Lisa Loving named as Evening News Director

Hey friends--I am starting out the New Year with a new job -- KBOO Evening News Director. Yes I held this job many years ago, but times were different then. No one had heard of Facebook yet! Hard to imagine isn't it?

Last year marked my 25th anniversary of volunteering at KBOO Community Radio. Half a lifetime ago, I was a young journalist fresh out of college who just moved to Portland. It so happened that I worked with a woman named Robyn Shanti, and she talked about her radio show, the Dharma Wheel, in which she showcased radical political folk music — not Peter, Paul and Mary, but new music. I had listened to NPR, and I thought I was very sophisticated for that. But when I tuned into KBOO for the first time, it blew my mind. I took in ideas, information and artists that I had never heard before. I felt like I’d come home.

Why is KBOO important? This radio station is the beating heart of the Cascadia bioregion. Our volunteers have for almost 50 years pumped out critical analysis that has shaped our communities. We offer fresh music and other artistic perspectives that impact and inspire young people who grow up and take their place as leaders — we know this for a fact because we've seen it over time. KBOO is the only media outlet that keeps our doors open for everyday people to come in and learn how to “become the media,” as Jell-O Biafra said, free of charge. And as difficult as it has been over the years, KBOO takes on the divisive issues within and inside our communities — such as institutional racism, poverty, and violence — and we tackle them on a personal level, unlike any other media outlet in our region.

That's why I am urging you to become a KBOO news volunteer!!!