Green Groove was a live radio show hosted by Tanhum Yoreh and Rinat Cohen on Mount Scopus Radio in Jerusalem, 106 FM, from 2005-2007. The show aired for one hour every Sunday evening and focused on Israeli, Middle-Eastern, and global green issues, combined with eclectic music. The show was designed to get people “grooving” with the environment.
Contents
Background
Yoreh and Cohen met while studying for their master's degree in Environmental Planning at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Department of Geography. They co-hosted the show in 2005, after which Cohen went on medical leave. The second season was hosted by Yoreh with frequent telephone appearances and occasional visits to the studio by Cohen. In 2007, Cohen returned to co-host the third and final season of Green Groove. Their dialogue was characterized by a relaxed banter, which often erupted into lively discussion.
Music
Yoreh and Cohen were dedicated to exposing emerging Israeli musical talents and occasionally hosted musicians in the studio. Among their guest artists were Reggaestan and Malka Baia. As part of their dedication to the Israeli music scene, a corner was given to music guru Amir Amrami, also known as Amrami Mami. Every week Amrami introduced new artists who by and large did not receive airtime from the mainstream radio stations.
Jingle
Green Groove’s catchy jingle sampled the Chi-Lites’ hit song “For God’s Sake Give More Power to the People.” The song was chosen for its high groove factor and because it embodied one of the main objectives of the show – to empower the public through information.
Interviews
Green Groove conducted at least one interview each show, and over the course of its three seasons hundreds of interviews. Most notably, with: former Minister of Environment, Yossi Sarid; former Minister of Environmental Protection, Gidon Ezra; former Minister of Agriculture, Haim Oron; former Minister of Welfare and Social Services, Zevulun Orlev; current Minister of National Infrastructure, Uzi Landau; Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Naomi Tzur; former Governor of the State of Paraná, Brazil, Jaime Lerner; television celebrity, Avri Gilad and many other Members of Knesset, C.E.O.s of Israeli cleantech companies (as well as polluting ones), academics, planners, celebrities, and environmentalists.
Campaigns
Say No to the 3rd Generation In the second season, Green Groove launched a campaign against 3rd generation (3G) cellular phones because, in order to support the advanced network, the number of cellular antennas had to triple. The lack of transparency in the process of erecting these new antennas, as well as concerns about links made between these antennas and some types of cancer caused by increased radiation, inspired Yoreh and Cohen to come out against the 3G network.
Clean Profit Corner
In the third season of Green Groove, Yoreh and Cohen decided to launch a new corner highlighting Israeli cleantech companies and exposing their technologies to the Israeli public. For the remainder of the show a different company was featured almost every week, and their innovative technology was usually discussed with the C.E.O. or founder of the company. Some examples of the companies featured are Genova Ltd. (pyrolysis and gasification of biomass waste), Arrow Ecology Ltd. (environmental management services), and S.D.E. Energy Ltd. (sea wave energy), all of which are in operation today.
Logo
The Green Groove logo was envisioned by Yoreh and brought to life by graphic designer Adi Daniella Ramot. T-shirts with the original logo were printed in 2005 and more were printed in 2006 with the boom-box design. Both shirts have the “reduce, recycle, regroove” logo on the back. They have become rare collector’s items in certain circles. The shirts were given as memorabilia to guests on the show and occasionally to listeners who would answer environmental trivia questions or discover the link between the songs featured each week.
Awards
In 2007, the show was awarded third place in the Pratt Prize Competition for Environmental Journalism in Israel. The panel of judges, which was headed by former Minister of Environment, Yossi Sarid, noted that they were particularly impressed with Green Groove’s commitment to exposing the Israeli public to the environmental platforms of different political parties during the 2006 general elections in Israel.