Beech Tree News Network

Being in the audience during a taping of a television or radio show is pretty cool.  I’ve had the pleasure of being in the audience for Opry Live and part of filming for ABC’s CMA: Country’s Night to Rock, both of which are always cool. The difference in seeing a show live and watching/listening from your home is vast.  You get that feel of a live remote: people milling about, getting ready. You see the hosts’ notes on the table. The anticipation of the moments before going on-air is palpitating.  You always get a little spark of energy going live.

On Thursday, August 2 , Kentucky Sports Radio came to Morgantown to do a live broadcast from the Farm Boy. Of course I knew I had to be there.

For those unfamiliar, this is a daily two hour radio show taped in the morning and broadcast that afternoon.  I rolled out of bed, grabbed a bite to eat, and threw on a Jimi Hendrix shirt (not realizing most everyone else would be wearing their UK shirts).  I would listen to the show later on WLBQ 1570 Beechtree radio, but now off to the taping.

Speaking from experience, it’s better to be in the audience and have no other responsibility but to cheer when prompted than to actually be the host.  The hosts would tell us to cheer when the show came on-air and back from break.  Hosts Matt Jones and Ryan Lemond talked Kentucky sports and took calls, along with questions from the audience.  It’s like a local version of the Dan Patrick Show. The last half-hour of the show, Jim Holman and Raven Brooks, was on the air with Matt. 

If Raven was nervous, you certainly couldn’t tell.  Matt and Drew did poke a little fun, teasing Raven for attending WKU instead of UK (she starts her freshman year this fall). 

I was glad to be a part of the show, and very proud to see one of Butler County’s own get some much deserved recognition.  This was certainly an unforgettable experience for Raven and her family, and for the town as a whole. I’d like to thank her mom, Cindy for alerting me of this so I could be there.  I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. 

In closing, let me just say that I admire the people who are on radio and television every day.  Also, I’m awfully proud of Raven and wish her the best of luck at WKU.

Hello, my name is Andy Sullivan. I received my bachelor’s degree in business from Mid-Continent University in May 2009. I began writing for Beech Tree News in July 2009.  I enjoy playing guitar, the occasional Wii game, writing, and listening to music. I write a sports blog that can be found at http://www.tumblr.com/blog/sports-news-and-views.   If you have a comment, feel free to leave it in the space below.