KTNA’s On-air Volunteers
KTNA has a dedicated group of volunteers that read the news and play music to inform and entertain our listeners. We appreciate their contributions and recognize them individually below.
Robert Ambrose – Rhythm Connection, Fridays 8-10 pm
Rhythm Connection transports listeners to cultures around the world, through incredibly diverse music from the African diaspora. Since its 1993 inception in Alaska, Robert has presented fresh music every week to make you dance or bring you solace, or both. Robert has been kept Rhythm Connection on air for over 30 years. He started the show in Talkeetna and kept it going after he moved Port Townsend.
Wendy Battino – news sub
Forrest Cook – Sounds of the South, Mondays 8-9 pm
Trisha Costello – Su Valley Voice & Monday morning news
Nancy Crowden – Honky Tonk Jukebox, Saturdays 8-11 pm
Honky Tonk Jukebox’s been around for 4 years now and I have a pretty loyal following, it’s kinda like family. The show is about country and western honky tonkin’ music, but that’s not all…… you never know what I’ll play. I welcome requests and do my best to play them, within reason, no disco or pop, I draw the line at that. SO… come and hang out with all of us Saturday nights, 8 to 11. And always… Keep a song in your heart.
Geri Denkewalter – Wednesday morning news
Geri’s been a resident of Talkeetna since 1977, hosting several shows like Generation Gap, Book Shelf, news reader and local reporter on KTNA for many years. Currently, she is your Wednesday morning news reader and local librarian.
Kathleen Fleming – Just K on Wednesdays 1-2 pm, Wednesday midday news, & StarDate Susitna
Kathleen has been an avid volunteer at KTNA for many years. Her most recent show Just K is a fun music quiz show.
Maureen Gualtieri – Friday morning news
Maureen Gualtieri began her career in public radio as an evening newsreader at KTNA back in 1996, and soon thereafter morphed into a music DJ. After hosting a late night alternative/classic rock show on KTNA called Exile on Second Street for over 15 years, Maureen took a break for several years of inner reflection. She emerged from this period of enlightenment as a bona fide Morning Person and now delights in reading the morning news every Thursday.
Joe Halladay – Joe on Tuesdays, on Tuesdays 1-3pm
Becky Hrdy – Monday evening news
Kellie Laurson – news sub
Sean McPhilamy – Thursday midday news
Autumn Merritt – Tuesday evening news
Sharon Montagnino – news sub
Becky Peterson – Random Radio, Mondays 2-3 pm
KTNA has been a part of my life since I moved to Alaska. I have had a radio show for 22 years! The show used to be blue grass and is now random.
Renamary Rauchenstein – Music That Makes Me Happy, airing Thursdays 2-3 pm
My history with KTNA goes back over 20 years. I’ve been a newsreader, a program director for a weekly program, a member of the KTNA Advisory Board, and my favorite of all; the DJ for my program, “ Music That Makes Me Happy”. I’ve worked from the log cabin across the street from the present radio station, and had visitors walk in awed by the fact that our radio station was “Just like Northern Exposure”. I volunteered originally because I wanted to meet people outside my group. I realized that the Talkeetna I moved to over 40 years ago had changed. I no longer knew everyone I saw at the post office. The radio station runs primarily on volunteers and I wanted to be one of them. A town radio station is an integral part of a community, and I remain a firm believer that in volunteering at KTNA you always receive more than you give in the transaction.
Frances Reynolds – Tuesday morning news
Joe Richardson – alternate Tuesdays at 8pm
Joe is back for the winter with a new show, Alien Lanes.
Darby Salmon – The Whole Enchilada, Mondays 1-2pm
From French blues to freak folk you can hear it all, Mondays at 1 on The Whole Enchilada.
Ciara-Sauvageau – Clean Plate Club, Sundays 8-9 pm
Toby Seay & Marco Specter – The Vibe, alternate Thursdays 8-9 pm (on break)
Holly Stinson – Friday midday news and The Patchwork Hour, Fridays 1-2 pm
I enjoy my “radio Fridays”, bringing you the midday news, followed by a music show “The Patchwork Hour”. It’s a mix of mostly folk, a bit of celtic, along with some other songs I just enjoy so it is indeed a patchwork of music. You might call me a creature of habit, since I’ve been doing both for over 20 years now. I’ve also helped create the bygone “Nuggets” series which you can still access on the KTNA website, and currently help with the storytelling show and podcast “The Blue Tarp”. Can you tell I like stories, and people?
Kara Walker – Thursday morning news
