Mike Flynn (NPR radio host)
Encyclopedia
Mike Flynn is a radio DJ, who is the producer and host of The Folk Sampler
, a syndicated radio program of folk music
.
Flynn grew up in sparsely populated rural Kansas
.
He studied broadcasting at the University of Tulsa
, Oklahoma
and worked on stations KRAV and KBEZ
, with a period working in Chicago
on WMBI
. He then worked as a news anchor and weatherman
on KOTV Channel 6 in Tulsa. He moved to John Brown University
to teach communications, retiring as head of department in 1999.
In 1977 he and his wife Sandy Flynn moved to Siloam Springs, Arkansas
bordering the Arkansas Ozarks
, starting The Folk Sampler with his wife as co-producer. In 1993 Sandy Flynn died and although he had threatened to quit doing music if she died before him, she was able to convince him that carrying on the folk music tradition would be just what he needed. And he continues to carry the tradition with each week's broadcast.
The Folk Sampler
The Folk Sampler is a nationally syndicated public radio show, that showcases folk, blues, & bluegrass music both modern and old.Since 1978, the host Mike Flynn has been broadcasting his show from the foothills of the Ozarks. It was in 1982 that The Folk Sampler became syndicated by public radio...
, a syndicated radio program of folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
.
Flynn grew up in sparsely populated rural Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
.
He studied broadcasting at the University of Tulsa
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and worked on stations KRAV and KBEZ
Broadcast media in Tulsa
-Radio:Tulsa is the 65th largest radio market in the country. The following is a partial list of radio stations serving the Tulsa area.-FM Radio:-AM Radio:-Television:...
, with a period working in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on WMBI
WMBI
WMBI-FM is an FM Station broadcasting on 90.1 MHz in Chicago. WMBI is owned and operated by the Moody Bible Institute and broadcasts from their campus in downtown Chicago. WMBI is the flagship station of Moody Radio. Moody Radio owns and operates 37 stations around the country and the network...
. He then worked as a news anchor and weatherman
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
on KOTV Channel 6 in Tulsa. He moved to John Brown University
John Brown University
The main campus in Northwest Arkansas has been the site of the university since it was founded in 1919. JBU has 2,183 students as of the 2011-2012 school year, 1,279 of which are traditional undergraduates. Of these, 878 live on campus. The Graduate School has 468 students...
to teach communications, retiring as head of department in 1999.
In 1977 he and his wife Sandy Flynn moved to Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Siloam Springs is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,990...
bordering the Arkansas Ozarks
The Ozarks
The Ozarks are a physiographic and geologic highland region of the central United States. It covers much of the southern half of Missouri and an extensive portion of northwestern and north central Arkansas...
, starting The Folk Sampler with his wife as co-producer. In 1993 Sandy Flynn died and although he had threatened to quit doing music if she died before him, she was able to convince him that carrying on the folk music tradition would be just what he needed. And he continues to carry the tradition with each week's broadcast.