Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities
18 Unique Stations from Border to Border
18 Unique Stations from Border to Border
When Minneapolis politicians censored small time scandal sheet publisher, Jay Near, it sparked the country’s first debate on whether the government can control people’s speech and punish them for publishing unpopular ideas. Called the first great press case, the surprising 1931 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Near vs. Minnesota is a landmark of First Amendment law, and continues to guide our democracy today. KFAI producer Susan Gray talks to media and legal experts, who describe the characters that played a role in creating this important jurisprudence.
A landmark Supreme Court decision protecting freedom of the press has its origins in Minnesota. In the 1920s, a Minneapolis man named Jay Near began writing articles, many of them tinged with racism and anti-Semitism, about the influence organized crime had on Twin Cities’ government and law enforcement officials. Under Minnesota’s gag law, the state shut down Near’s proposed new paper, the Saturday Press, before it could be published. Near sued. His case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1931. The court sided with Near, overturning Minnesota’s gag law, and affirming censorship to be unconstitutional in most cases. MN90 producer Marisa Helms has the story.
As home to the well-known Swinging Bridge and located near Duluth, just off Interstate 35, Jay Cooke State Park is one of Minnesota’s favorite outdoor destinations. The River Inn, another longtime attraction at Jay Cooke, hasn’t been significantly remodeled since the 1970s. As Don Lee reports, Legacy Amendment funding has created new exhibits and other enhancements to this historic building.
Marshall Helmberger, editor of the Ely Timberjay, has been closely following and reporting on PolyMet’s proposed NorthMet mine near Hoyt Lakes. He recently learned that the lead agencies that have overseen preparation of the mine’s environmental impact statement may be wrong about where potential contaminants would flow. WTIP’s Dick Swanson spoke with Marshall recently to learn more.
As we near the winter season, we thought we’d check in with Jayson Hron of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Jayson is the communications and marketing director there and he joined Dave on The Roadhouse.
WTIP’s The Roadhouse is supported in part by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
So, yeah . . . the COVID thing! Our original season finale was supposed to air back in early May, but as you well know, that just didn’t happen. We’re smart enough to know when silly isn’t safe, dontcha know!
Still, we had one more show to produce for the season, and we wanted to do it as safely as possible while still giving central Minnesota the best quality comedy, drama, and music that we could.
And we did it.
This is by far the most unique and yet highest quality Granite City Radio Theater to ever be produced during our 8 year run. It’s got all the stuff you’d expect, but yet, it’s all different. Everything is different!
Big thanks to guest musician Michael Shynes joining Collective Unconscious!
Another big thanks to the Shades Brigade crew and Eric Webster for delivering something amazing by using the most interesting production methods available.
And another big thanks to everyone who laughed . . . because while it’s tough to laugh right now, it’s even tougher to write something that will make the laugh happen. If you don’t know what this means, just give it a listen . . .;)
But the biggest thanks, neigh, the ultimate thanks, goes out to Jim Gray, Alex Hartman, and the multitudes of technical magic spells they cast in order to broadcast a performance with this level of audio quality. Seriously, give a listen, and please know that Jay Terry does NOT sound anywhere near as good in real life.
See ya next season!
This program is funded in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Legacy Grant!