Every Friday evening on station 88.5 FM, listeners can get a small snapshot of what life on the border is like. Listeners can hear a variety of music, with each episode having a unique theme. These songs are often introduced from the perspective of those living in the borderland.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrontera Frequencies\u201d is a show broadcasted on KTEP\u2019s public radio hosted by Roberto Avant-Mier Ph.D., a University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) professor and department chair and UTEP student Alejandra Seanez. The program is an interesting hybrid between a talk radio show and a music show; where the hosts play songs and examine the history, memories or feelings associated with music.<\/p>\n
Halfway through each episode, the hosts invite a student guest to interview and share their musical interests. Throughout the interview, students get to pick three songs to play on the show based on what they are currently listening to.<\/p>\n
Guests often talk about the memories or feelings they have surrounding their music choices. The discussion between the guest and the hosts provides a different perspective that invites the listener to share a connection with someone based on something familiar, like music.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think having the student voice is absolutely important. Having other people, inviting other people to talk about their music, to me that\u2019s the magic,\u201d Avant-Mier said. \u201cYou can hear people when they get excited, they get passionate about their songs or their music, right? To me, that\u2019s kind of what makes it interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrontera Frequencies\u201d was created with student engagement and interest in radio as a focus and producers strive to create a show that listeners are excited about.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we could get students to know the show and have lots of different students on the show doing the Miner Music Minute have students wanting to be on the show so they can talk about their music, that would be really cool,\u201d Avant-Mier said.<\/p>\n
Besides the Miner Music Minute, Avant-Mier and Seanez discuss the history of the songs chosen and why they were picked for the episode. There is a lot of information provided during the program, and a big challenge for producers is figuring out a balance between talking and playing music.<\/p>\n
Show Producer Martin Leon often puts himself in the audiences\u2019 shoes when producing or editing the show. He hopes the audience can feel the excitement he feels when producing an episode.<\/p>\n
\u200a\u201cRadio, especially public radio, is for the public, is for the community. It\u2019s to inform, it\u2019s to entertain, but it\u2019s always educational,\u201d Leon said. \u201cThat\u2019s the main focus I have when working on the radio. I feel proud that I\u2019m doing something that is going to be enjoyable and is a good product for the human brain.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Leon, the Miner Music Minute segment also gives student guests and listeners the opportunity to learn about another person who they might have been intimidated by.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn shows like this, you get the chance to see the human being behind it, and you see this is just a normal human being as I am, and we can share this special connection between music,\u201d Leon said.<\/p>\n
KTEP recently lost a significant amount of funding and relies heavily on listener support to continue operating. Programs like \u201cFrontera Frequencies\u201d reflect the love the team at KTEP has for public radio and listeners can hear that passion transmitted during the broadcast.<\/p>\n
The program airs Fridays at 7 p.m. on KTEP 88.5 FM and runs for an hour. Supporters of the show can always gain something from listening. Whether that is hearing a friend\u2019s excitement on the radio, discovering new songs or learning about what they might have in common with their peers.<\/p>\n