Wally Bowen

Wally Bowen is founder and executive director of the nonprofit Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN) in Asheville, N.C. Launched in 1996, MAIN operates on a simple principle: Give citizens the option of spending their Internet dollars to support independent news and information. MAIN includes a local news and information Web portal; a Low Power FM radio station, WPVM-FM 103.5, the Progressive Voice of the Mountains; and a host of Internet services, including broadband wireless. Bowen was also instrumental in creating the first public access TV operation in the N.C. mountain region. MAIN is now moving to develop cross-platform delivery (Web, broadcast, cable) of citizen journalism.