News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Media Release: Preserving Our Voices with WKMS

Murray, KY- Murray State’s listener-supported, educational radio service 91.3, WKMS offers an hour of heart-tugging, funny, frightening, and personal stories told by your neighbors in the Four Rivers Region.  Murray, Paducah, Hopkinsville and Madisonville area residents share glimpses of their lives during the station's broadcast of Preserving Our Voices Friday, Nov. 29, 2013, at noon.

The hour before, starting at 11 a.m. WKMS broadcasts Ties That Bind: A StoryCorps 10th Anniversary. It is a sampling of the thousands of conversations that StoryCorps has recorded across the nation, which are now archived in the Library of Congress. NPR's Morning Edition includes selected StoryCorps segments Fridays on WKMS. StoryCorps actually visited the Murray Court Square in 2005 and collected about 65 stories for the national project.  

Select stories from Preserving Our Voices will be previewed during Morning Edition 7:35 a.m. Monday, November 25th through Friday, November 29th. Preserving Our Voices will re-air Sunday, December 1 at 9 a.m. and Tuesday, December 26 at 11 a.m. There’s more on StoryCorps and pictures from local recording sessions at wkms.org. 

During the month of October, WKMS staff members met 50 area residents with the assistance of the Calloway County, McCracken County, Hopkins County-Madisonville, and Hopkinsville-Christian Public Libraries and the Kentucky New Era's Jennifer Brown.  

Included in Preserving Our Voices are: Hilda Howard of Hopkinsville, Mary Tripp-Reed of Murray, Rolf Pitsch of Hopkinsville, Barbara Flechtner of Madisonville, Thomas Schmittou of Almo, Parvin Gibbs of Madisonville, Randy Teague of Madisonville, Dr. Herbert Chaney of Dawson Springs, Carl and Ruth Buzzard of Dawson Springs, Jesus and Shirley Menendez of Paducah, Bob Norsworthy of Murray, David and Jennifer Bryson of Murray, and Kenneth Thomas of Murray.

WKMS will archive all recordings for consideration for future broadcasts and intends to continue this project.  The station is also involved with area high school students to create recordings like these.  The Murray State Teen Leader Project with WKMS carries with it scholarship awards.  For more information about the teen project, call WKMS Station Manager Kate Lochte at 270-809-4745.

Preserving Our Voices commemorates “The National Day of Listening,” a holiday established the day after Thanksgiving by StoryCorps, with the purpose of honoring a loved one through listening. Taking time during the holidays to sit down with someone and record a conversation or a story might be a treasured keepsake for the whole family.   

WKMS is also beginning its annual Holidays Sound Good series of over 50 hours of seasonal specials. A full broadcast schedule of holiday programming is available online at wkms.org under Holidays Sound Good on WKMS. The station serves listeners in the Four Rivers Region of western Kentucky, southernmost Illinois and northwestern Tennessee with non-stop news and music. Stations include 91.3 WKMS-FM, Murray; WKMS HD-1 and All-Music HD-2; 90.9 WKMD and WKMD HD-1 and HD-2, Madisonville; 89.5 WKMT, Fulton; 99.5 Paris, Tenn., and All-Music 92.5 Paducah and 105.1 Madisonville. WKMS also offers both channels WKMS HD-1 and HD-2 at wkms.org, where regular weekly schedules of programs are available. Call 1-800-599-4737 for more information.

Contact:  Membership Coordinator Jenni Todd (270-809-4748 or jtodd14@murraystate.edu) 

Jenni holds a degree in Music Education from Murray State University and a Masters degree in Arts Administration from Florida State University's College of Music. She's equipped with knowledge and enthusiasm for fundraising and the arts. She also serves as a Girl Scout Troop Leader and on the Murray Independent School District Foundation for Excellence Board of Directors.