Whenever I get the chance to travel beyond the edge of the High Plains, I try to visit the public radio stations serving the town to which I'm a'going. Recently, I had the chance to stop by two different stations: WFMT Radio Network on the north side of Chicago, Illinois and KCUR/Harvest Public Media in Kansas City, Missouri.
HPPR proudly runs a number of phenomenal programs produced by the WFMT Radio Network in Chicago: Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin, The Jazz Network (Jazz Time with John Hill & Sunday Jazz with Dee Alexander), New York Philharmonic This Week (with Alec Baldwin), and The Midnight Special. I met with Tony Macaluso, the Director of Network Syndication. We talked about A LOT—like the history of their network, the exciting holiday jazz concert they have coming up this month, and opportunities to bring some of their talent to our region (stay tuned!). I also had the honor of meeting classical music host Carl Grapentine, a favorite from my days living in The Windy City.
Next, I headed back to my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri for a quick holiday visit with family and friends. While in town, though, I didn't want to miss a chance to check in with KCUR, the public radio station I tuned in while growing up. Situated on the UMKC campus just off the Country Club Plaza , it's also headquarters for Erica Hunzinger, the editor for Harvest Public Media. HPPR partners with HPM, a collaborative source for regional reporting serving several stations across the Midwest.
On behalf of High Plains Public Radio, I want to thank these hosts for their generosity and hospitality. We always enjoy meeting our partners, and we look forward to our continued relationship striving for excellence in public radio and regional journalism for our listeners.