Walt Bodine
Encyclopedia
Walton Marshall "Walt" Bodine (born August 27, 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri
), better known as Walt Bodine, is a broadcast journalist in Kansas City, Missouri
. Since 1983 he has hosted the talk radio
show The Walt Bodine Show on KCUR
, the Kansas City area's NPR
member station.
He is the author of several books, including What Do You Say to That? (1988
, ISBN 0-933701-36-5) and My Times, My Town (2003
, ISBN 0-9746012-4-1).
In My Times, My Town Bodine commented on the philosophy behind the stories he has covered during his career:
In 1942, moved to KCKN (defunct) The Kansas City Kansan newspaper's station, Kansas City, Kansas.
Then...years uncertain, but in order:
WDAF-AM, Kansas City, Missouri.
(Best known for coverage of the Ruskin Heights killer tornado May 20, 1957.)
WDAF-TV (NBC/Channel 4)- among the first TV news anchors at Kansas City's first television station.
WHB-AM - Hosted one of the nation's first daily radio talk shows, "Night Beat", 10 pm-1am, Monday-Friday. WHB was the flagship of the chain of Todd Storz stations and the talk show was considered "experimental" when Storz began a Rock-N-Roll format at WHB, Kansas City, Missouri.
KMBZ-AM, Kansas City, Missouri. Hosted "Bodine's Beat", week night call-in talk show, 8pm-Midnight.
Moved to KCUR-FM (the NPR station of the University of Missouri-Kansas City) in 1982 as host of The Walt Bodine Show. Since 2010, he has cut back his air time to Friday mornings due to health concerns.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
), better known as Walt Bodine, is a broadcast journalist in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. Since 1983 he has hosted the talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
show The Walt Bodine Show on KCUR
KCUR
KCUR-FM is the flagship NPR station in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The station, operated by the University of Missouri-Kansas City, broadcasts at 89.3 MHz with an ERP of 100,000 watts and covers a 90 mile radius in Northwestern Missouri and Northeastern Kansas.- History :In the spring of...
, the Kansas City area's NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
member station.
He is the author of several books, including What Do You Say to That? (1988
1988 in literature
The year 1988 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Margaret Atwood - Cat's Eye*J.G. Ballard - Memories of the Space Age*Iain M...
, ISBN 0-933701-36-5) and My Times, My Town (2003
2003 in literature
The year 2003 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Peter Ackroyd - The Clerkenwell Tales*Atsuko Asano - No...
, ISBN 0-9746012-4-1).
In My Times, My Town Bodine commented on the philosophy behind the stories he has covered during his career:
"For too long news directors have operated on the theory, 'If it bleeds, it leads.' Maybe they should consider that the audience requires something more than blood and gore and sex. Can it really be that the only thing that interests us is human misbehavior? ...Emphasis put on the daily bucket of blood does nothing to answer the broad array of serious problems facing the nation, the states and the city."
Stations employed (beginning compilation)
He began his broadcasting career in 1940 at KDRO, Sedalia, Missouri.In 1942, moved to KCKN (defunct) The Kansas City Kansan newspaper's station, Kansas City, Kansas.
Then...years uncertain, but in order:
WDAF-AM, Kansas City, Missouri.
(Best known for coverage of the Ruskin Heights killer tornado May 20, 1957.)
WDAF-TV (NBC/Channel 4)- among the first TV news anchors at Kansas City's first television station.
WHB-AM - Hosted one of the nation's first daily radio talk shows, "Night Beat", 10 pm-1am, Monday-Friday. WHB was the flagship of the chain of Todd Storz stations and the talk show was considered "experimental" when Storz began a Rock-N-Roll format at WHB, Kansas City, Missouri.
KMBZ-AM, Kansas City, Missouri. Hosted "Bodine's Beat", week night call-in talk show, 8pm-Midnight.
Moved to KCUR-FM (the NPR station of the University of Missouri-Kansas City) in 1982 as host of The Walt Bodine Show. Since 2010, he has cut back his air time to Friday mornings due to health concerns.
Awards
Bodine has received several awards, including:- Truman Community Service Award for 2005 from the city of Independence, MissouriIndependence, MissouriIndependence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
- Bishop John J. SullivanJohn J. SullivanJohn J. Sullivan is the town moderator and a former selectman of Winchester, Massachusetts, and a 2006 candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. A lifelong Democrat, he ran as an independent in the 2006 election as running mate to Christy Mihos...
Award for Communications from Catholic CharitiesCatholic CharitiesCatholic Charities is a network of charities whose aim is "to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same." It is one of the largest charities in the United States...
of Kansas City-Saint JosephRoman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint JosephThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the state of Missouri in the United States, erected on September 10, 1880, as the Diocese of Kansas City, with territories taken from the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. ... - Kansas City Spirit Award for 1987
- "Outstanding Kansas Citian of the Year - 1990" from the Native Sons and Daughters of Greater Kansas City
External links and sources
- The Walt Bodine Show on the KCURKCURKCUR-FM is the flagship NPR station in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The station, operated by the University of Missouri-Kansas City, broadcasts at 89.3 MHz with an ERP of 100,000 watts and covers a 90 mile radius in Northwestern Missouri and Northeastern Kansas.- History :In the spring of...
website, with streaming audio - Books and articles written by Bodine from the Kansas City Public LibraryKansas City Public LibraryThe Kansas City Public Library is a public system headquartered in the Central Library in Kansas City, Missouri.The system operates its Central Branch and neighborhood branches located in Kansas City, Independence, and Sugar Creek...
- Profile of Walt Bodine from KCUR
- Profile of the 83-year-old Bodine from Meara Welch Browne. a CPA firm's website
- "Crystal Sets to Satellite Service...A Pictoral History of KCKN Radio, 1925 to Present" ISBN 0-9636863-7-2. Author: Joe H. Vaughan. Publisher: Publishing Specialists, Inc., Lenexa, Kansas. 1997.