PUTTING THE PUBLIC IN RADIO

As a public radio station, KRCU thrives on the help of volunteers.

"We can always use more people," said Greg Petrowich, acting general manager at the station. "We're not too proud to admit there are those out there who know more than us."

People in the community with knowledge about a certain topic or genre of music help add local flavor to the station's program lineup.

"It's nice that they have a hobby and interest with an ability to bring it to the rest of Cape," Petrowich said.

Currently four volunteers host their own shows at the station, a National Public Radio affiliate based at Southeast Missouri State University.

Alan Journet, who first took to the air in 1981, is KRCU's longest running volunteer host. Journet's weekly show, "A Musical Meander," airs Thursday's from 7 to 8 p.m.

"I enjoy classical music and have real large collection of classical albums and CDs and enjoy sharing them with people," said Journet, a biology professor.

"What I do on the program primarily is play classical music ... but I throw in some odd things, things people would not necessarily expect to hear on a classical show."

It's that sort of individualized format that makes KRCU's local shows unique. Also, volunteers allow for the production of quality programming at minimal cost.

"If you tried to hire someone with that experience and background it either would cost too much or you could not find someone," Petrowich said of Journet.

Another volunteer, Barbara Herbert, has been doing "Sunday Night at the Opera" on the station since March.

"I have listened to public radio for the last 25 years and I think public radio brings people things they would never hear any other way," Herbert said. "I think we're so lucky to have a station here in Cape."

When not playing opera recordings, Herbert is the business manager for her husband Tom's dental office.

In putting together her show, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Sundays, Herbert chooses the selections to be played, researches the background of the piece and explains the storyline to listeners. Like the other volunteers, Herbert mostly plays music from her personal collection.

Two volunteers new to the station are Peter Hirschburg and Dennis Seyer. Hirschburg, chairman of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Southeast, hosts "Themes Familiar" on Mondays. Seyer, an associate professor of speech communication and theater at Southeast, hosts "Broadway Matinee" on Tuesdays. Both shows are broadcast from 8 to 9 p.m.

Hirschburg's format is unique in that it focuses on symphonic scores from motion pictures.

"I don't really know about music. I just like it," Hirschburg said. "I really talk about movies and tell anecdotes about them. I can't say, `Listen for the harmonic in the fourth whatever,' because I don't know that."

Though Hirschburg is still getting accustomed to the role of solo radio host, he's having a great time doing it.

"It's fun to do," Hirschburg said. "I gives an opportunity to pursue an avocation you might not otherwise have had. It's also a forum for sharing things you have."

Journet said that although he focuses on music in which he is particularly interested, he avoids playing only music tailored to his preferences.

"I play some things I don't like simply for diversion," Journet said. "If I just play what I like, I think it can potentially get seamy."

Volunteers at the station are not just limited to playing recordings and providing commentary. Dave Andrews and Rich Moore, for example, spearhead a group of local musicians who perform on "Jazz Live!."

The show used to be performed live in the KRCU studio but the number of musicians participating has grown so large that the shows are now recorded at Riverside Recording Studios downtown and then broadcast on Saturdays from noon to 1 p.m.

Volunteers also are needed for non-programming-related duties, including lending a hand in the station's upcoming pledge drive.

Petrowich said KRCU's mix between local and syndicated programming is "about half and half," with classical, jazz, big band and other shows supervised by student announcers.

The syndicated material used is shared with KRCU by other public radio stations nationwide. Petrowich said that the preference is to do a show locally if it can be done as well as one available in syndication.

"A lot of shows out in syndication are some of the same things. A volunteer does a show that's good enough that they decide to syndicate it," Petrowich said.