Trial Balloon: January 9, 2009 Archive

The Saturday Night Annex

Posted at 4:59 AM on January 9, 2009 by Dale Connelly (60 Comments)

Radio Heartland Enterprises, an online and digital radio start-up, is expanding its already global reach with a new initiative that will cover two hours of broadcast time, from 9 to 11 p.m., on MPR's news and information network every Saturday night.

I'm delighted to have this more traditional broadcasting opportunity", said RH CEO and former Morning Show co-host Dale Connelly. "My mother thinks I retired along with Jim Ed because she can't hear me anymore on her 1947 Philco. Having this gig on MPR news every Saturday night means she can stop asking what I do with all my free time."

The Saturday night broadcast will be called "Radio Heartland with Dale Connelly".
It will be different from the 24 hour service known as "Radio Heartland" in that it is one twelfth the size of the original, with a name that is more than twice as long.

"Because it is on MPR's news service, RH w/DC will seem more important than ordinary RH", said producer Mike Pengra. "There will be a lot of extra tension in the broadcast that comes from the knowledge that any major news event occurring anywhere in the world could knock this program off the air in an instant."

Long time listeners of Radio Heartland may rightly ask how the addition of this new obligation will effect the eclectic music service they have come to rely on.

"I have no idea," said Connelly, evasively. "It's true, a number of our listeners have been with us from the very beginning, and when something has been part of your life, day in and day out, for three whole weeks ... naturally you worry when there are changes."

During the broadcast of "Radio Heartland with Dale Connelly" on MPR News, "Radio Heartland without Dale Connelly" will continue at it's usual location at radioheartland.org and 91.1 HD2 KNOW, under the direction of a computer named Jasper.

"Dale will be going head - to - circuit board with Jasper on Saturday nights," observed Pengra. "They've had a good relationship to this point, though there's been some muttering. I don't expect problems, since they still have to work together the rest of the week."

First week's RH w/ DC will include a visit with Brass Kings front man Steve Kaul, and a bevy of songs about wild behavior on Saturday night.

"After this first one, I'm at a loss," said Connelly. "Maybe our blog readers will have a few ideas I can steal."

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