Chestnuts roasting on an open wire

By Kristin Torres, Reporter
Oct. 12, 2007

Jules Rains shows potential volunteers around the radio station like she's showing off her own house. And perhaps for good reason, as the station looks as lived-in as it really is: It's been in the same spot for almost 35 years. There's a bucket on the floor catching a leak from the roof. A faded, floral curtain veils a small window. The walls in the on-air studio are only half-painted and starting to chip.

Rains, a volunteer coordinator, absorbs the room with her eyes while smiling. With arms outstretched to the volunteers, she says, "Welcome to community radio."

This is KOPN/89.5 FM, a non-commercial, volunteer-driven local radio station that brings a mix of community news and music to listeners throughout mid-Missouri.

And with its new transmitter, the station is celebrating its shift to broadcasting with greater ease.

Although KOPN's mix of eclectic music, radio theatre and farming tips might seem non sequitur, Julie Baka, Director of Development, said the station embraces the variety in its programming.

"Diversity is in the passion that the hosts bring to their programs," she said. And the volunteers are a diverse group as well. College students, townies — we have them all."

"Evening Edition"

with Mark Haim

Mark Haim speaks softly, but don't be fooled. He's got something to say. The "Evening Edition" host and director of Mid-Missouri Peaceworks starts this episode of his show — which focuses on peace and social justice issues — with a casualty report out of Iraq. Ten died this week.

"Ten too many," Haim says. And he's going to keep reporting on the casualties, he says, "until they all come home."

Haim describes "Evening Edition" as a "community forum on the air taking a stand for peace."

It celebrates 10 years on the air this month.

Listeners can dial in and bounce off ideas on topics that are underrepresented in the mainstream media, Haim says.

Although the show splits its time between various social justice issues, lately there's been a focus on the Iraq war.

For this episode, Haim poses a question to those in the peace movement: "How can we best pursue a peaceful future?"

Haim goes to the phones. A caller sounds off, saying he felt the notion of the "war on terror" was a myth. Haim nods his head and states his opinion: The war is economically based — a war for oil.

Another caller chimes in with his opinion, saying the war detracts from other social issues.

Haim adds the money going toward warfare "could be financing our move to a more sustainable future."

With that, Haim cues wrap-up music: Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up."

"The (so called) Good Life"

with Kevin Walsh

Kevin Walsh starts his show in a way many radio hosts wouldn't dare to — with Neil Young's "Ordinary People," an 18-minute single from Young's forthcoming album.

"He's making a statement about radio," he says over the music.

In his own way, Walsh is, too.

After retiring from Columbia's Streetside Records, Walsh opened his own music shop, Kevin's World, which is known for stocking works from the local music scene.

For seven years, he's brought his knowledge of local music to "The (so called) Good Life," which he sometimes uses as a platform for hosting local performers.

"It's a great way for the audience to get to know them," he says.

As acts come through town, Walsh challenges himself to get them to drop by the studio and play on-air.

"I coax them up the alley, then coax them up the stairs and into the studio," Walsh says with a laugh.

It seems as though his strategy has worked; he's had national acts from the likes of Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and North Mississippi Allstars on his show.

He sits back in his chair and takes a minute to look around the studio.

"I like the sound of live music in the studio," Walsh says. "It's a chance to remind these kids that there's always been a music scene in Columbia."

Farm and Fiddle with Jenny Czyzewski and Margot McMillen

The studio is abuzz with the latest news: The Missouri Crop & Livestock Reporter forecasts that corn crops will produce a record 473 bushels this year.

Co-hosts Jenny Czyzewski and Margot McMillen, along with their in-studio guests, nod their heads in concerted enthusiasm.

"Our farmers ought to be driving Cadillacs this year," McMillen says.

"Farm and Fiddle" is a program that aims to bring together both farmers and consumers for an hour of agricultural news, tips and sometimes a Barnyard Baffler — a bit of farm trivia to keep listeners on their wits.

And although it's not equal parts farm and fiddle, music of both older and contemporary fiddlers plays during breaks.

In the studio for this episode are representatives from the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, Michelle Hall and Michael Gold, the latter who happens to be the president of the Chestnut Growers of America.

The topic, as Czyzewski puts it, is "the chestnut and its many facets."

There's talk of the delicate procedure that goes into preparing a chestnut for roasting (it's all in the scoring), the excitement surrounding Saturday's Missouri Chestnut Roast (there will be free samples) and a careful deconstruction of the fine line between a chestnut and a buckeye (the burr makes all the difference).

McMillen says that, for the Callaway County neighbors, the show is a chance to "celebrate and explore rural life in Missouri."

Now more listeners across mid-Missouri will have an opportunity to listen to KOPN/89.5 FM courtesy of the new

transmitter.

Baka said the new device is an 8,500-watt "solid-state broadcast transmitter," which replaced the old one the station used for 19 years.

The station was able to purchase it through a grant from the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program, which partially funded it.

"The old one will be used for backup now," Baka says. "With this new transmitter, we won't have to taken the whole station down just for routine

maintenance."

With new technology for broadcasting comes a need for more volunteers.

Although the need has led to a volunteer drive from Oct. 14 to 23, one thing KOPN has plenty of is music.

"Over the years, people have suggested getting rid of the vinyl to make more room. But who wants to give up the history?" Baka says. "Our plan at the moment? Make more shelves."

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Chestnuts roasting on an open wire

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