News & Public Affairs

KKFI’s public affairs programs magnify our mission, to “provide a broadcast voice to the voiceless.”  We fulfill the need for you, our community, to be informed about what is happening  on a local level and many of our programs provide you with an opportunity to voice your opinions and suggestions.

The program titles say it all, from EcoRadio, Guess Who’s Coming to Kansas City, Every Woman to Jaws of Justice , The Heartland Labor Forum and Urban Connections… to name a few!

All Souls Forum

Hosted by Bill Pearce   •  Listen live Listen live each Tuesday at 7:00pm

The All Souls Unitarian Universalist Forum, Kansas City's longest ongoing conversation, has offered a platform for the discussion of significant issues since 1943.

NOTE: The All Souls Forum is moving to Tuesday at 7 PM beginning January 23, 2024.  Please join us at the new time!

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Alternative Radio

Hosted by   •  Listen live Every Wednesday at 7:00 pm

A weekly one-hour public affairs radio program that provides analyses and views that are ignored or distorted in most media. Guests have included Dar Jamail, Michael Pollan, Noam Chomsky, Antonia Jusef, Naomi Klein, Vandana Shiva, Jeff Cohen, David Zirin, Bill Moyers and Howard Zinn.

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Between the Lines

Hosted by   •  Listen live Every Friday at 9:00am

"Between the Lines" is a national, half-hour program that provides a platform for individuals and spokespersons from progressive organizations generally ignored or marginalized by the mainstream media.

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Changing Narratives

Hosted by Jay Hawkins   •  Listen live Every Saturday at 5:00pm

Changing Narratives focuses on providing and sharing the many facets of African Americans. As American history is being retold and reshaped to be more complete in telling the story of African Americans, this show is a part of changing the narratives that have sought to place our story in one little box.
We conduct guest interviews and explore current events, mental health, political science, the arts, history and many more topics to expand the view that many have about African Americans. We highlight the fact that African Americans are no more monolithic than any other demographic.

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Civic Cipher

Hosted by Q Ward   •  Listen live Every Wednesday at 6pm

Civic Cipher is a weekly radio show hosted by Ramses Ja and Q. Ward. This show is dedicated to empowering Black and Brown voices, allowing them to engage directly with their communities as well as the general population. Self-determination is critical to securing a future free of oppressive systems, and Civic Cipher exists to facilitate discussions toward this end. Furthermore, Civic Cipher seeks to inform non-POC allies who may not be privy to these types of discussions and optics. Finally, Civic Cipher seeks to provide long-form conversations in spaces where there is often a lack of significant resources, potent dialogue, or the necessary engagement for facilitating a healthy and productive civil discourse.

Additional information about the show and hosts can be found here:
https://civiccipher.com/About

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CounterSpin

Hosted by   •  Listen live Every Tuesday at 6:30pm

Counterspin is FAIR's weekly radio show, hosted by Janine Jackson, Steve Rendall and Peter Hart. It's heard on more than 125 noncommercial stations across the United States and Canada. Counterspin provides a critical examination of the major stories every week, and exposes what the mainstream media might have missed in their own coverage.

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Cowtown Conversations

Hosted by Joseph Jackson   •  Listen live Every Thursday at 9:00am

Cowtown Conversations is a weekly public affairs show where we discuss matters that impact our lives as resident's of the Metropolitan Kansas City Area.

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Democracy Now!

Hosted by Amy Goodman   •  Listen live Monday – Friday at 8:00am

Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on over 450 stations in North America. The program is hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez and produced out of the Downtown Community Television Center, a community media center in New York City's Chinatown.

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Economics For the People

Hosted by Sirisha Naidu   •  Listen live Every 4th Thursday at 7:00 pm

Economics For the People takes you on a journey to explore the transformative power of economics when it is harnessed for the working classes, to advance social justice, and to create an inclusive and equitable society. It is an open invitation to participate in collectively shaping and reimagining an economy that prioritizes the needs and aspirations of the working classes, marginalized communities, and individuals of different gender expressions, sexualities, and abilities. The show features diverse voices, experiences and perspectives that often remain unheard in mainstream conversations about economics, markets and numbers.

Cover art by Madhusree.

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EcoRadio KC logo

EcoRadio KC

Hosted by Richard Mabion   •  Listen live Every Monday at 6:00pm

EcoRadio KC is a magazine show, including live segments, prerecorded stories, and interviews. The weekly explores our interdependence with the rest of the world, showing the connections between the ways we choose to live and the health of the whole community of life.

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Every Woman

Hosted by Fiona Nowling   •  Listen live Every Saturday at 3:00pm

Featuring a fresh format for feminism since 2018, Every Woman continues on as the preeminent forum for women on the air in Kansas City. Every Woman is produced locally by Fiona Nowling.  After a move in November 2018, the official Facebook page for Every Woman can now be found at this link.

The Every Woman Facebook page.

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Exploration

Hosted by Michio Kaku   •  Listen live Every Monday at 5:00am and every Thursday at 4:00am

The "Exploration" radio show is an hour-long science program heard nationally. Exploration covers the world of science, war and peace, and the environment. The show has commentary and interviews with top scientists and environmentalists.

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Logo for Freeze Frame

Freeze Frame

Hosted by Russ Simmons

Freeze Frame is a weekly show reviewing the latest movies from Hollywood's best films to independent and arthouse movies.
The segment airs at the following times:
Mondays 12:30pm
Tuesdays 9:30am
Thursdays 11:58am
Fridays 10:58am
Saturdays 10:58am

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Free Speech Radio News Headlines

Headline News

Hosted by

Tune into Headline News from Free Speech Radio News, one of the most respected sources of independent radio news in the United States and heard in more than 100 communities large and small from Nova Scotia to California, from Alaska to Florida. FSRN Headline News provides a daily newscast that calls on more than 200 reporters across six continents.

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Heartland Labor Forum

Hosted by Judy Ancel   •  Listen live Every Thursday at 6:00pm

Heartland Labor Forum is Kansas City's only program about the workplace. It is produced by and for our working people. We have been agitating on the air since 1989. Find out who is busting unions and who is fighting back. We are a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network #laborradiopod

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Heartland Labor Forum (Repeat)

Hosted by Heartland Labor Forum Programmers

Repeat airing: Heartland Labor Forum is Kansas City's only program about the workplace. It is produced by and for our working people. We have been agitating on the air since 1989. Find out who is busting unions and who is fighting back.

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Jim Hightower

Hightower’s Lowdown

Hosted by

Tune in to "Hightower's Lowdown," a short commentary segment. Hightower's daily two-minute commentaries that hit the issues hard...but with a sense of humor. Jim Hightower, America's leading populist, zings the powers that be in a way that makes audiences perk up, take notice, get angry, think, laugh out loud... and tune in for more.

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Interfaith Voices logo

Inspired

Hosted by   •  Listen live Every Sunday at 3:00am

Inspired is the nation's leading public radio show about faith, ethics and spirituality. Each week we offer you analyses of the big headlines alongside lesser-told stories – those of Orthodox Jewish artists and African-American atheists, Muslim feminists and spiritual seekers. Through these stories, a rough sketch of our country’s religious landscape begins to emerge. It’s a marketplace of beliefs and ideas too complex for sound bites, and too important to ignore.

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Jaws of Justice Radio

Hosted by Margot Patterson   •  Listen live Every Monday at 9:00am

It is the intention of Jaws of Justice Radio to investigate how to achieve justice in America, this includes issues of economic injustice, political injustice and the criminal justice system. We want to put a human face on those caught in the grasp of injustice and those that are part of an unjust system. We strive to dispel the misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system.

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Law and Disorder Radio

Law and Disorder

Hosted by Heidi Boghosian   •  Listen live Every Monday at 7:00pm

Law and Disorder is a weekly, independent radio program airing on several stations across the United States. Law and Disorder gives listeners access to rare legal perspectives on issues concerning civil liberties, privacy, right to dissent and the horrendous practices of torture exercised by the US government.

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Live Broadcasts

Hosted by

Live Broadcasts turned into Podcasts for your convenience.

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Making Contact

Hosted by   •  Listen live Every Thursday at 5:30am

"Making Contact" is produced by International Media Project, an independent, non-profit organization founded in 1994, committed to investigative journalism, in-depth critical analysis, the promotion of civic participation and the dissemination of educational material. Its core focus is National Radio Project, the team that creates Making Contact.

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MOCSA StoryShare

Hosted by Debbie Frederiksen

MOCSA StoryShare is a new storytelling project for anyone who has been inspired or impacted by MOCSA’s mission. Selected stories will be housed on our website and shared on social media beginning in April as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and will continue throughout the year. Our SAAM theme is "My Moment. Our Momentum."

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Native Spirit Radio

Hosted by Rhonda LeValdo   •  Listen live Every Sunday at 5:00pm

Native Spirit provides Native American music from across the country. From Powwow music to Native American Church, traditional songs from different tribes, to contemporary style like Rock, Country, Blues, and Country. Native people are producing a lot of music and this show is one of the few they can get showcased on.

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Next Step Forward

Hosted by Jasmine Jones   •  Listen live Every First Thursday of the month at 7:00pm

“Next Step Forward” is a program highlighting millennials of marginalized groups in the
KC Metro that are using their talents, business, activism etc. to educate and uplift their
communities. Join us for fresh insights, candid discussions, and interviews that will
make you think.

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One KC Radio Spotlight

Hosted by   •  Listen live Every Wednesday at 5:00am

The One Kansas City Radio Spotlight is collection of programming produced and broadcasted by One Kansas City Radio (KONN-LP 100.1 FM).

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Paragon Radio

Hosted by Ben Johnson   •  Listen live Every Monday at 12:00am

An all-night talk show driven by listener phone calls and emails. Nothing is ever off-topic and everything and everyone is held accountable.

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Paris of the Plains Podcast

Hosted by Matt Hodapp

The Paris of The Plains Podcast is dedicated to producing unheard audio stories from people who have a relationship with Kansas City. We will seek out those narratives that are personal, powerful, but above all surprising and engaging.

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People Power Hour brought to you by KC Tenants

Hosted by Valiera (Val) Brooks Davis   •  Listen live 3rd Thursday 7:00pm

KC Tenants Power Hour will host a rotation of speakers featuring members and leaders from KC Tenants and other tenant unions across the country to analyze, inform, and inspire listeners about the power of tenant unions in America. Every episode will showcase a different lesson about tenant unions and America's problematic history with housing by providing in-depth historical analysis, testimonials and stories from leaders who organized in their  communities, and collectively brainstorming a vision for a better world where housing is treated as a human right.

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Plant Detective

Hosted by

Flora Delaterre, plant detective, investigates one medicinal plant per show including recent science, traditional uses, efficacy, risks, and lore.

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Radio Active Magazine

Hosted by Craig Lubow   •  Listen live Every Tuesday at 6:00pm

A locally produced program where activist groups in the Kansas City area present interviews, commentary, editorials, and other thought provoking content on a weekly basis.

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Sprouts

Hosted by   •  Listen live Every Thursday at 5:00am

Sprouts Radio from the Grassroots is a 30-minute weekly program featuring radio programs produced at community radio stations or by other independent producers from across the country and sometimes around the world.

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Logo for Take Two

Take Two

Hosted by Russ Simmons

The "Take Two" short segment reviews independently made films and art-house movies currently showing in Kansas City. Take Two first went on the air in 2012 and is co-hosted by Russ Simmons, producer of the “Freeze Frame” short segment, and Susan Sanders.

The segment airs at the following times:
Wednesdays 9:30 am
Fridays 12:58 pm
Saturdays at 5:58 pm
Sundays 3:00 am

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The Tenth Voice (LGBTQIA)

Hosted by Una Nowling   •  Listen live Every Saturday at 1:00pm

The Tenth Voice is the Kansas City area's only weekly broadcast created by and for LGBTQIA+ people in our community in the Greater Kansas City area and around the world online. Listeners can tune in each Saturday at 1:00 PM. Each week our team of hosts and producers present interviews, information, music, news and features especially important to Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexuals, Transgender & Nonbinary people, Queer, Intersex, Asexual & Aromantic people and Allied collective communities. Since 1989, The Tenth Voice radio show has documented and informed the LGBTQIA+ Kansas City Community.

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This Way Out (LGBT)

Hosted by

This Way Out leads off each week with NewsWrap, a summary of some of the major news events in or affecting the lesbian/gay community, compiled from a variety of publications and broadcasts around the world.

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Thursday Night Special

Hosted by Various Hosts   •  Listen live Every Thursday at 7:00pm

Thursday nights are special!

First Thursday: Jasmine Jones hosts Next Step Forward, a spotlight on millennials of Kansas City who are within a marginalized group, but are using their talents, business, activism etc. to help bring positivity within their communities. This program exists to be a place that is inclusive, safe, fun, inspirational and educational not only for the listeners but for the guest as well.

Second Thursday: Shots in the Night radio theatre; hosted and produced by various members of Shots In The Night. In 2023 SITN has received seven awards for podcast productions in the 9th Annual Hear Now Audio Fiction and Arts Festival produced by the National Audio Theatre Festivals, Inc.

Third Thursday: People Power Hour, brought to you by KC Tenants, hosts a rotation of speakers featuring members and leaders from KC Tenants and other tenant unions across the country to analyze, inform, and inspire listeners about the power of tenant unions in America. Every episode will showcase a different lesson about tenant unions and America's problematic history with housing by providing in-depth historical analysis, testimonials and stories from leaders who organized in their  communities, and collectively brainstorming a vision for a better world where housing is treated as a human right.

Fourth Thursday: Sirisha Naidu and Taki Manolakos host Economics For the People, a journey to explore the transformative power of economics when it is harnessed for the working classes, to advance social justice, and to create an inclusive and equitable society. It is an open invitation to participate in collectively shaping and reimagining an economy that prioritizes the needs and aspirations of the working classes, marginalized communities, and individuals of different gender expressions, sexualities, and abilities. The show features diverse voices, experiences and perspectives that often remain unheard in mainstream conversations about economics, markets and numbers.

Fifth Thursday: The provocative "From Ark to Microchip", produced by Dwight Frizzell, mixes commentary, dramatic re-enactment, original music, historic voices, audio art and sound effects in a pan-historical, pan-cultural milieu. Programs in the program series have received several awards.

Note: These programs may be preempted by special presentations.

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Understanding Israel Palestine

Hosted by Jamie Jackson   •  Listen live Every Friday at 9:30am

This show is inspired by Citizens for Justice in the Middle East, a local group that has advocated for 20 years for a fair and even-handed U.S. foreign policy that recognizes the rights of both Palestinians and Israelis. Our program offers interviews with journalists, scholars, policy experts and activists to offer multiple perspectives, and to clarify the underlying issues that are often obscured by headline news.

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Urban Connections

Hosted by Donna Wolfe   •  Listen live Every Saturday at 4:00pm

Urban Connections conducts guest interviews covering issues effecting our local, national, international and global communities from a Black perspective. Subjects include current events, trends, history, education, economics, science, political science, health, race, law and more.

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WINGS

Hosted by   •  Listen live Every Saturday at 2:30pm

WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service is an all-woman independent radio production company that produces and distributes news and current affairs programs by and about women around the world.

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