New Shows Join KMHD Schedule

KMHD Jazz Radio (89.1 FM) is pleased to announce some new program changes coming to its lineup that will bring even more of the diverse sounds and experiences of jazz to the KMHD audience.

"Our daytime schedule will continue to tell the whole story of the music; its heroes, its trends and artistic accomplishments, with shows that mix classic jazz and the side trips it’s taken over history," said Matt Fleeger, KMHD assistant program director. "And our evenings and weekends will break out with specialty shows that will bring listeners fresh ideas about jazz while maintaining the vibrant spirit of KMHD!"

Some of the exciting new evening shows include:

“The New Thing” at 9pm on Mondays. Host Tim DuRoche (local musician and director of Programs for the World Affairs Council of Oregon) explores free jazz and the avante garde while showing listeners where it originated.

“Voice of the Blues” at 9pm on Wednesdays. Local blues legend Bill Rhoades will take us on a journey through the heritage of the Blues.

Nick Gefroh will bring Latin jazz and his show “Descarga!” to Thursdays at 7pm. From 9-11pm, long-time KMHD host Sean Brennan will focus on world jazz and blues originating outside of the United States on "Compass Points."

And the weekends bring even more!

Saturdays at 9am, host Krishna (a Brazilian music expert and fluent Portugese speaker) celebrates the art of Brazilian jazz and the vibrant sounds of Bossa Nova.

"The Singer’s Voice" with Rebecca Kilgore at 1pm explores the legends of vocal jazz, the obscure and sometimes forgotten names that deserve attention, and the stars of today. As one of America’s leading song stylists, Rebecca finds particular delight in preserving and sharing her passion for the singer’s voice with the public.

And, Sundays at 7pm, award-winning local drummer Carlton Jackson highlights jazz through the civil rights movement and beyond black consciousness with “The Message.”

This amazing array of new programs is possible because of the incredible talent in our community who bring their knowledge to the KMHD audience.

But no new opportunities in life are achievable without letting go of some of the past. To expand our local voice and to make KMHD available to people all across the state via OPB’s digital television signal, we have to say goodbye to some wonderful programs as well. Our agreement with National Public Radio (NPR) does not allow broadcast via television of "Piano Jazz" with Marian McPartland or "JazzSet" with Dee Dee Bridgewater. We know their departure will disappoint many, but we hope that fans will continue to follow them online.

As the jazz station for our region, and one of the oldest listener-supported jazz stations in the country, we’re looking forward to sharing the diversity and the whole jazz story. As we preserve the valuable accomplishments of the past, we hope to enrich the tradition as we move towards the future.

KMHD FM can be streamed at kmhd.org and heard on OPB TV channel 10.4 (beginning July 15).

About KMHD
KMHD is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to showcasing the best of jazz, blues and traditional American music. Licensed to Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham and operated by OPB, KMHD has celebrated jazz as an indigenous, culturally significant American art form by educating and entertaining a local, national, and international audience since 1984.

OPB Wins Public Radio Honors

Oregon Public Broadcasting added four more awards to an already stellar awards season. On June 26, Public Radio News Directors Inc. honored OPB with first-place awards for Commentary and News Features, and second place finishes for Breaking News and Documentary in the Division A category for large station newsrooms. This is the only national contest recognizing outstanding public radio news reporting at local stations.

OPB's winning entries:

Breaking News - Second Place “Attorney General Releases Portland Mayor Investigation”: "AG Finds Evidence 'Not Sufficient' for Charges in Adams Case" and "Adams Ready to Move on, So Are Recall Supporters"

Commentary - First Place “A Day to Remember What We Should Never Forget”

Documentary - Second Place “Depression Echoes”: "Our Not So 'Great' Depression," "Hard Times Bring Back Old, Frugal Ways" and "In Good Times and Bad Oregonians Found Work"

News Feature - First Place “There Goes the Neighborhood”

The contest covers work produced in 2009. A total of 93 awards were presented to local stations at the PRNDI Awards Banquet at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.

Public Radio News Directors Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the professional development of public radio journalists.