The Children's Hour Radio Show Becoming a Global Phenomenon, with Katie Stone & Amadeus Menendez

The RegenNarration Podcast

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How does a local radio show run with and for children become a global phenomenon - with plenty of adult listeners too? All the more in an age of media disruption and decline, with the ongoing struggle of not only mainstream media models, but public and alternative ones too. In just six years, The Children’s Hour is approaching a listenership of one million people, heard on demand as a weekly podcast and on more than 160 stations in 6 countries. That stratospheric growth started with a pivot – when this local volunteer-run public radio show in Albuquerque, New Mexico, became a not-for-profit organisation with loftier ambitions.
Katie Stone became its Executive Director, having been a volunteer for 17 years before that. Today Katie shares this incredible story with us, as we take a seat in the show’s renewably powered studio, alongside 15 year old announcer Amadeus Menendez. Amadeus started with the show as it pivoted, and has grown with it since he was nine. And as the awards roll in, the next generation’s ambitions become loftier still.
Katie and Amadeus share how the show expanded globally, filling educational gaps and teaching media literacy and civics to children globally. Amadeus recounts his experiences engaging with experts like a NASA astronaut (in space!) and the treasurer of New Mexico. And together they emphasize the importance of positive, affirming messages and actionable responses to current events, ensuring that media educates and inspires without commercial influence, and across political divides.
This episode has chapter markers and a transcript, if you’d like to navigate the conversation that way (available on most apps now too). The transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully provides greater access for those who need or like to read.
Recorded 16 June 2024.
Title slide: Katie & Amadeus at Sun Spot Studio after our conversation (pic: Olivia Cheng).
See more photos on the website, and for more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.
Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.
Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.
The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests (thanks to Josie Symons).
Find More:
6-part series on the history of the American south-west
ICKY: A Radio Musical
Deb Haaland on The Children’s Hour (with photo of Amadeus at 9 years of age)

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Luvut

1. Music, Preview, Introduction & Supporter Thanks (00:00:00)

2. The story of the Sun Spot Solar Studio (00:03:20)

3. The stratospheric growth of The Children’s Hour (00:04:05)

4. Programs being adopted by teachers – prompting curriculum to be developed too (00:08:00)

5. Media that’s not selling you anything (and Katie’s inspiration) (00:13:20)

6. How Amadeus came to be involved & why kids (& adults) love the show (00:18:00)

7. Highlight experiences (00:22:40)

8. Speaking with an astronaut in space (what happens when they fart?) (00:25:50)

9. Kids perspectives on covid (00:27:50)

10. How they achieved the enormous growth of the show (00:29:40)

11. Sustaining Funding for Children's Radio (00:31:21)

12. The needless collapse of public radio stations (00:34:00)

13. The great effect of uplifting people with media like this (including during covid) (00:36:00)

14. Children's Pandemic Musical Creation (00:38:48)

15. The future Amadeus envisions for himself & the show (00:43:35)

16. Music & closing words (00:48:40)