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Since the beginning of the COVID-19 emergency on March 15, KZSM.org has been broadcasting a news update at noon every weekday, featuring not only the latest facts and figures but also live in-depth interviews with local officials and experts, educators, business people, and concerned citizens like you.
The news show is hosted by Rob Roark, a volunteer — like everyone at KZSM.org. At the beginning of the crisis, Roark’s sense of the mission of community radio prompted him to begin the broadcast. He recalls that one of the motivations for the creation of a live streaming radio station 3 ½ years ago was the need for “a good, live source for information when we had the floods — a one-stop main news source for the community.” When this emergency arose, Roark stepped up so the station could fulfill its purpose.
In addition to the news show, Roark hosts Vinyl Confessions, Mondays 10 p.m. to midnight. Vinyl, he maintains, “was a whole different psychology of music. It was you sitting down, putting on a record, and listening; it was the touch; it was the feel.” Roark plays records he finds as a vendor at the Kyle Flea Marker, along with LPs or 45s that people give him. “I connect people with things; I connect people. The music comes to me, randomly, from people out there.”
Roark’s other shows on KZSM also reflect his concern for community, his feeling for connection, and his devotion to grassroots authenticity. Revolving Door, Sundays 5-7 p.m., showcases local musicians—live in the studio until the current crisis, now recorded. “It’s like sitting on your front porch listening and talking about the music.” On We the People, Fridays
On We the People, Fridays 7-8 p.m., Roark and his cohost Quad-D interview local elected officials and a range of community leaders. They strive to provide the information people need to be active in the community “You may not be able to make a difference at the federal level, but you can at the local, regional, and state level.”
All of Roark’s work for KZSM.org expresses his vision of the true purpose of community radio — "to give the voices to people.”
KZSM.org is a self-supporting nonprofit, staffed entirely by volunteers like Roark. We also are feeling the economic effects of COVID-19. To help sustain our programming, find the “donate” button on our website, KZSM.org. Tune in, stay in, help out.
