fbpx
  • Subscribe & Support
  • Sign up for Free Newsletter
  • Print Edition
    • Get Home Delivery
    • Read ePaper Online
    • Newsstand Locations
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Customer Support
    • Submit A News Tip
    • Where’s My Paper?
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Free HV1 Trial
Hudson Valley One
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s Happening
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Featured Events
      • Art
      • Books
      • Kids
      • Lifestyle & Wellness
      • Food & Drink
      • Music
      • Nature
      • Stage & Screen
  • Opinions
    • Letters
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Help Wanted
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Podcast
  • Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s Happening
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Featured Events
      • Art
      • Books
      • Kids
      • Lifestyle & Wellness
      • Food & Drink
      • Music
      • Nature
      • Stage & Screen
  • Opinions
    • Letters
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Help Wanted
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Podcast
  • Log In
No Result
View All Result
Hudson Valley One
No Result
View All Result

Kingston Community Radio chats up airwaves for decade

by Carrie Jones Ross
April 14, 2016
in Community, Entertainment
3

How many not-for-profit community radio stations can broadcast that they have hung in for 10 straight years in an era where amplitude modification radio is on a quaintness level with the Victrola?

At least one — Kingston Community Radio airs on WGHQ, 920 on your AM dial, weekdays between 5 and 9 a.m. with the same recipe for hosts and guests cooked up a decade prior.

KCR listeners, hosts and repeat guests all broke eggs and waffles together Saturday morning at their annual celebration brunch at Kingston Family Restaurant. KCR president and “chief volunteer” Walter Maxwell describes the show’s programming of local, regional and county issues as a “nonpartisan” forum for an exchange of viewpoints in which callers may interact with hosts and guest hosts, most typically elected, organizational or community officials. The station operates with 18 volunteers and one paid radio board operator, Carl Welden.

According to Maxwell, he decided to take over the control panel from former host Orville Norman in January 2002, raising $60,000 in funds from underwriters and public donations.  Maxwell said that he wanted to create a venue for community affairs and community leaders.

“People love the show,” he said. “When I talk to listeners I get a feel of what people want and they can know their elected officials. When you hear how leaders respond to questions, you can hear, ‘Are they real? Phony?’ More than in soundbites. You can hear if they are consistent with answers or they give you the same jive all the time.”

Maxwell estimates 2,000 listeners are tuned in on a daily basis, the majority of which are over 55.  Maxwell added that most of his donors are seniors as well.

Quintessentially local

Hot topics lighting up the call lines are school board issues, restructuring schools, property taxes, the election campaigns and street and road repair; situations affecting day-to-day Kingston lives.

Charter host Tony Marmo, longtime healthcare executive and former CEO of Kingston Hospital, now hosts “Feel Good Friday” which airs “positive and upbeat topics” every 10 days to mark Marmo’s personal belief that only 10 percent of reported news is positive. He said they focus on community events, fundraisers, family traditions, holidays, sports and more.

“I believe in the format of the show where people call in, especially to their elected officials from communities in exchange of ideas,” said Marmo, “which is really otherwise nonexistent.”  Marmo is one of several remaining original hosts, among them former Saugerties supervisor Greg Helsmoortel, current Woodstock Supervisor Jeremy Wilber, former Esopus supervisor Ray Rice, former Ulster County Treasurer Lew Kirschner and former Ulster County Legislature chairman Rich Mathews.

Slideshow image: “The Supers” – Greg Helsmoortel of Saugerties, Jeremy Wilber of Woodstock and Ray Rice of Esopus. 

Page 1 of 2
12Next
Tags: Kingston Community RadioWalter MaxwellWGHQ
Before you click away... grab a free month of HV1. Get unlimited access. Get the news you've been missing. Get connected to your community. Keep local journalism alive at $5/mo., or cancel anytime. And enjoy summer!
- Geddy Sveikauskas, Publisher
Previous Post

Editorial: Kingston has its goat

Next Post

Onteora’s choice

Carrie Jones Ross

Related Posts

Tommy Keegan, Jim Fawcett remembered at Kingston Artists’ Soapbox Derby
Community

Tommy Keegan, Jim Fawcett remembered at Kingston Artists’ Soapbox Derby

August 16, 2022
Summer reading challenge begins at Saugerties library
Community

Absentee ballots available for Saugerties Library budget vote

August 16, 2022
Growing connections one flower at a time
Celebrations

Growing connections one flower at a time

August 14, 2022
Speakers at public hearing split on New Paltz plan to end free Sunday parking
Community

Village parking plans include new mobile payment service

August 13, 2022
SUNY New Paltz to welcome incoming students
Community

SUNY New Paltz to welcome incoming students

August 13, 2022
Woodstock Day of gratitude, Alf award, fireworks display on Saturday, August 18
Community

Woodstock celebrates volunteerism with music, games and fireworks

August 13, 2022
Next Post

Onteora’s choice

Please login to join discussion

Trending News

  • Sawyer Ice Cream is your grandfather’s shake shack 1.1k views
  • Phony crosswalk covered over 1k views
  • City of Kingston raises drought emergency to Stage II 856 views
  • Dutchess exec Molinaro challenges Ryan in special election for congress 683 views
  • Who’s responsible when a village employee leaves work to fight a fire? 533 views







Latest HV1 Podcast

Weather

Kingston
◉
66°
Partly Cloudy
6:06 am7:53 pm EDT
Feels like: 66°F
Wind: 2mph WNW
Humidity: 68%
Pressure: 30.04"Hg
UV index: 0
ThuFriSat
82/59°F
88/63°F
88/64°F
Weather forecast Kingston, New York ▸

Ulster County COVID-19 Active Cases

Subscribe

Independent. Local. Substantive. Subscribe now.

  • Subscribe & Support
  • Sign up for Free Newsletter
  • Print Edition
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Contact
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Free HV1 Trial

© 2022 Ulster Publishing

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s Happening
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Featured Events
      • Art
      • Books
      • Kids
      • Lifestyle & Wellness
      • Food & Drink
      • Music
      • Nature
      • Stage & Screen
  • Opinions
    • Letters
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Help Wanted
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Podcast
  • Subscribe & Support
  • Contact Us
    • Customer Support
    • Advertise
    • Submit A News Tip
  • Print Edition
    • Read ePaper Online
    • Newsstand Locations
    • Where’s My Paper
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Log In
  • Free HV1 Trial

© 2022 Ulster Publishing