Like a lot of you, Montana Public Radio means the world to me. It has been such an important part of my professional life for more than 30 years. So, it was bittersweet to tell the staff earlier this fall that I would be stepping down and retiring at the end of the year.
I’ve had the good fortune to have been a television producer, School of Journalism faculty member, and director of the Broadcast Media Center during my 34 years at the University of Montana. I’ve loved every minute of my time here.
I’m so thankful to the MTPR staff for the support and friendships over the years. We have tried to build on the legacy started in 1965 by Phil Hess with help from Terry Conrad, William Marcus, Sally Mauk, and Charles Lubrecht.
We’ve expanded the MTPR service so more folks across western and central Montana can hear us. We have more news people covering more of the state than ever before.
We’ve established programs such as Capitol Talk and Campaign Beat that you can listen to on-air or online. We continue to have real people picking the music and hosting programs. We’ve tried to keep current with the changing technology. I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished.
Now the MTPR team, a good team with strong, young leadership, will continue to look to the future. Next year, we will celebrate 50 years of children’s programming. In 2025, we’ll mark the station’s 60th birthday. There will be two more transmitters coming for folks in Philipsburg and Browning. There will be infrastructure additions to modernize our facilities.
MTPR development director Anne Hosler will be stepping up as interim director while a national search is held. She believes so much in the importance of MTPR and the role of public media in Montana. She’ll be a great leader for our team.
I’m going to miss so much about this place — stopping by the studios to see what producers are working on, visiting with the phone volunteers during pledge, and yes even the staff meetings where we get to celebrate what everyone is doing. And I’ll miss the phone calls and comments — both good and bad — from listeners like you that have helped our station grow and improve.
Thank you all for your support of Montana Public Radio. The names behind-the-scenes may change, but the mission continues every day with Handpicked Music and News You Can Trust. I’ll miss you all.
Ray Ekness
