Here in Nebraska our NPR and PBS stations are branded as “NET”, which stands for Nebraska Educational Telecommunications. As proud as I am of the role KCOW (and all of our radio stations) play in keeping our community informed and entertained, I also appreciate public radio and television. Public media serve very unique audience needs, and are an important, essential part of the broadcasting landscape.
This week NET has been visiting the panhandle on one of their road trips, and they invited my pal (and area troubadour) Kalin Krohe to perform on their “Friday Live” program. I joined Herr Kroheim to see his moment of statewide fame and check out NET’s operation.
The Knight Museum and Sandhills Center, which I am further convinced is Alliance’s crown jewel every time I visit, played host to the NET Road Show. A large number of guest interview subjects and performers (including a barbershop quartet, a cowboy poet, a non-cowboy poet and others) participated in the “Friday Live” taping. Program host Genevieve Randall made everyone feel welcome while a team of engineers and producers shepherded guests in and out of chairs and on their marks. I found the entire production fascinating, much as I did when the Husker Sports Network aired “Sports Nightly” from the Knight Museum some years ago.
As for Kroheim, he sang “Mr. Minute” and “Bird or Machine”. He sounded great! And we have visual evidence!
NET Friday Live host Genevieve Randall informs the live audience that the show will be done “live-on-tape” with no stops….and the K-Man is ready to go!
