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In the spring of 1964, Bill Kling graduated St. John’s University. Bill had worked at the college student radio station, KSJU. Father Coleman Barry approached Bill and asked him to travel east to Boston University to get a masters degree in communication and upon his return they launched KSJR 90.1 as Minnesota Education Radio on January 22, 1967. In 1974, MER became Minnesota Public Radio.

In the spring of 1964, Garrison Keillor graduated the University of Minnesota. Garrison had worked at the university’s student radio station. In 1969 Garrison moved to Freeport and began working at KSJR doing the Morning Show. In March of 1974, Garrison spent a week in Nashville writing a piece about the Grand Ole Opry for The New Yorker. It made him think of starting up a similar radio show in Minnesota. In a room at the Sam Davis Hotel in Nashville, Garrison made a list of musicians that he thought would fit the bill. On July 6, 1974 the first performance of A Prairie Home Companion was presented at the Janet Wallace Auditorium on the campus of Macalester College in St. Paul. Today A Prairie Home Companion is carried on over 600 public radio stations and worldwide on the internet.

This week both Bill Kling and Garrison came to the third floor of Wimmer Hall for the purpose of filming a conversation between the two of them. It was great to witness them stroll around the studio and comment about the way that they remembered the beginning of what has become a network of 43 public radio stations serving all of Minnesota and parts of neighboring states. I will let you know when the final product is available for viewing.

The APHC show this week is the last of the compilation shows before the start of the new season at The Fitzgerald Theater. It is a choir show with the University of Minnesota Concert Choir and not one but three male choirs: Cantus, Chanticleer and the Fostbraeaur Male Choir from Iceland. Bill Holm recites his Choir Story, Phillip Brunelle appears in an episode of Guy Noir, tenor Raul Melo sings “Nessun Dorma” with VocalEssence and the St. Olaf Choir has the “Choral Blues”. Enjoy the show.

“Some people listen with the intent to reply, some people listen with the intent to understand.” a paraphrase of a quote from Steven Covey