Hannah Dankbar
KHOI’s Local Talk program can now be heard live! Tune in at 7:00 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings to hear volunteer reporters interview other community members about local events, stories, and topics. This is the first talk program to go live at KHOI; with more to come when the production studio is completed.
For now, the program is staged right in the storefront (see picture). Community members can watch the live broadcast through our window at 410 Douglas Avenue, and are welcome to sit in the studio to witness the program and visit with the guests
The station decided to go live after being on air for a little over a year. “Our reporters have earned this opportunity. Our reporters have been honing their skills for over a year, they have won their right to do live broadcasting,” says studio manager Ursula Ruedenberg.
Volunteer Reporter Cynthia McClure says that having a live program makes for a more exciting and vibrant experience for volunteers and listeners. Susan Franzen, who is a reporter and on the production team, says that this is because the reporters can respond spontaneously and have more flexibility to include needs in the program.
One benefit to going live is that tedious sound editing goes away. Rick Morrison, the engineer for the station, says that a live program is easier to produce because the conversation is being broadcasted right away, instead of having to go over the material many times to edit it. “It’s a different feeling going live, you learn so much from your mistakes.” He uses hand signals to communicate with guests and hosts if the sound isn’t quite right.
Brad Freilhoefer, the LGBTSS Center Coordinator at Iowa State University was a guest one morning on the show. He said, “It was a great experience. It was a good interview, very conversational.” He feels that KHOI adds to the culture of Ames.
KHOI is almost completely run by volunteers. These volunteers are working hard to build their skills by producing shows, and look forward to the live broadcasting experience. If you are interested in volunteering at KHOI, click here to download the volunteer application.
Community members are welcomed to stop by anytime to see community radio in action. To sit-in on Local Talk, be sure to come a few minutes early to get a cup of coffee and a spot on the couch before the program begins.