A longtime public media supporter gets an early morning look at how Nebraska Public Media connects with listeners every day.
As Rich Leiter gets ready for each new day, he listens to host Dale Johnson on Morning Edition. “It is part of my morning routine,” he said.
During a recent radio pledge drive, Leiter heard about a unique opportunity to spend a few hours with Dale in the Nebraska Public Media radio studio. “I jumped on it! The idea of being there, seeing how it’s done just really sounded intriguing and really fun.”
Leiter and about a dozen other donors arrived at the studio early – although not as early as Dale – to participate in the Dale Johnson Experience, a chance to see the magic of morning radio in person, tour the Ron Hull Studio and enjoy breakfast with Dale and team members from the network.
“I’ve seen hundreds of events in my career and the Dale Johnson Experience was one of the most intimate and engaging. The attendees left with a more profound knowledge of our mission and value to the state,” said Molly Delaney, chief strategy officer.
Leiter says he was raised on public radio and watched public television as he grew up in Northern California.
“My family took it seriously. I even watched the pledge drives,” he said, trying to guess which operator in the phone bank would answer his family’s call.
He moved his family around the country for his career, landing in Lincoln as Director of the Schmid Law Library and Marvin & Virginia Schmid Foundation Professor of Law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“One of the first things we always do is find out what the local station is and support it. We’ve been sustaining members wherever we’ve been. So, yeah, we’re big fans!”