Valarie Smith and Quentin Hope

00:02 Hello, my name is Valerie Smith. I am 40 years old. I'm as old as High Plains Public Radio. Today's date is Friday November 20th, 2014. I'm currently located in the great town of a Garden City Kansas and I am graciously joined today with the High Plains Public Radio founding father and and the guru of many things Quentin. Hope Quentin. Thanks for joining today High Plains Public Radio.

00:42 I feel very honored to be the same age at SS High Plains Public Radio quits and Quentin. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself your name? And then where you're located well.

00:58 I'm actually now in Denver, Colorado, but born and raised in Garden City, Kansas for Valerie is and Garden City Western, Kansas. High Plains are still own country for me.

01:12 And always will be.

01:16 We left your mark on on this this region Quinton.

01:22 Quentin you wanted me that introduction card real quick?

01:30 The it is I am putting hope in Denver Colorado. I'm now 66 years old and I've known Valerie for probably I don't know about how far back is to go twenty years or so.

01:50 Yes, I remember the first time I saw you Quinton. I thought you were an auditor.

01:57 Well, I kind of good things away. Doesn't it?

02:00 How is envy?

02:02 In the studio. I was alive host of all things considered at the time and I think I was in there eating my dinner in between talking on the radio and you were sitting on the other side of the window and I had no idea that you weren't be Quentin hope well, I wasn't an order but I was probably worrying about money.

02:20 Yeah, yeah. Yeah as you do still continually High Plains Public Radio, but I have so much admiration for you Quentin because I am an advocate fan of High Plains Public Radio public radio in general and without you and your efforts. I'm not for sure that the high plains would be graced with public radio. So I really love to talk about some of Apartments public radio came around and how you have this idea and it grew in something that is still serving our region 40 years later. So can you start off and tell me where you got the idea for bringing High Plains Public Radio to to our region?

03:02 Well that really it does really goes back to Garden City and 1972 is it mentioned I was born and raised in Garden City and right after graduating high school in 1972. I headed off to Antioch college and unbeknownst to me at the time Antioch had this terrific radio station wyso, and you know, that was a real discovering just the diversity of the programming the music the drama the information at the fact that it was commercial-free that in those such a thing could exist because you know, if you grip Westin, Kansas you assumed all media was commercial because there was nothing else at the time and also at that time wyso was in the midst of increasing its power and joining National Public Radio to serve the greater Dayton market, so they're going through a number of changes there and just something in a terrifically talented people.

04:02 So I got lost someone and program it actually that time primarily and Engineering cuz I got some engineering background in terms of other power increase that they were doing and the like but that was all wonders, but the my main takeaway from it was was it, you know, if this was a great thing in a college town or an urban area as NPR was expanding Insidious at the time, you know, just seems like it was going to be all the more important in a rural area like the high plains where you know, you know, you know already know the access to that diversity of programming in that range of programming on a daily basis just isn't there and there's also just kind of have a sense of geographic isolation and what a great way with radio to reach people to come to be a companion, you know every day and every hour of the day, that's it for the the idea got started my mind so they fixed my mind it.

04:58 It wasn't it wasn't even so much the radio itself at what it could do in a rural area. And then meanwhile back in Kansas, I'd been staying in touch with a group of high school friends In Summer from Garden City somewhere from around Western Kansas. We got to know each other through debate and drama competitions in the like and you know, we're all kind of ended up working in one for immediate worker or another commercial media again, that's what exists at the time, you know, working part-time or summer jobs, you know, when we get together holidays during summer breaks playing with the idea of what would it take to actually bring public radio or more commonly called then Community radio to the high plains my father Clifford. Hope who was a lawyer that always mention that you know in the state of Kansas for $50 and the right paperwork. You can form a corporation.

05:58 Anybody can form any Corporation I want and you know ain't answering to do investigate realized it will the first thing we need to do is have some sort of legal entity. So it was in 1975 that six of us got together around a at a dinner party at my parents home. They've always been kind of the sponsors of all of this and pay the $50 and sign the Articles of Incorporation. So there was an official entity and actually at the time the corporation was the Kansas Society Incorporated cans of being the route for the name Kansas is a state variously attributed generally assumed to drive from a Kyle Ward many people Southwind it just seems like in the spirit of things.

06:53 But anyway, you know, we kind of continue to kick the idea around and then in 1977 when I graduated from Oberlin College switch College in the meantime really came back to get serious about making it happen. That's where the idea came from and just would have how we got it nurtured and you know, you know back then it was a long process because one thing yes CC really regulated broadcasting there was lyrics It Was a sense that public service and strong regulation and scrutiny for public service. So I remember one of the main things we had to have his access to a copy or because the the at the FCC license application Pittsburgh station is 3 in thick out of the time you answered all the questions and they all had to be in Triplets. Of course, it also started applying for various equipment and start-up grants that were available. Although that was that was a bit uphill tube.

07:53 Does a number of those involved like the corporation public broadcasting the time? We're very skeptical that, you know public radio. Ever work in a rural area that just the other day. She just said there weren't enough people supported but all that, you know what happened between 1977 and 1979 and they got the FCC license. We got equipment Grant and your kind of knew is was getting serious, but it might actually happen.

08:24 So when one of my favorite stories about High Plains Public Radio during that time was when you were working on all the Washington ship and getting the equipment in a control to read in the newspaper article in NPR consultant actually came out here and said, you know, you have more cows Than People this is never going to work and Quentin. I'm so thankful that you didn't do that guy's advice at the time and they were many models to work from cuz I was the era when a lot of public radio is for me and really spreading across the country, but

09:08 You know, we didn't really have any answer for them other than

09:12 Determined to make it happen and that the fact that going back to the original no staticy just Counts from war in an area like the high plains and people value more highly fewer people that higher value if you will and I think it kind of is. I'm not taking such things for granted. They had you know, they have to be built, but you know what?

09:38 You know for one reason or another we prevailed and did get the support and I think I think part of it was, you know, they were under up up to the Public Service Commission of Pinot providing service to the whole population instead of like you can't figure out a model for rural areas and you're leaving a good part of the country out.

10:01 Appreciated hearing about when you found public radio and in the programs that the kind of resonated with an I remember the first time I heard public radio public radio and it was just like this all Hall moment. Like, oh my gosh this exists in my community, which I thought was kind of like a desert for things outside of our area and four for this type of culture. And so I'm wondering about that aha moment for you when you were falling in love with public radio, and then it was like

10:33 At some point you had to have an idea. Can I bring this to Western Kansas? It's like tell me about that just that experience and I think it was that same since interesting to compare notes that way cuz it that same sense of wonder me music you've never heard before you didn't know existed at that time. They are doing some great radio drama shared experiences. And then with with the the NPR news, that's what if news because what were you comparing it to you comparing it to spinning country-western records?

11:10 And a lot of commercials either that or you know, where our top 40 and that's what radio was by and large so assertive like same device.

11:23 Can be putting out something really different and I think also just the notion of just the shift of

11:32 You know radios a business Enterprise, right? It's a business like any other business on Main Street, right? And that's what it is. And the fact that they actually could be a public entity in a public good which kind of reframed

11:44 Refrain but media could be if you know because in most suspension that area media was up as a private business private concern and of course that was kind of been in the spirit of what was a lot of what was happening in those decades, you know, kind of from the sixties and threw it into the 80s.

12:04 Wendy's or m'dears in in the late 70s

12:09 Are you working only on getting public radio or did you have another job? Was it something you're doing on this side, or did you completely dedicate yourself to this endeavor part-time nights and weekends for commercial radio station?

12:23 I guess you know if that's what you do end up being at end of shifts for good. Right cuz you could do it and do it in the off hours but has ever called it one of the shifts was noon to midnight on Sundays, but fortunately there was Royals baseball right and you can get a lot of work done during the innings.

12:45 Non was Aaron was actually on that stations. Very nice electric typewriter is it most of the applications got typed out?

12:55 So it worked out well that way.

12:59 So quit, I don't know if you knew this, but I used to I used to work for another radio station in town to which is probably the same one get out of work. We're Knights of the weekend shifts and ran the Royals game.

13:11 You kind of got any new to wake up when the great game just to the right and it wakes you up challenge becomes very very loud, but you've been in the house for a while. So I live in these years you have this idea public radio out here. How was it received by other people that did you get a big Fanfare where there a lot of people wanting to join in with it? How did that what is that look like

13:44 Well, you know all I was pretty hard long sell your precise for the reason you're talking about cuz it was just such a different notion, you know and right now and I think back on it.

13:56 I kind of think about three groups of people who responded, you know, you're there were some who because they lived elsewhere and had different experiences for back in the area. They knew it and got the new exactly what you're talking about. You know what I think about someone like skipping Vincent Mancini in that case. She just said they were right there from the start. There are others who I think in some ways, I think the most imaginative those who had no exposure to it, you know, and I can think of friends who have never been never left the county right let alone the state at that time who just sort of understood or imagine what it could be

14:37 It really was kind of buying into a blue sky notion you talk about and they get excited about it without even knowing what it was and we would you know, sometimes you know, make tapes from other stations Spira play bits of things to get the sense for but again, that's different than you know, having you know, you listen on a daily basis before and then I think there were other individuals to

15:04 We are not going to put my parents in this class and then many of their friends who they kind of understood that it would be a good thing for the community. And I think that's where we began understand. The power of the idea wasn't in selling it is or promoting. It is public radio per se but really this is she in the continuation of the traditions of community building on the high plains. It was really like going back a hundred years cuz most of the communities in that area were really settled in the late 1870s early 1880s in a real boom. So it's like a hundred years later and saying, you know, this is the kind of if you will institution or service or resource that we should have in the area just the way you know, when settlers were first out there and as soon as you know, there are enough of them within a horseback ride of each other that form of school right to probably barely started their Farm or Ranch, but they form to school

16:03 You know you think about the Volga Germans in northwest Kansas who build churches in even Cathedrals while they were still living in sod houses, you know, as soon as the community got to be of any size, you know, someone would say we do library, you know, we're not a community. We don't have a library and let you do likewise with other Civic and cultural organizations that you know, right along with the commercial development of the town. We need to develop the quality of life in the cultural none of it and I think people began to see that

16:34 Again, you know me you didn't have to just be a private business or Commercial Business. It could really serve the community and in a lot of ways and and I think it was there. It was then that we really started to get some traction.

16:48 An end and I think you know because that was that might have been a little older generation there and you know, they they had some money that they can put up to guess. You know, what it was It was kind of interesting. So the movie is kind of a group of very young people and through their parents or their grandparents generation that that that really provided the base of supporters as we figured out. What country was what I really could be for the area.

17:18 Croissant, you know not everybody agreed.

17:23 Then there were those that

17:27 Who are. Write a post and you know, you were talking about the radio station that we both worked at which its time was it was managed by an individual?

17:40 Who actually managed to whole group of stations a very prominent broadcasting the national reputation, but you know, I always kind of a straight shooter you could always talk with him when he was being asked by you know, and you know, he's very prominent citizen in the community to buy Unilock Main Street business. How do you think about this public radio idea you had a very straight answer to it as well. You know, it's government radio. It's like the government coming into town leasing space on Main Street open the shoe store. They buy all the shoes. They find someone local to run it.

18:21 And you got to go to the shoe store and that's what public radio is. And would you think that is Fair competition?

18:31 So

18:33 Kind of position did encounters very straightforward terms is unfair competition and there were some others who when we got some of the grants I mention, you know call to local congressman and said those Grant should be rescinded. But you know again it was unfair competition or or I guess, you know what version of Socialism or like bit

18:53 It was a minority of voices. And I know you know what I think would make the difference there was it was pretty hard to poison his as a real threat or is no deep-rooted socialism. If it was local folks who her to court again behind it. So certain whether that's true, but it wasn't wasn't entirely supported environment.

19:14 Was that difficult for you to not have the complete back and you have these people say that about public radio when you weren't fighting so hard to get it here comes your roll with I mean and I think part of that, you know family I grew up and it always been involved in politics and not always an alignment, you know what those of the even the same party soak, I think learn from them that you know kind of a very pragmatic politics important things is getting things done. And you know, you're always going to get Flac you always know that some people are going to say some uninformed things and you just live with it and roll forward. I hadn't really thought about that way, but I think I learned that from my parents.

20:00 You and your guest and just stay with the cause.

20:04 Keep your eyes on the prize and keeping up with it. That's what you did.

20:12 Do you remember some of that you might send Vincent and Skip Mancini. Do you remember some of the other people who were right along with you from the very beginning that kind of gets into I should mention know of the of the the six of us who signed the original Articles of Incorporation. There was Malcolm Smith was from Garden City. Also Rodger Unruh and Sue hapes Kathy Hunt and Joellen whole she was from Dodge City, names. You don't recognize numbers. I mean, oh bless the area before before we got on the air, but it was interesting house with a different individuals played a role Malcolm came back with me originally and 77th Street on for about a year or getting started then decided to pursue some other interest but you when it came to actually build in the station and we can go into that but Rodger Underwood mentioned

21:12 He wasn't he became an electrician didn't go on to college became an electrician and you know, you might imagine radio station. There's a lot of wiring to be done and he enlisted basically all of his buddies electricians to come in the evenings, you know, after full day's work and wire the Studio's put in all the electrical wiring and all the audio wiring and they kind of got into it as sort of a barn raising project which is kind of the spirit which was all done. They started, you know, no providing materials from excess stuff. They had from job sites and things like that. And then there's nothing they didn't have they would go to their vendors the Electrical Wholesalers and say you really got to contribute to this. So it was interesting how different people in different ways enlisted others who again, you know might not have been the top thing on their list, but they were kind of in the community Spirit of this is something it'll be good. We had to build it Doug Woods another individual early on when do for mice

22:12 You was a carpenter did the same thing got his construction friends, you know, so start coming in evenings and weekends to build out the studio space, you know, and when once they did the framing and sheetrock and had to be done they'd call in the people that work with dead sheetrocking write and talk them into it and scabbing some materials and she rocking would get done and then the ceiling is a mess. We need acoustical tiles for the ceiling so they go out of the sky does acoustical ceiling guys work with him. Let's lean on him. And that was that was kind of the again, going back to the pioneering Spirit of you're going to be canceled if a barn-raising and you know, what,

22:58 Never really calculated but it was probably, you know, well over $100,000 renovation. We did have a great school building and we probably didn't put out more than five or ten thousand for cash. You known as for some things that just nobody could lay their hands on for free that they had to be bought but that's that's how the Studio's got built in those kind of the first man manifestation of it really being a community project.

23:24 It's amazing that really that really shows your community effort to bring Community radio while here is a little bit of work from a lot of different people. So yeah and like and like, you know Skip Mancini, you know, she was running is Garden City arts program. So she would put together we put together any number of things from Improv Comedy Nights to film series raise money for the project. We also learned that some things don't raise money like a foreign film series didn't work, but

23:59 What is the word money in a constant state of fundraising and so we've got to plant seeds in and give them to let them grow so we never know.

24:25 Studio was in was in Harrisville, right and it's in an in a Schoolhouse see right? Cuz you didn't really talk about that part of this is your building credibility, you know that it's not just a bunch of twenty-somethings, you know with this harebrained idea and you know, one of the early supporters was with the den super 10 2 schools in Garden City horse good and he was very supportive from the start and I can't remember how it came up on the idea. But pierceville which is about 15 miles away their grade school and high school at Consolidated long ago, probably 20 years before and those buildings that stood empty and the great school is the more recent at them and he work he worked out a deal in in

25:25 What's the school board to listen to us? $4 a year? So that as is?

25:31 And you don't just the facts of school board is willing to lease a property.

25:36 The you know, what was the final legitimacy and the building was in in decent shape and it had good space but it had such set MP4 20 years, but it was so basically a nutshell the way we built the studios and mentioned pierceville was an unincorporated is an unincorporated community of about 100 people and about as

26:01 Small town trying to call it world as you can get I mean, you know, if you if you open the studio Windows you would hear the chicken from Marvin's Krone in the backyard. And you said we were a bit of an anomaly in the town.

26:19 But Gillian kind of all learn to live with each other in a number Staff your Leon came to live there and in the community who is something of a pierced or reliably, I do think for several years. We saved their post office from being closed, you know, ask the Prime customer and I think there was an appreciation for that in the community.

26:37 That's pretty amazing. You know that you were able to add doing that work at a studio and only have to divvy out 5 to 10,000 yet. So many their hands on it. So that's that's quite amazing building for just $2, you know, those sort of things that made it possible cuz it's the money that you know, you know build a palace.

26:59 I'm glad you didn't need a palace and we put into into the equipment words that that first station k&z was I when it with time it went on the air hundred thousand watt station with the highest power antenna height of any of the area and for some areas like I'm up in your corner of Kansas. It was the first FM station.

27:29 Vanessa and was pretty scarce in the area at the time. So, you know, the hard money went into making sure we could get a signal to people.

27:38 That's great. So.

27:45 So were you at public ready? When was the official first time for it to go on air and had it been on like Intermittent Leave before then? And then it went to a full day. Tell us a little bit about how it came out. Well, we we did that we were doing intermission dinner mittens through must have been like May and June of 1980 did intermittent signal test part of the problem was we bought a used transmission line. That was a mistake. There's no into problem with it because it kind of hep C transmitted from functioning properly and we kept trying to get that fixed and and couldn't resolve the problem so weak I would decide to go ahead and go on the air on Sunday evening of July 29th 1980 with a few hours of programming were quite a full power but decided we needed to get on with it and it was it was a several hours of all live music and and dedication of different performers in I really did occasionally.

28:45 The service to the area and then come, you know 6 a.m. The next morning, you know signed on with Morning Edition, you know, that was the first day of you know one day after another that's when it became real right? I got got to be up and have the transmitter on every morning. I worked on 24 hours a day and then she'll lie and you know, that's that's where the Daily Grind begin.

29:10 It was quite a gathering mean it was.

29:14 Just everyone who was there who would had some direct hand in bringing that station to existence?

29:23 What is the staff look like at that time? Should you have more staff for more volunteers and staff? I imagine if we had five full-time staff to qualify for certain graph grants and

29:38 I know that initial staff, 3r actually recruited from out of the area who went on to great careers public radio. Steve Olson later went on to Vermont Public Radio Molly.

29:51 Last names escaping the perfect music host and and some others who so it's a blend of local staff a lot of volunteers and

30:07 I take people who were volunteers who spent a lot of time profession people often do they give it a lot of themselves to it? So one of the things that public radio is synonymous with a pledge drives, so can you tell me a little bit about the first pledge Drive?

30:33 Well, that would have been that fall in 1980 and and that was a really nervous moment because energy might gather pretty much everybody with supporter contributed, you know was a friend of family or friend friend and family, you know, you got a new one by name and the question was now that we're on the air. Is there anybody out there who's listening who's going to discover us over the air right who did you know from a town that you know, we hadn't been organizing in or something like that and it was slow.

31:06 Pizza Inn in prom was my own experience of pledge drives up till then we were all pretty naive was when it done an internship for quiere TV in Dallas. And those are the days in public TV when it had the phone Banks new tears and tears the volunteers and the phone ringing and ringing and ringing and soon as you got one call you hung up and took the next call and that was my expectation, you know, and instead of got a call during the hour you were feeling pretty good. So it again can't going back to how naive you could be. I thought well, what we need is a cassette recording a phone's ringing play in the background and we did that for a day and you didn't realize well that's ridiculous. Right? It was listening to think. I don't have to join I getting so many calls but you know in the end I can't remember how many days we went probably for a week something like that. We got enough support in enough really was a case where we were out of cash cuz it started money at stopped and you know, it's time.

32:06 The point where you you keep a check your paycheck in the in the desk drawer cuz you want to be sure the utility bill cleared first and you know and see what the next day's deposits were going to be to see but we got enough and you know what it is about a story's. I like to remember just in terms of

32:24 I know kind of finding common ground. I just remember the further. First of what's better be many calls of that fellow on the line, right, you know clear, you know, Western Kansas City of Swang, you know saying every first thing you said was going to answer cuz everytime I hear that NPR I just puke.

32:46 And here's my pledge.

32:51 You know what and he said, you know and I are not cute, but it makes me think and I like some of the other stuff you're doing.

33:00 I mean, I think that's that's the spirit of what we're trying to Bridge and I have always kind of felt like maybe that's the best kind of donor to have.

33:09 Let you know what did.

33:13 It was it was an important first drive was important just to know whether the idea would work for ticket in terms of you know, it just goes back to radio radio is a way to reach people to build community electronically.

33:29 A people you don't know by direct connection and that's what started to catch on when people got to know each other about each other or there was someone with like interest in their small town that they would have no idea of knowing otherwise, but the station became a connector

33:48 You know whether or not it was you no ever was face-to-face, but just a sense of their likes those out there who you know, I can understand understand me and care about the same things and I'm not alone even though some days I may feel alone. And I think that's the spirit.

34:12 That was so glad the first name, you know on the membership list that I didn't recognize and couldn't begin to place. I was success.

34:23 Beautiful Clinton from the humble beginnings in this school house in piercefield Kansas. Now I Plains Public Radio connects people over a portion of five different state. So you are still being a connector on such a grand scale. And so what does that feel like to you to to connect these regions like so okay. There was a member and Amarillo Texas one time they told me that public radio is the great connector of our time because it it erases the state lines that divide us on a map connects us there public radio. So what is what does that feel like since like, I'm going to connect my community, but now you're connecting multiple States 40 years later.

35:14 Well, you know, it's it's it's it's kind of the original idea kind of being proven out that it would if it if it was important in again being on a college town or an urban area.

35:25 All the more important to give you all the more meaningful in a rural area and you know, you're pointing at a cheap graphic area, which has you a common history at Comic-Con me, environment. I'm anyways, culture, demographics. You-know-who unitard has an identity when your split across five states, but really nurturing that in just a sense of connectedness to the place in and to a sense of place yet a sense of common interest across all those Geographic places all those towns and all those counties, you know in in a lot in a whole lot of change since 1940.

36:05 Night. I D 40 years ago, you know just in terms of you know, those were the days of yea limited FM radio 3 TV channels, no digital no internet. No, none of that. And even though people do have this, you know plethora of choices and ways of getting content. Now the fact that many ways is just opening up more opportunities for High Plains Public Radio to Servin and surf better, you know, whether that's you know through the website and multiples program streams that we now have a podcast and but again being distinct in terms of of the regional presents that we have and the regional connecting this all goes back to you know, using all the technology but for the purpose of creating community

36:55 App for technology for sale

37:00 What sound what do you have to say for the next 40 years Clinton? What are you looking for? I think that we used to means that we do have now of reaching people that wider ring means to really do more more Regional content production cuz I think the other thing which is really changed as soon as a commercial media was kind of started talking about right it has so Consolidated and nationalized and centralized that it has very little presence in the region where those that's newspaper radio or TV. So, you know, it is lost its Regional focus and feel and so there's like this huge gap to be filled and I really hope that I Plains Public Radio can figure out how I can do that picture on the news and information side.

37:53 And and and and you know, eventually you no help either maybe Community groups do it on a more localized basis this what I mean. It's sort of like the idea prove viable and improving it viable. They're just all that many opportunities out there. So, you know in some ways it feels like the whole idea is as fresh and full of possibilities of the very first day. We were on the air with no one FM station out of a town of a hundred people in Western, Kansas.

38:24 Quentin I see you is like this.

38:27 Transistor Tower you is your sim so far and you're just like broadcasting optimism out into all these areas on the high plains, and I just I just appreciate it so much and I'm curious if you know, I consider you the founding fathers public radio with ample masses of gratitude towards you are you are you proud of what you've done or public radio on the high plains?

38:54 What you like was worthwhile and let you know what I have to say Valerie at the way. I really feel like it was worthwhile is when I think about someone like you carrying forward.

39:06 Is it that that ultimately is is what it's about. It's not it's not about any single person's Vision, you know, maybe one person, you know carries the vision for a while, but if it doesn't take rude and others, you know as it has in you and and many many others, you know, you know who didn't mention that shows the true worst of it. So, thank you.

39:30 Beautiful Quentin. Thank you.

39:35 I have so much love and admiration for for public radio. I feel like I have become a woman. I have grown with public radio and it has made my life all that more meeting being part of public radio on having access to it. So thanks for not listening to the the consultant. They said it wouldn't happen because it and it's still going strong advantage of a public radio from birth.

40:02 So, how about quitting? Thank you for all you've done. Thank you.