A preview of WCVE’s new Virginia Currents radio program with producer Catherine Komp

​We’re big news buffs at The Hodges Partnership and we’re particularly fond of public radio. Our curiosity was officially piqued when the Community Idea Stations started promoting its new Virginia Currents radio program on WCVE-FM a few weeks ago.

For years, the television version of Virginia Currents has been broadcasting intelligent, compelling stories about Virginia and its citizens, so we were thrilled to hear a radio version was in the works.

We caught up with Catherine Komp, the producer of the new radio series to learn about what we can expect from the program. As you can see, Richmond is lucky to have Catherine producing stories on its airwaves.

Be sure to catch Virginia Currents on 88.9 FM this Thursday, Feb. 13 at 8:35 a.m. during Morning Edition and 5:45 p.m. during All Things Considered. In the meantime, check out our Q&A with Catherine below.

I’ve always considered the television version of Virginia Currents my-friend-that-knows-everything-about-Virginia. The show does a brilliant job of bringing Virginia’s unique stories and history into everyone’s living rooms. I’m excited for the new radio version. What can listeners look forward to with the new format?

That’s a great analogy for Virginia Currents. The TV crew does an extraordinary job highlighting this state’s diversity and shining a light on everyday people doing extraordinary things. We plan to continue that legacy with the weekly radio series which will cover some of the same issues and events, but through original reporting that updates a story or brings out new angles. I’m gathering fresh interviews, paying close attention to how I can elevate the voices of Virginia’s inspiring residents. We’ll be covering a number of topic areas: arts and culture, health and the environment, education and history. Some stories will tackle difficult or challenging issues, looking at how the community is coming together to respond, what solutions they’re developing. Other segments will profile the state’s makers and doers, examining what motivates their work and how it fits into the larger fabric of our neighborhoods. My goal is to create radio stories that inform and inspire, stories that spark curiosity and conversation, and perhaps most importantly, stories that engage the community.

You’ve worked in public radio for more than 10 years, what kinds of experience are you bringing to Community Idea Stations?

I’ve had the opportunity to wear various hats in journalism: reporter, anchor, news director, producer and editor at local and national radio, print and online news organizations. I’ve also been able to work on many different formats of radio journalism, from live call-in public affairs shows to daily reporting to long-form audio documentaries. Recently, I spent five years as the senior producer of Free Speech Radio News, a daily, 30-minute U.S. and international news program. We had a handful of staff members, 150+ freelancers on six continents and an always shrinking budget. Because of the resourcefulness required for the job and the large volume of original content I was responsible for on a daily basis, I was able to sharpen and develop a lot of skills. So I come to the Community Ideas Stations with a well-rounded background in radio and journalism, but I consider myself a lifelong student of the craft and the industry, always interested in learning new techniques, experimenting with emerging technologies and adapting to trends in media distribution and consumption.

What’s your favorite type of story to tell?

Stories of passion and persistence; commitment and collaboration; survival and resilience. My work has always centered around public interest issues, not just the challenges people are facing but the solutions they are creating. These types of stories, and the people at the center of them, are often missing from the daily news cycle, as journalists rely on paid spokespeople and experts in order to meet deadline. Those sources are important components of a story, but they can’t replace the first-hand experiences, knowledge and wisdom of people and groups who might not have access to the podium or microphone. If I succeed in spreading and amplifying these voices, in connecting people near and far, similar and disparate, I feel pretty satisfied with the story I’ve helped to tell.

What makes producing radio stories unique compared to television or print?

I love the power of people’s voices, hearing someone tell their own story. I think the human voice resonates more than a written quote, and there isn’t the distraction of what someone looks like or who else might be in the frame. With radio production, there’s also a smaller footprint. My backpack is pretty light and when I’m conducting an interview, it’s a lot easier for the equipment to fade into the background as your source warms up and gets comfortable.

Without the visuals of film, however, you do need to think carefully about ways to make your story dynamic, especially for topics that might not have obvious ambient sound elements that instantly transport you to a time and place. Covering a musician or band, in which you could record audio of them warming up, playing on stage or interacting with fans is a lot more straightforward than a solitary painter or writer whose work might not make a lot of sound. But I like that challenge and with good characters, writing and attention to pacing, you can make any radio story compelling.

One challenge with radio is trying to fit in everything you’d like to include. Online media has the freedom of going as short or long as necessary, but radio (and TV) needs to conform to rigid time slots. Podcasting does offer more flexibility, but for public radio, most news segments are 1-5 minutes. When I have extra material for the Virginia Currents series, I’ll be posting that to the Ideastations.org website. One of the first segments in the series will have a web-only audio slideshow, so stay tuned for that!