Thursday, January 1st, 2009
Spotlight
The Voice of KC
The cityscape may be changing, but for local broadcasting legend Walt Bodine, the essential character of his hometown remains. By Sarah Smarsh
If anyone would know what Kansas City’s impressive downtown revi- talization means to its residents on a cultural level, it’s Walt Bodine, a one-man media institution who has been called the “community conscience” of Kansas City. Still host of public radio’s “The Walt Bodine Show” at age 88, Bodine landed his first radio job in 1940 and has since covered Kansas City as a reporter, anchor and news director on both radio and television. His enduring talk show reveals a man deeply inter- ested in human lives and the issues that affect them.
How has the city’s cultural landscape changed during your lifetime? “The city floundered during the big-time growth period when other cities were revitalizing downtown areas. But now, they’re on top of it. There are 2.2 million people in the greater metro area, and a lot is going on. Downtown doesn’t look like it used to—a forlorn place. People are moving into condos, things like that.”
Where else has life taken you? “Port Arthur, Texas. New York, for a little while. I spent some time screenwriting and gagwriting in Hollywood, but I con- vinced them to let me come back here and just send my stuff in.”
Why did you want to leave sunny California to return? “I know what’s here, and I know how it works. Life on the coasts is more unpredictable, profes- sionally. I never knew when they would pull the plug on my work.”
Why should out-of-towners give Kansas City a look? “There’s a fresh- ness about the city. It’s been there all along but is now in full bloom. That freshness includes new places to see, new things to do. Even with the national financial crisis going on, here you basi- cally see everybody going about their business and growing.”
As someone who has spent decades talking to Kansas Citians about politics, culture and everyday life, tell us—who are the people of Kansas City? “They’re a great people. One thing I like about this place is that it’s a ‘live- and-let-live’ city. In general, it’s a great place to be, and I’ve lived in other places to know.”
What do you mean when you describe Kansas City as “live and let live”? “People cut other people a little slack. Here, when you walk down the street, you look someone in the eye and even smile. It tells you a lot about a place.”
Has this cordiality always been a characteristic? “It’s always been that way, and it still is. I believe that, really and truly.”
ILLUSTRATION BY SEAN ADDY
