Each week, The Extraordinary Times catches up with leading voices from the local historical and cultural scene. This week’s guest is iconic WVXU journalist and host of All Things Considered, Bill Rinehart. Bill grew up in Nebraska, wanting to get into radio. 31 years ago, he got his wish with a shift on a college radio station. The next year, he was hired as an overnight DJ on a nearby commercial station. From there he moved from town to town, up and down the dial. From Nebraska to Iowa to Ohio, Bill has worked in commercial and public radio, as everything from DJ to reporter to host. Bill roots for the Reds, watches Dr. Who, and lives in downtown Cincinnati with his collection of books.
* What have you been up to this summer? I took a lovely, socially-distanced vacation to California and back—I had a roomette to myself on Amtrak’s California Zephyr on the way west, and rented a car for the long drive back. Otherwise, I’ve been finding new shows to binge with my brother’s Hulu account, reading a few books from the late James Crumley, and going for long walks to watch the sun rise. * Tell readers about your new local segment on WVXU, OKI Wanna Know. First, how did you get started? The news is about what’s happening now: big, important powerful things. OKI Wanna Know covers the little things that gnaw at you, but aren’t generally earth-shaking stories. I asked the boss, Maryanne [Zeleznik], if I could start poking around and she thought it was a fun idea. Then the pandemic hit, and investigations got sidelined. We wanted to produce the stories and air them during the quarantine as a nice distraction, but there was too much important information to get out, so they got put off until now. * How do you pick out and research your topics? The first three editions are just little things that I’ve noticed. I live in Downtown Cincinnati and spend most of my off-time here. The first three topics are just the nagging questions that have stuck with me. After these three, we’ll be relying on queries from listeners. * What Cincinnati-area curiosities are you excited to learn more about for your show? We’ve received a handful of good questions so far, and I’ll start investigating them as I can. There’s still my regular duties, and no shortage of serious news these days. * OKI Wanna Know recently discussed Cincinnati-born President William H. Taft, who lacks any statue in his home city commemorating his time in the White House (one at UC Law School remembers his tenure on the Supreme Court). Given the furor over statues in general, do you think they still serve a useful purpose? Do statues still serve a useful purpose? That answer will vary from person to person. It’s important to point out there are two statues in Cincinnati still in the creation process: Ezzard Charles and Marian Spencer. (Someone pointed out to me that statues may have started to fade in popularity as photography became more accessible.) * You're beloved as the voice of WVXU's traffic report. What's the strangest object you can remember blocking the road? Couches, chairs, fridges, and baby toys are all pretty odd things to find in the road, but one can understand how they get there. (Falling off a trailer or a truck as they’re moved.) One spring, when Kellogg was underwater, a friend dared me to say “it’s the Ohio River.” But the one that made me say “what?” was the pig. The day after the Flying Pig, there was a report of a pig on the road in Mount Lookout. I did the thing, and a few minutes later got an email from a listener: They owned the potbellied pig, who had escaped. They say the pig was out on a leash to watch the race the day before, and apparently wanted another taste of freedom. Explore OKI Wanna Know plus more from Bill Rinehart at WVXU online: https://www.wvxu.org/people/bill-rinehart
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AuthorMatthew Smith, PhD (History). Public Programs at Miami University Regionals. Historian of Appalachia, the Ohio Valley, & the early American republic. Archives
February 2024
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