Indiana Broadcast History Archive

Rader, Kevin

Aired

2023-10-25

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Maddie Slepski interviews Kevin Rader

[AI-Generated Summary] Kevin Rader discusses his prolific 40-year career in broadcasting, which began as a high school sophomore working at a small radio station in Cozad, Nebraska. Despite initially aiming for a career as a television anchor, Rader found his true calling in reporting after a news director steered him toward the field—a shift solidified by his experience covering the Oklahoma City bombing. Throughout the interview, he emphasizes the importance of personal connection, his academic background in history, and the value of "learning by doing" over traditional journalism education. Rader details his professional journey through markets in Wyoming and Green Bay before spending 30 years at WTHR in Indianapolis, where he covered major global and national events, including 9/11 and the war in Bosnia. He reflects on his career with gratitude, concluding that while his phone "never rang" with network offers, his role as a local reporter allowed him to witness and touch history in ways an anchor never could.

Note: This AI-generated summary (via Gemini AI and Adobe Premiere Pro) is for discovery purposes only. Please consult the original recording for historical accuracy.