KVNU's For The People
Encyclopedia
For the People is a news and political radio talk show that airs on KVNU
in Logan, Utah
from 4-6 pm Monday-Friday. The show, which debuted on April 28, 2006, is hosted by Jason Williams and Marc Neilsen. The show touches on local, state, and national issues and takes calls from listeners. Interviews are frequently conducted with local and state newsmakers, politicians, and government officials. On Fridays, For the People runs the "Friday News Quiz," in which listeners answer questions about news stories and compete for a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant. Tickets to basketball games and local cultural events are frequently given out to listeners.
On July 2, 2008, former For the People host and program founder Tom Grover announced he would be leaving the show in August to attend law school at the University of Nebraska. Ryan Yonk, the original co-host of the show, also departed that month to attend school at Georgia State University
. He was replaced as co-host by Williams and Neilsen.
In August 2006, Utah State Senator Chris Buttars
stated on KVNU that Brown v. Board of Education
, the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared public school segregation unconstitutional, was "wrong to begin with." . This statement created much controversy, and Buttars later came back on the show to explain his remarks.
In 2007, For the People covered the debate over a private school voucher bill passed by the Utah Legislature, on which a referendum was held in November of that year . For the People hosted two debates on the subject, which were broadcast live during the show . Both Grover and Yonk expressed their opposition to the voucher program.
In 2008, For the People devoted much coverage to Logan Mayor Randy Watts' plan to reclaim inner Logan, or as Grover and Yonk dubbed it, "The War on Rentals." This plan involved enforcing ordinances that banned parking on city-owned "park strips" between the sidewalk and the street in residential areas.
The presidential campaign of Mitt Romney
was a major topic on the show, due to Romney's Utah
ties and membership in the LDS Church. Grover was quoted in the New York Times in a story about reaction of LDS members to Romney's campaign.
since shortly after the show began . The show began hosting a webcast on January 6, 2008. The webcast, which features a chat room in which the hosts regularly participate while on air, is hosted by Stickam .
KVNU
KVNU is a news talk radio station in Logan, Utah, USA. The call letters stand for "the Voice of Northern Utah". The station was started in 1938 by Reed Bullen, who owned the station until 1996 when it was sold to the Cache Valley Radio Group...
in Logan, Utah
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
from 4-6 pm Monday-Friday. The show, which debuted on April 28, 2006, is hosted by Jason Williams and Marc Neilsen. The show touches on local, state, and national issues and takes calls from listeners. Interviews are frequently conducted with local and state newsmakers, politicians, and government officials. On Fridays, For the People runs the "Friday News Quiz," in which listeners answer questions about news stories and compete for a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant. Tickets to basketball games and local cultural events are frequently given out to listeners.
On July 2, 2008, former For the People host and program founder Tom Grover announced he would be leaving the show in August to attend law school at the University of Nebraska. Ryan Yonk, the original co-host of the show, also departed that month to attend school at Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
. He was replaced as co-host by Williams and Neilsen.
History
For the People began as a summer fill-in for KVNU's Full Court Press, a sports talk show. It originally aired from 5-6 pm, and stayed on the air when Full Court Press resumed in fall 2006. In the summer of 2007, the show expanded to 1.5 hours, with an earlier start time of 4:30 pm. That fall, the show expanded again, to its current 2-hour time slot.Notable Issues
For the People has focused heavily on major local issues since it began. The first of these was the City of Logan's mandatory recycling program in summer 2006, in which residents were required to pay a monthly recycling fee. Both Grover and Yonk were opposed to mandatory recycling.In August 2006, Utah State Senator Chris Buttars
Chris Buttars
D. Chris Buttars is a former Republican member of the Utah State Senate representing the 10th Utah Senate District...
stated on KVNU that Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
, the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared public school segregation unconstitutional, was "wrong to begin with." . This statement created much controversy, and Buttars later came back on the show to explain his remarks.
In 2007, For the People covered the debate over a private school voucher bill passed by the Utah Legislature, on which a referendum was held in November of that year . For the People hosted two debates on the subject, which were broadcast live during the show . Both Grover and Yonk expressed their opposition to the voucher program.
In 2008, For the People devoted much coverage to Logan Mayor Randy Watts' plan to reclaim inner Logan, or as Grover and Yonk dubbed it, "The War on Rentals." This plan involved enforcing ordinances that banned parking on city-owned "park strips" between the sidewalk and the street in residential areas.
Election Coverage
On November 6, 2007 and February 5, 2008, For the People provided what it termed "The Best Election Coverage in the Entire Free World." This coverage aired live for 6-8 hours on each election night, providing interviews, analysis, and election returns. On November 4, 2008 the show will continue this tradition by broadcasting for at least 8 hours as presidential election results come in.The presidential campaign of Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
was a major topic on the show, due to Romney's Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
ties and membership in the LDS Church. Grover was quoted in the New York Times in a story about reaction of LDS members to Romney's campaign.
Podcast & Webcast
For the People has been available on iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
since shortly after the show began . The show began hosting a webcast on January 6, 2008. The webcast, which features a chat room in which the hosts regularly participate while on air, is hosted by Stickam .