For more than 40 years, Keith Brown has been producing and hosting Gay Spirit Radio program out of WWUH 91.3 FM radio in Hartford, Connecticut. “He, the WWUH radio station staff and other historians believe it to be the longest continuously-running LGBTQ+ radio show in the U.S., though there’s no official documentation to confirm that fact,” reports CT Insider:
In his first two decades as a radio host at WWUH 91.3 FM, Keith Brown didn’t own a car or bike.
So, he walked the six-mile-long round trip to the University of Hartford (UHart) campus every week. The Hartford resident braved rain and snow to arrive at the UHart-owned radio station studio.
Seventy six-year-old Brown — who now owns a bike — has produced the LGBTQ+-themed program, Gay Spirit Radio, for nearly 44 years — ever since the first episode aired Thanksgiving of 1980, Brown said.
“I have no reason to stop so long as I remain in good health and I have new material,” he said. “I almost never duplicate myself on the airwaves.” …
“In the 40+ years he’s been doing it, I can count on one hand how many times he’s missed (a show). Less than a half dozen, I would say. He’s incredibly dedicated,” Ramsey added.
Gay Spirit Radio was founded by West Hartford resident and radio host Rob Meehan, Brown said. The first episode featured a roundtable discussion with gay Alcoholics Anonymous members. Meehan produced the music segments, while Brown handled the news. Brown has been producing the show alone since 1983, when all the other Gay Spirit Radio Collective volunteers left to pursue other occupations, he said.
The now-half-hour-long radio show currently broadcasts every Thursday and informs the listeners about LGBTQ+ news and local events. Brown also conducts interviews with community figures and highlights music from queer artists.
Read the complete CT Insider story here.
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