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A few weeks ago I had the privilege to catch USm Alumni, Jamie Bates, over at the Cook Library as he was setting up his exhibit, KKK Project. I ask that you keep your mind open and listen to the interview. The photo essay is not to promote the KKK but to bring awareness. The photographs are very powerful and if you can not get to the USM campus in Hattiesburg, MS, then be sure to check out Mr. Bates website, www.kkkproject.com.
Bayou Boy is a Louisiana Owner/Operator that I met a few years ago. He is now pulling a drop deck and thinking about buying a double drop. Here is the podcast of the chat I had with him on the show.
Since the 1970s, WUSM-FM (88.5 fm), Southern Miss’ own radio station, has brought music and campus news to the Hattiesburg area.
According to WUSM’s website, the station “celebrates American roots music with a strong Mississippi influence,” meaning the station mainly plays music by Mississippi musicians. However, according to interdisciplinary studies major and Southern Miss Today host Cindy Morgan, the station is shaking things up this year.
“The format of the music we play on the station has changed in the last year with Justin Martin taking it over,” Morgan said. “We have gotten away from playing the ‘grandma and grandpa’ music and now play music that will interest the 20, 30, and 40 somethings.”
These new formats include shows such as Synchronicity (alternative), Electronic Phonics (dance), Nine O’Clock News (new music), and much more.
With a library of 60,000 songs, the station has a plethora of genres to offer.
“I immediately gravitated to WUSM since their music taste mirrored my own in so many ways,” said junior biochemistry major Michael Samel. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard one of my favorite songs – the type of song that compels you to roll down all the windows and sing as loudly as you can.”
In addition to the music shows is Southern Miss Today, a live news segment produced by junior broadcast journalism major Houston Hunt and hosted by Morgan and Printz staff member Courtney Carter. The half-hour show is broadcast at noon Monday through Thursday and features campus and community news and interviews with faculty, students, people in the community and local bands.
The personality differences among the approximately 20 staffers at WUSM is what Morgan believes brings diversity to both Southern Miss Today and the music shows.
“I am older and have different interests and more ‘life’ experience than Courtney does,” Morgan said. “But it is that difference that makes the shows we host unique, informative and entertaining. The listening audience, no matter how old they are, can find something that will interest them.”
The station is supported solely on listener donations, which Morgan said has been a huge hurdle to clear.
“There are many things that we all envision for the station, but need the money to buy the equipment,” Morgan said. “Being a public radio station means that we are listener-supported and need donations and sponsorships from them and area businesses. With the change in format, we are getting more listeners and the word is spreading about the station.”
“We want people to let us know what they think because we want to be the voice of the community,” Hunt said.
“I find that no other FM radio stations cover the range and depth of music that WUSM offers,” Samel said. “The station will remain number one on my radio presets as long as I’m in Hattiesburg.”
For the entire schedule of the shows and more information on how to support WUSM, visit southernmissradio.com. The station also broadcasts online, so listeners can tune in wherever they may be.
Had a great chat with Smokin’ Joe that aired today on the show. If you would like to get his music, please go to www.smokinjoeleesmith.com
Here is the podcast of that interview.
At the request of several fans, I have created a Facebook Fan page. So now, not only can you listen to the podcast on this website but you access the podcast of the interviews that air on the show from there. I will also keep ya updated with what’s happening with the show and the fans can make song requests. I have really enjoyed creating, producing and hosting the show and talking with the listeners. The music library is expanding and connections are being made with the people that create and preform the truckin’ music that ya’ll love so much. So go to the page and hit the “Like” button. Here is a link to the page:
I know that I have let things go a bit on the site and my blog for a little while. I spent today updating everything as well as adding a new page. This page will have podcast of some of the interviews and commentary that I have and will do for the two shows I do on the University of Southern Mississippi’s radio station, WUSM. Just click on the logo in the sling-door header at the top of this page to go to hear the podcast.
During the semester I am the host of the noon show ”Southern Miss Today” on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We do interviews, talk about campus happenings and what is going on in the area. We also have a segment called “Meet the Students” where we talk to random students to find out who we are sharing the campus with.
I am the DJ for “Gear Jammin Radio” every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. (a show of my own creation). The show features trucking music. Believe it or not, it’s not just bluegrass and country, there is also some rock & roll. We talk to real drivers and I comment on what is going on in the trucking industry today.
You can listen to WUSM in the local area of Hattiesburg, MS. on your radio at 88.5 or online at www.southernmissradio.com.
You can also send me a request for a trucking song at wusm@usw.edu. Please put Gear Jammin Radio in the subject line.
OK, I have to admit, this was oh so cool! Today was my debut on hosting a radio show. I have been a guest on many radio shows and a guest host a time or two on others, but today, it was all mine. Well sort of! I did have Dan there to run the board since I have not been taught how to do that yet. The show will be co-hosted by me and Dan most of the time, but today, I got to sort of run the show. There were a few mistakes, but we handled them and I don’t think the listeners really knew they happened…that is always good!
To make things a bit less nerve wracking for me and to promote something that I am very close to, I had Kim Brown is as my guest. The topic of todays show was the Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) and the Help on the Homefront (HOTH) mission. Kim is not only a friend of mine, but is also the Mississippi State Coordinator for HOTH; I am her assistant. Talking about something I know so well and love so much made things a lot more comfortable for me. I think the show went well, other than the fact that at the beginning, I was a bit out of breath due to having to run across campus to get there on time. The instructor in the class before the show ran a little long. We talked about how the PGR got started and moved on to the HOTH mission and what it’s purpose is; to make sure that every Veteran knows that they are not forgotten and to make sure that all units shipping out and coming home know that we honor, respect, and love them for being willing to lay their lives down for our Country and our Freedoms.
I didn’t stop there. I heard about a record label that only records current and former military a couple of years ago and have been a big supporter of it. It is called To The Fallen Records and there is some great music being done by these guys and gals. So today, that was the music that was featured! We played two songs from the Vol2, Country album, “Coming Home” by Rodney Watts and “Soldier On” by Corey Perrilliux. My hope is that we can continue to feature music from these fine men and women each week on the show. There will be a little Country, a little Rock and maybe even a bit of Hip Hop. (We have to listen to each song and make sure there is no foul language in them, it is public radio after all.) There may be only two to three songs a week featured, but my hope, is that in the end, it will become a signature for the show.
I have had many emails and text messages asking if there are any archives or podcast for the show, sadly, there are not. If you want to listen, for now, you will either have to be local and listen in on 88.5 or listen in on-line at www.usm.edu/wusm if not local. The station is trying to get things set up to have podcast of some of the shows and to install phone lines so we can take on-air callers, but money is tight! I was told today my Mr Sanders that to get the equipment needed to do all that and a qualified person to install it, will cost around $5000. The station revamped the format in November 2009 and we are in what you would call a “shake down” mode. So, if you want to be able to call in and participate on the topics, we need to raise some money. (Please forgive me for putting a hand out, but it is a college radio station and funding is thin.) So, I ask that if you can, and I know times are tough right now, go to the WUSM Support page and help us “get ‘er done!” As with any public supported radio station, donations and memberships are how we get the programing that appeals to the listeners. (Besides, I want my call in talk radio show and they need the equipment before I can do that.) Even if it is only a few dollars, it will help us get the ball rolling. OK, enough of the fund raising stuff!
Next week we are going to have USM employee/student, Teresa Dalgleish, in to talk about a project that she is working to get fun, team building equipment donated to send to the Troops in Iraq. Two years ago, she and some others had enough baseball equipment donated that they were able to send it to two different units in Iraq. She told me when we chatted the other day about some of the feed back she got from the Troops that received it. It really helped their morale to have something fun and AMERICAN to do while in the desert! If interested in hearing about this great project, please listen in next Wednesday, March 10, at 1200 central time, to hear her talk about it and relate some of the feed back she got from the Troops. If you would like to help, you can email Teresa at teresa.hayes@usm.edu or call her office at 601-266-4456.
Until we get the phone lines in, if you would like to ask a question or participate in the show, everyone is more than welcome to shoot us an email at wusmrequest@usm.edu. Please reference me or the Wednesday noon show so we know who is to receive the email. If you have comments or feed back about the show or the station, you can shoot and email to wusm@usm.edu. (Personal note: thank you to those that sent emails today about how much you enjoyed my show. Mr Sanders had a great smile on his face as he told me about them. Keep them coming!!) Each week we will try to announce what the topic of the next weeks show will be so you have plenty of time to get your comments and questions emailed in to us. We will read and try to answer some of them on-air!
Again, I want to thank Kim Brown for being such a great guest today and all my friends and family that took the time out of their day to listen in. I have received many emails and comments on my Facebook page telling me how much ya’ll enjoyed the show! Keep em coming!
