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0000017c-83f8-d4f8-a77d-b3fd0c050000Fridays at Noon and Sundays at 5pm (Central Time)The Trend is where we discuss ideas, challenge assumptions, and meet new people. We delve into issues that reflect and impact the place we live. Topics range from serious to light-hearted, always with the intent to discover, inform, and engage.Got an idea or question for The Trend? Trend Archives (older than August 2013)

A Day Out in Owensboro

Steve Burger

On January 24, 2014, WNIN-FM produced a historic broadcast when we took our studio to Owensboro, Kentucky for the entire day.  From 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, we profiled this dynamic Ohio River community.

The "Day Out"as we've branded the broadcasts, came from discussions of how to provide comprehensive news coverage in all the communities in the WNIN-FM listening area.  As it turns out, it was a massive effort that combined traditional live interviews with audio tours, features, and a live concert of bluegrass music in this area which is known as the birthplace of that music genre.

What we learned, and communicated to our listeners that day, ranged from comprehensive information about a huge civic project being paid for with their tax dollars, to a tour of a city-supported bioresearch facility that developed a key component of the only known cure for the Ebola virus that uses tobacco plants.

During Morning Edition, host John Gibson researched and interviewed Owensboro Mayor Ron Payne and Dean Dennis, the director of the Owensboro Convention, just prior to its grand opening.  Our special Day Out clock for Morning Edition allowed John over twenty minutes of interview time with each.

The subject focused on the $180 million investment Owensboro has made in its riverfront area, in hopes of becoming a destination city. In addition to the convention center and a new children's park, the city is helping fund a new facility for the International Bluegrass Music Museum, to be promoted worldwide.

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Owensboro Convention Center Executive Director Dean Dennis talks about the facility on the eve of its grand opening.
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Steve Burger takes an audio tour of the new convention center with Dean Dennis.
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John Gibson talks with Mayor Ron Payne during Morning Edition about economic development.

WNIN has a proud daughter of the Commonwealth on staff. For her contributions on the day, reporter/host Cass Herrington wanted to profile Owensboro's contributions to the three "B's" of her home state; bourbon, barbecue and bluegrass.  She also caught up with some seniors playing pool who had interesting takes on economic development and the rise of new leadership in the city.

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Cass Herrington discusses the Kentucky bourbon industry with two experts during All Things Considered.
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WNIN's Cass Herrington samples 12 year old bourbon at the Miller House in Owensboro.
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Cass Herrngton takes a trip through the pit at Old Hickory barbecue.

During All Things Considered that day, bilingual host Cass Herrington profiled the progress of the growing Latino community, discussed the signature bourbon industry and chatted with bluegrass museum director Gabrielle Gray. That evening, the museum hosted our live broadcast of a bluegrass concert by the Vickie Vaughn Band, also hosted by Cass.

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A discussion of the Latino community with Sister Fran Wilhelm of the Centro Latino in Owensboro during All Things Considered.

For our weekly Trend program, also broadcast from Owensboro, we added a "sneak peek" audio tour conducted that morning of the new convention center. We also had an audio tour of the city's bioresearch laboratory and interview with director Madison Silvert, who, it turns out, also plays the banjo. We later learned that during the time of our audio tour of the lab, researchers were working on a key component of the only known cure for the Ebola virus, which uses tobacco plants in its production.

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On The Trend for our Day Out in Owensboro, conversations on downtown development, and audio tours of the new convention center and a barbecue pit!

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