News just came that should give any casual KXT listener a jolt. Two hours of locally-produced programming have been added to the schedule. Gini Mascorro and Amy Miller will curate and host each of them. What’s New is Gini’s, on Mondays from 7-8 p.m.; The Local Show is Amy’s, Thursdays from 7-8 p.m. These two are getting the chance that Paul Slavens did to build something exceptional, as he’s done with his revelatory show Sundays at 8 since before KXT was even around. Gini has hosted many segments and specials on the news and music sides of programming in the past on KXT and KERA 90.1, but her talents have been thinly spread the past eight years, during KXT’s development phase after its 2009 launch.
Disclosure: I used to listen at the boards with Gini when there was some tea to be spilt as an employee of North Texas Public Broadcasting from 2012-2015, and in the car before that as a longtime fan of pulling into parking spaces at dawn as Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” or something comparable in its devastating perfection played at Gini’s command. The work she and Amy do to keep the station running as music coordinator and programming director is piled so high: voicing promos, filling out reports, planning events, promoting the station during pledge drives. Underneath the stack for both of them, and the limits of broad-minded crowd-pleasing in running a large-market Triple-A station, is deeply informed taste and style. Now everyone outside the building gets to really know that.
I was most excited to learn that Gini won’t be tied to all-local selections for her hour, since her base of knowledge spans eras and genres in a way that needs space. The premise for her show is new music, and just new music. Last night for the first installment she played Charlotte Gainsbourg’s “Deadly Valentine,” Jamila Woods’ “LSD” featuring Chance the Rapper, and, in true Gini fashion, a live version of Bowie’s “Suffragette City” that comes from a just- released Berlin-era box set. Here’s the video for that Gainsbourg track that co-stars Dev Hynes, because it’s amazing. More news about the KXT schedule, like Gini’s move from mornings to nights (which she confirmed is preferable with a whew!), follows:
NORTH TEXAS PUBLIC MEDIA Triple A KKXT (KXT 91.7)/DALLAS will debut new weekly programs and special content that will provide more opportunities for local artists and music discovery.
Beginning OCTOBER 2nd, KXT is launching new programming elements with more new and local music than ever before. The new schedule will feature four new shows:
- Mornings on KXT, hosted by BRAD DOLBEER — WEEKDAYS, 5-10a — Featuring an eclectic mix of music, plus special features like “BRAD’s Vinyl Vault” and “This Day in Music History.”
- What’s New with GINI MASCORRO — MONDAYS, 7-8p — Discover new favorites with an hour of all-new tracks from local, emerging and legendary artists. MASCORRO also moves from mornings to handle the weekday evening slot until 11p
- The Local Show with AMY MILLER — THURSDAYS, 7-8p — Enjoy the full spectrum of NORTH TEXAS’ vibrant music scene with this mix of local rock, jazz, Latin, folk, blues, hip-hop and more.
- Afternoons with DAVE EMMERT — WEEKDAYS 2-7p — featuring a diverse mix of new, local and legendary songs locally curated for KXT listeners.
- Further, World Cafe moves to 11p WEEKNIGHTS.
With the launch of this new programming, KXT also has declared OCTOBER to be Local Music Month. Throughout the month, KXT is celebrating by airing more local songs and hosting local music showcases in DALLAS, FORT WORTH and DENTON, beginning with Texas Music Trivia Night, hosted by AMY MILLER and PAUL SLAVENS, on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13th.
