Chris Heim

“I believe in the mystery of radio so there are no picture of me” – Chris Heim

Tell us about KMUW. How it got started and how you first heard about it.

KMUW went on the air on April 26, 1949. It was actually the first 10-watt noncommercial FM station in the country (we now broadcast with 100,000 watts), the first noncommercial FM station in Kansas, and only the second FM station in the state. In 1971 we became a charter member of National Public Radio. KMUW is a service of Wichita State University, one of the major state universities in Kansas (which everyone knows as a basketball powerhouse, but we’ve also got a spectacular women’s volleyball team), and in April of 2016 we moved into lovely new studios in Old Town, which has given us, especially, more studio space for news and other production and community events.

How long have you been at KMUW? What is your history there?

I joined the station on September, 2006. Prior to that, I started in radio (completely by accident, never even thought of it) when I wandered into WHPK, the University of Chicago campus station. My first paying radio job was at a wonderful free-form station just outside Chicago, WJKL. We really did play everything: rock, jazz, blues, newgrass, reggae, etc., etc., etc. It was a great experience with a great group of people, and because we were such a small staff with big shifts, I really had a marvelous opportunity to immerse myself in all kinds of music. I went on to work at alt-rock WXRT, and then NPR affiliate WBEZ in Chicago. At the latter I was music director, and executive producer and anchor for national broadcasts of the Chicago jazz and blues festivals (which is how I was actually first heard on KMUW, as they carried the broadcasts). Along with jazz shows, I also hosted a world music show there. The station was looking for a companion local show for Afropop, which had just started a few months earlier. I was pretty sure within six months I would completely run out of material to play! Now I host the world music show Global Village. We began national distribution of the program in 2010 and to date Global Village has aired on over 360 stations across the U.S., Canada, and some 30+ other countries…and I still haven’t run out of things to play.

What makes KMUW unique in the Wichita radio landscape?

I think almost everything we do is unique to Wichita and to a lot of radio markets. It’s certainly true that public radio has become a premier source for news. KMUW – and our award-winning news team – have a strong commitment of providing great local news. We also have a great group of community contributors and connect with the community through a wide range of events and other activities. And, of course, from my perspective, the music programming is essential. Sadly, far too many public stations have walked away from music, despite knowing that listeners are really, really interested in the arts and culture and music. Or if they do have music, many just offer a pretty narrow selection. I do jazz, world and blues shows, and my colleague Jedd Beaudoin hosts a wildly eclectic rock-based show, Strange Currency, which is also nationally syndicated. Between us, there’s not a lot of music that doesn’t get showcased. And because we have long been immersed in music, we can provide context and information and new discoveries and rarities and a thoughtful way of putting all these various types of music together. (I am also a super big fan of the lost art of the segue.) We have tremendous support both within the station and from the community, and I’m grateful to be able to do what I love every day. And like many folks have said here, college and community and public stations provide an essential and artful service that algorithms and streaming services could never possibility offer.

What is your favorite live show you have ever attended?

I’ve been fortunate to see so many great musicians and concerts, it would be hard to pick just one. But on the list: Fela, Bob Marley, Dr. Lonnie Smith, the Campbell Brothers, Poncho Sanchez, Muddy Waters, NRBQ, Ivo Papasov, Aimee Mann, Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar, Robert Plant, Betty Carter, Mongo Santamaria, Cecile McLorin Salvant. I could go on…

You report Jazz, World & Blues to NACC. Who is an artist or band outside that realm that people might be surprised to know you love?

One way or another, everything IS jazz, world or blues, isn’t it?

You’re a freelance writer. What is your favorite article you’ve written?

I was proud of a piece I did for the Chicago Tribune Sunday magazine about the history of black radio in Chicago and remember being at the Chicago Historical Society and spending hours going through these amazing old issues of the Chicago Defender. I’ve also been lucky to have been able to interview some really remarkable artists. Among the ones that really stand out, Marianne Faithfull, the Staples family, and, completely outside of music, Tom (the Fourth Doctor) Baker and Elisabeth Sladen (sadly, not David Tennant).

What event in your life would you say shaped you the most as a person?

Like new music, I’m hoping it continues to be the next one.

If you could choose, what time period in the past would you most want to travel back to and visit and why?

Since I’m in the middle of reading Mary Beard’s SPQR, I’d say ancient Rome. It seems both a very familiar and very different culture. Plus I’d love to see the Forum in all its glory.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Chicago you always make sure to take guests/visitors to?

Any little local place that serves THIN crust piece. I have no idea who started that terrible canard that real Chicagoans eat deep-dish. Another favorite in the summer time is to hit Al’s Italian Beef on Taylor and then go across the street for Mario’s Italian Lemonade. But really the fantastic thing about Chicago are all the great ethnic restaurants the city has to offer. There’s always something to discover. (Ditto for Chicago theater, including and especially the small storefront places. It’s still, I think, by far the best theater city in the country.)

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?

“Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

Lightning Round:

Dog or Cat?  Both if I could, but allergic to cats, so it’s a crazy rescue dog.
Cold drinks or hot ones?  Depends on the season.
Morning Person or Night Owl?  Definitely night owl.
City or Country?  Both – city for culture, country for birds, and best of all ocean.
Watch TV or Read A Book?  Both, though never at the same time.
Winter or Summer?  After a summer or two in Kansas, it’s clear the answer is winter (not that we’re having much of those these days).
Dine or Delivery?  At my desk at work
Fly or drive?  Drive
Pants or Shorts?  Pants

Do you have any current favorite TV show obsessions?

Currently totally hooked on British television, especially some of the police procedurals (Vera, Shetland, Broadchurch, Scott & Bailey, Endeavour, Inspector Lewis, Happy Valley, and way back when, Prime Suspect), and anything with Nicola Walker.

Finally, and most importantly: Does the thought of dipping french fries in a milk shake entice or disgust you?

Just reading that makes my arteries close.