Every month is Black History Month to donnie l. betts.
He’s driving the live rebirth of the 1940s radio series “Destination Freedom: Black Radio Days,” which launches its eighth season Monday.
“Peace Mediator,” focusing on the life of Ralph Bunche, is betts’ latest re-creation of African-
American programs that aired on WMAQ in Chicago. Jeffrey Nicholson of the Shadow Theater Co. portrays the late Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was instrumental in the creation of the state of Israel.
“I’m very excited about this show,” says betts. “The last two dealt with how we see war and peace. The Middle East is a topic that’s not going to go away peacefully. We thought it was appropriate that we do something about that area.”
He’s devoted to the radio program, but betts would like to see more people show up for the live broadcast, taking place at the King Center on the Auraria campus. “We have a huge radio audience, (but) this is a live event. It gives the actors ‘juice’ if they know there is an audience.”
February, Black History Month, isn’t something betts does once a year. “Take this opportunity to find out more. You personally should do something every month.”
The program airs on KGNU 88.5-FM and 1390-AM, starting at 8 p.m. Tickets for the performance at 720-748-1388.
Faraway places
The fund drive for KUVO 89.3-FM, which ended Monday, passed $125,000, a good but not great showing.
But for the first time, many pledges came online, said program director Carlos Lando. “They’ve jumped up. Online is the coming thing. We’ve gone from ‘real time’ of broadcasting to ‘my time.”‘
Among the pledges was one from April Perkinson, who lives in Kawasaki, Japan, and, she wrote, “I actually bought my Mom a computer in Virginia just so she could listen to you online.”
Around the dial
Red-letter day: Clifford the Big Red Dog gets into the spirit of Valentine’s Day with four stories about the meaning of friendship (7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. today, KBDI-Channel 12). … The Denver outlet for Channel 8 – government TV – available at denvergov.org/denver8online and on-demand. … Narrowcast: Starz Entertainment Group adding two movie channels to its Digital Plus package – Retro-
Plex, featuring films of the 1950s-’70s, and IndiePlex, independent films, starting April 3, Comcast announced Monday. …
Tim Wieland, news director at KCNC-Channel 4, guests on Peter Boyles’ “Colorado Inside Out Live” to talk about our obsession with celebrity scandal in the media (8 p.m. Wednesday, Channel 12). … Quotable: “When I read great literature, great drama, speeches, or sermons, I feel that the human mind has not achieved anything greater than the ability to share feelings and thoughts through language.” James Earl Jones
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
