A service of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Year in Review 2009 in Review Year compelling +connected KCUR {} KCUR Year in Review 2009 KCUR Dear friends, Community When the year began, I was told to be worried about comes from – and where it goes – so you’ll find revenue Advisory our future. I heard pundits say the internet would and expense information included here as well. replace radio listening, listeners would no longer Board contribute, and the federal government and University We also want to take this opportunity to again thank would be forced to eliminate any help with our our many volunteers who generously give their time funding. Public radio would outlive its purpose. to the station and who help to make our services Members possible. For the Year in Review, we’re turning the Angela Bennett Fortunately, none of that is true. KCUR has more spotlight on KCUR’s 2009 “Volunteer of the Year” Scott Burnett listeners and more relevant local and national and award recipients. Patricia Cahill, ex-officio international programming than ever before. Marilyn Carbonell KCUR appreciates all of our listeners who let us know Mark Eagleton However, the economic slowdown has made us – through their comments and financial contributions Linda Edwards reexamine our expenses, eliminate salary increases, cut – that public radio is significant. We believe that Jane Gard back on travel – we’ve even eliminated the purchase of public service begets public support. Dale Jarka KCUR coffee mugs. We have worked on receiving new Janet Justus grants and other sources of income while continuing Thank you. Kris Ketz with our on-air membership drives and underwriting. Fred Mitchell Regina Nouhan The KCUR Year in Review is (as the name implies) Steve Paul the station’s 2009 yearbook, of sorts. It’s our chance Patty Cahill Adriana Pecina to brag about our accomplishments over the last year General Manager Steve Roling – a recap of our news awards with highlights from our KCUR Radio David Smith local talk shows and our local music shows. Phyllis Stevens P.S. After perusing these pages, we encourage you to David Warm We want to take this opportunity to thank our spend some time enjoying our terrific website and the William Whitener underwriters and major donors who help us continue myriad of stories and features to be found there. If you our mission of providing our listeners with high- have any comments or questions about KCUR, please quality programming and services (look for a list send me an email at [email protected]. of underwriters and major donors on the following Mission pages). Our listeners should know where our money Statement of KCUR KCUR Radio will provide a premier non-commercial program service which allows people in our urban community and listening area to better their lives and tomorrow’s communities. It is the responsibility of KCUR to provide an audience of significant size with a program service that informs, entertains and enriches the community. Awards Local news coverage is a cornerstone of KCUR programming. Awards presented in 2009 to the KCUR news team include the following: Kansas City Press Club – Society of Kansas City Association of Black She has served on the board of directors of NPR and as Professional Journalists Heart of Journalists president of the board of Public Radio in Mid America America Awards Broadcast Radio Talk Show Award: “The Walt Bodine (PRIMA). Radio Station of the Year: KCUR-FM Show” Cahill earned a B.A. and M.A. from the University of News Program (gold): KC Currents – Susan B. Wilson, Broadcast News Magazine Award: “KC Currents” Kansas. Her term on the CPB board will expire in 2014. Sylvia Maria Gross, Alex Smith, Annie Walsh Broadcast Radio Feature Story Award: “Ties to Alvin Health Care Foundation of Greater Talk Radio (gold): “Up To Date” – Steve Kraske, Ailey Endure in Kansas City” – Laura Spencer Kansas City Stephen Steigman, Danette Alexander, Kara Caldwell This year, the station was awarded a $35,000 grant Corporation for Public Broadcasting from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas Investigative Reporting (gold): “Kansas City In August, the United States Senate approved the City to support local health coverage. The grant funds Homicides: Beyond Data” – Dan Verbeck nomination of KCUR General Manager Patricia Cahill a reporter and has enabled the station to enhance its to serve on the board of directors of the Corporation health coverage on the web at www.kcur.org/health. Business Reporting (gold): “From Wall Street to Main for Public Broadcasting. The health care foundation has awarded this grant to Street” – Maria Carter KCUR for several years now. Cahill has been the general manager of KCUR-FM for Business Reporting (silver): “Brazilian Beef Company 22 years. She also serves as an assistant professor of Missouri Arts Council Takes Over U.S. Industry” – Frank Morris Communication Studies at the University of Missouri- In July, the University of Missouri-Kansas City was Kansas City. awarded a $5000 grant from the Missouri Arts Council Feature Story (gold): “Greensburg Anniversary” – Frank (MAC). The award was designated specifically for Morris All told, Cahill has worked in public radio for more KCUR 89.3 FM, operated on the campus of UMKC. than 40 years. Prior to KCUR, she was the general The grant is part of a $7 million package that MAC Feature Story (silver): “Paying to Burn the Prairie” – manager of KMUW-FM at Wichita State University, as awarded to non-profit organizations throughout the Sylvia Maria Gross well as its news and program director. Cahill was also an state. The focus of the grants is to support various instructor in speech communications and journalism at programs involved in the distribution of arts education Feature Story (honorable mention): “The Matthew 25 the school. and performance in Missouri. Project” – Steve Bell 2009 Year in Review 2009 Year 1 Up to Date with Steve Kraske of Online and on the air, we’re on top of it The Kansas City Star 2009 was a memorable year for Up to Date. This year we spoke The best part? All of these broadcasts are in our on-line program with authors, politicians, physicians and actors … chefs, musicians, archive at kcur.org. Listen at your computer or download to your mp3 journalists, film critics, and bio-ethicists. We expanded our regular player. Listen to what you want – when you want. “religion roundtable” discussions and welcomed Brian McTavish on a weekly basis to give us some ideas for the weekend. We even began Thanks to all of you for supporting the show. We look forward to “tweeting” – follow us on Twitter at KCURUptoDate. spending more time with you in 2010. This year was also an especially exciting one for remote broadcasts: January’s Missouri Governor’s inauguration from Jefferson City; an October broadcast with Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl in Steve Kraske’s Stephen Steigman kitchen; and a December visit with celebrity chef Nigella Lawson at Producer, Up to Date Webster House. These broadcasts require a lot of extra work, but we think they’re a great way of “stepping outside the (broadcast) box.” The Walt Bodine Show Another year of what matters to Kansas City It’s been an eventful year on The Walt Bodine Show. Team Bodine grew But we’ve also talked about the things that matter to Kansas Citians in to include producer Jamie Medlicott and intern Daniel Barber. We’ve their everyday lives. We’ve hit on the challenges faced by pedestrians talked about everything from the science of sleep to Iraqi refugees and bicyclists in Kansas City, access to grocery stores, and how stimulus living in Kansas City, from our fair city’s parks and winding boulevards funds acquired by the police department would be used. to more treacherous twists and turns in a tongue twisters show. Most exciting, however, were the opportunities we had to invite each We’ve had the pleasure of welcoming some heavy hitters into the and every one of our listeners to join us in person for The Walt Bodine studio this year. Walt had the chance to tell Lilly Ledbetter of the Show during our live remote broadcasts in the spring. And if you didn’t Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, “You travel first class because you are, catch the documentary Walt Bodine: To Kansas City With Love that by golly.” Saturday Night Live’s Jason Sudeikis talked to us about the aired during our Kansas City History Series, check it out at kcur.org/ nuances of his Joe Biden impersonation. Economist Bill Black joined us WaltBodine. shortly after he appeared as a recurring interviewee in Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story. And Carlotta Walls LaNier, one of the Little Thanks for another great year, Kansas City. Rock Nine, spoke with us about her three years as one of the first African American students to attend Little Rock High School after the Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” would not hold in the public schools of this country. Gina Kaufmann Co-host, The Walt Bodine Show KCUR 89.3 FM KCUR 2 KC Currents Embracing our local media leadership role We’ve noticed that stories first reported on KC Currents are popping We all stepped up our interviews of local musicians this year, including up in other media around Kansas City more and more frequently. We’re Latin rockers Making Movies, the reggae band Blue Riddim, and not only flattered, but also especially proud to be adding new voices legendary jazz singer Marilyn Maye. and ideas to local news and arts coverage. KC Currents has tried to keep a keen focus on the local, taking you places and introducing you Our hard-working interns made some outstanding contributions to folks whom you might not have met otherwise.