I do, but I want to say that this isn't a one-and-done thing. First of all, arts advocacy and activism is right up there with all the other things that we care about: quality of life and how we live in this country. I will tell you that we're distressed about CPB and NPR and what that impact is going to be on this station and others around the country. I will also tell you that, although the House has voted to essentially eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, the Senate has reinstated those funds. So, we're not done yet. We just need to let everybody who cares about the impact and the importance and the ripple effect of arts and culture here, locally, and across the country, that they've got to let their elected officials know how important this is. And we've got to do that on the state level, as well as the local.
David Fair: We're talking with former Cinema Chat co-host Russ Collins and former creative:impact host Deb Polich as we continue to mark WEMU's 60th anniversary in 2025. Well, upon your retirement, the two of you set sail on a four-month, around-the-world cruise. You're both kind of type A, ultra-involved kind of people. How vital was that trip to creating some separation from your work lives and perhaps setting the foundation for the retirement days still to come?
Deb Polich: Well, I hope it was good for the people that followed us and gave us separation. But it was just phenomenal to be on this long cruise with people from all over the world getting along really well and having experiences not only in ports, but also on board listening to lectures. And to be honest with you, as an arts and culture person, it was wonderful and rich in that way. I really appreciated it. And now we're really trying to understand what actually being retired is, and every day is Saturday.
Russ Collins: Yeah, the four months that we were away on the ship and on the around-the-world cruise was a kind of pause, but it was intended to be that way, as you indicated, to provide us the opportunity to understand that our life has changed, but also to see the world. And that was actually remarkable. You realize not how much you know, but how much don't know when you encounter things that are not radically different, but because human beings in a sense are the same all over, but those subtleties and sometimes that appear very stark are very poignant and wonderful. And it makes you realize that it really is a big world with a lot of different points of view, a lot of different dynamics, a lot of different traditions, and no matter how much you know, you're never going to know it all. And it's humbling and wonderful all at the same time.
David Fair: It is the human interaction that makes a difference and reminds us, as you pointed out, Russ, how much we are the same and how much we can learn from one another.
Russ Collins: Absolutely!
Deb Polich: You know, this idea of going around the world, Russ and I love to travel and, frankly, I never traveled outside of the United States, except for Canada until I was 40. So, it wasn't in my cards. And now to have had opportunities, some because of Russ's work with cinemas in Europe, to explore the world. As much as we might see film, as much as read newspapers or listen to stories, being someplace else just opens your eyes in a way that's hard to imagine. So, this world cruise thing, we felt we know we were very privileged to do it. It wasn't on our bucket list, to be honest with you. It was kind of almost a last-minute thing to decide to do, but we're so glad we did it!
Russ Collins: Amen!
David Fair: Well, I'm glad you did it as well! And as we talk about interaction, the most important interaction we make here at WEMU was that with the audience, and that is really well reflected during the times when WEMU goes on the air and conducts on-air fundraisers. You were both frequent guests and advocates for WEMU in this fundraising mode. In fact, you two were present and on the air with me during a fundraiser in the moment that will always be the one that wakes me up with night terrors.
Deb Polich: Which we still can't talk about, can we?
David Fair: To a degree. As we sat together in this very room, I was trying to make the point that the state Legislature was reducing its contributions to higher education, and, as such, there would be a trickle-down effect impacting Eastern Michigan University and its investment in WEMU. As I tried to spit out the words, and I'm going to be very careful....
Russ Collins: And you had not slept, I think, for about three days, just to create a little bit of context there.
David Fair: I'm not sure that would have helped, but I was trying to say the words "funding" and "cut" together. And I mispronounced both of those words each in the most inappropriate and profane way possible, and I did so live on the air. So, I'm guessing, based on reaction, you both remember
Deb Polich: Oh, absolutely! In fact, I tell that story frequently to people that I trust. I'm always interested in when people on the air cover, when they mess up, when they say something or they flub something, and when they go back and fix it, and when they just let it go. And it was something that was on my mind that day for some reason. And I was watching you, and I saw you try to correct yourself three times. And I said, "Oh my gosh! David, you're going say," this is to myself, I couldn't say it out loud because I was on the air. And I said, "He's going say it!" And i was expecting you to say one vulgar word. And instead, you said a different one, and it was such a shock to me. I ripped my headsets off, and I was on the floor laughing so hard! And Molly's trying to figure out what I'm doing. It was very fun! You were ashen. You turned ashen.
David Fair: Nobody will ever accuse me of not being able to talk too much, and I became the proverbial deer in the headlights--could not speak at all! And that's where you came in, Russ. You saved us all! Because Deb's laughing in the corner, I can't talk, and my eyes are as big as saucers, and you just went on as though nothing happened.
Russ Collins: Well, we certainly acknowledge that there was a hiccup, but...
Deb Polich: Funds came in!
Russ Collins: Yes! And WEMU supporters, they're--
David Fair: Quite forgiving in this instance.
Russ Collins: And they know how genuine people are. And this was a genuine error that somebody made. And, boy, were they generous in the support that they gave for the rest of that fund drive, but, certainly, for the rest of that day!
Deb Polich: I think the anxiety was heightened because that was around the time that the FCC was really locking down on things, and that was not too long after the Janet Jackson incident. And so, we were all a bit heightened. And without a seven-second delay, I remember you being that you were going to lose your job.
David Fair: I was very briefly, but when our loyal listeners responded and actually increased the amount of money we anticipated would come in and took it with a degree of humor, well, that made all the difference. And it really does take relationships. I think, I was forgiven because of a relationship that I created over the years in the community, nobody really thought that i did that on purpose.
Deb Polich: Well, we should do an outtake bloopers show, you know? Linda Yohn had a couple of them that she shared with me afterwards, but there are those bloopers, aren't there?
David Fair: Indeed, there are! Well, I won't let it haunt me forever, and I now use the phrase "budget reductions"--much less dangerous and far less likely to haunt for a lifetime. I'd like to thank both of you for being there for me then! Thanks for all you have done for all of us over the many years! And thanks to the both of you for coming in today and sharing some time and some stories! I could certainly get used to seeing both of you here on a regular basis!
Russ Collins: Well, we enjoyed our time with you and WEMU! We're still big fans and supporters of WEMU, and we hope all of the listeners continue to support this wonderful local news jazz and blues station!
Deb Polich: And, you know, as much as we love this fun and this frivolity, we also appreciate greatly the service that the station provides for our community! So, thank you, David! Thank you, WEMU! Thank you, Molly! Thank you, everyone, who does the work that you do with such dedication!
David Fair: And most importantly, thanks to all who listen and support WEMU! We couldn't do it without you! That is Russ Collins, the retired host of Cinema Chat, and Deb Polich, the retired host to creative:impact. The husband-and-wife duo are long-time leaders in the arts and cultural community and forever a part of the WEMU family. They are the latest guest in our series of conversations as WEMU celebrates its 60th year on the year in 2025. To access all of the 60th anniversary conversations we've had to this point, simply pay a visit to our website when you get a chance. And, of course, there will be more to come through the rest of 2025. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU-FM Ypsilanti.
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