The KTAL radio station will host the “For the Love of Que Tal Community Radio,” a community engagement fundraiser where community members will have the opportunity to meet some of their favorite KTAL hosts and possibly win a Phil Ochs commemorative guitar.
Residents of Las Cruces may even get to appear live on air. The fundraiser will be held Feb. 15 at the Que Tal studio at 121 Wyatt Drive #9. The event will be from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Folks interested in entering the raffle for the guitar can do so by purchasing a $10 ticket at the Que Tal Studio or at the event on Saturday afternoon.
Executive Director for KTAL and event organizer Walt Rubel said the funds raised will go towards supporting local radio and journalism.
“Community radio is a fairly new thing to bring new voices onto the airway. The way it works is our license is just a fraction of what a commercial license cost but we have to follow a lot of the same rules that the public broadcasting does,” Rubel said.
He added that he believes KTAL offers a wonderful mix of both talk and music.
“We’ve got really the only jazz shows on radio in Las Cruces, and beyond that we even got heavy metal shows, just all kinds of different musical shows. The talk shows also help fill a decline in local journalism,” Rubel said.
Many local artists and show hosts will be present to promote music and greet fans.
KTAL Board President Claire Neal-Wallace said she hopes to connect with listeners to provide better listening experiences. She hopes to not only meet Las Cruces residents but also show hosts.
“We’ll have our hosts of Speak Up Las Cruces, Peter Goodman, Richard Buzzman, the Voice of the Rio Grande,” Neal-Wallace said. “I’m really excited to not only interact with them (show hosts) but even more than that, to interact with our community. Our listeners, our donors, the people who make KTAL what it is because as a non-profit we runoff donations so, the contributions of the community.”
