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vacation!
Stargazing: Ray Hildebrand, the singer/songwriter behind "Hey, Paula," and
Logan St. James will be heard in a new radio show starting this weekend on
KCXL-AM (1140). The show is devoted to the goings on in Branson and will
air from 3 to 5 p.m. (Sundays).
Johnson County Sun, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005, Page 2D
By: Elaine Bessier
When Logan St. James and his wife, Tiffany, visited Branson two years ago
to interview big-name talent such as Andy Williams, jimmy Osmond and Shoji
Tabuchi for Logan's former radio show "Celebrity Scoop," they fell in love with
the tourist mecca.
"The People are what make Branson so special," said Logan St. James. "We
have traditional family values, and that was the only place we found a
gathering of those people. Everyone knows everyone else."
St. James decided to create a radio show focusing on the town.
"We wanted to narrow the focus of the show and concentrate on Branson,
population 6,000. It steamrolled as we watched it evolve. It will be an
old-time radio show featuring live interviews with stars, Branson attractions
and destinations."
Caught up in the Fairway couple's enthusiasm, the Branson Tourism Center
signed on as a sponsor for the new show, "It's Branson Tonight." It took to
the airwaves last Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. on KCXL 1140AM and on the
Internet. St. James is hopeful that the program can soon be heard on WGNU
920AM in St. Louis as well.
In developing the show, St. James found the perfect co-host in Ray
Hildebrand, the singer songwriter who in 1963 hit No. 1 on the charts with
"Hey, Paula.: Hildebrand is currently involved with Land and Hildebrand.
They tour nationally and play frequently at Homer's Coffeehouse in downtown
Overland Park.
Hildebrand, of Overland Park, worked 14 years for the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes and was recently named to the FCA hall of fame. "He'll bring an
elegant touch to the show," St. James said. "I thought we would have good
dynamics. I think we'll play off each other very well."
The show will offer free show tickets and hotel rooms. Once a month, a
grand prize will be awarded.
"We want to also take this chance to honor both current service members
and also our veterans," said St. James.
To this end, the show will serve as a communications venue for soldiers
overseas and their families through the reading of their letters on the air.
There will also be a segment every week titled "The Veteran's Minute," which
will highlight and honor our country's finest in the armed forces.
"The show will be fast moving with lots of skits and bits reminiscent of old-time
serials continuing week to week," St. James said. "It will be a combination of a
folksy slice of Americana and current broadcasting trends with a format
similar to radio shows from the '40s, '50s and '60s, similar to "A Prairie Home
Companion."
The team also include Tiffany St. James Truster, producer and business
manager; James Peuster, production and board operator; and reporters Jane
Loutzenhiser and Michael D. Smith, former entertainment editor at The Sun.
The show is part of an effort by the Branson Chamber of Commerce to
update the image of Branson. The Branson/Lakes area drew an estimated
7.2 million visitors in 2003.
For more information about the new radio show, click on St. James' web site,
www.loganstjames.com, of Hildebrand's web site, www.land-hildebrand.com.
