After an intensive search process, St. Louis Public Radio has selected Elaine Cha to host the station’s signature talk show and podcast, St. Louis on the Air. Cha will serve as a host and producer in this key role, engaging the community in thoughtful conversation about the news, arts and ideas shaping our region.
“Elaine Cha’s deep work in St. Louis with marginalized groups and communities of color makes her an especially exciting choice for St. Louis on the Air,” said CEO Tina Pamintuan. “She has spent her career as a storyteller in various forms. Now she will help tell the story of St. Louis each weekday alongside a passionate team of producers who share her enthusiasm for engaging with St. Louisans in new ways that center their voices in regional conversations.”
Cha brings more than a decade of journalism and community-engagement experience. She served as a producer for Southern California Public Radio and Nine PBS in St. Louis. She created critical content for the Ferguson Commission’s report, “Forward Through Ferguson: A Path Toward Racial Equity,” and later worked on Forward Through Ferguson’s education initiatives.
Most recently, she served as senior manager for external communications at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, an organization she joined as the founding storyteller/journalist. Cha is also co-editor of the forthcoming Humans of St. Louis book, a 500+ page volume highlighting portraits and stories of people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
“Elaine has the perfect mix of journalism and community-engagement experience that will help build upon the show’s success and help it reach new heights,” said Alex Heuer, executive producer of St. Louis on the Air. “There is no shortage of stories to tell in our listening area. Elaine will join a team of producers committed to creating greater understanding about how the news affects people’s lives.”
Her work on St. Louis on the Air will continue the rich history of the show, now in its 26th year of production.
St. Louis on the Air will return from its broadcast break on October 24 and resume a five-day-a-week schedule. Cha will begin work at St. Louis Public Radio on November 7 and will begin hosting the program later this fall.
"Even the prospect of joining this team, in this moment and at this particular place, was thrilling,” said Cha. “I welcome the privilege — and challenge! — of being a host/producer who helps make the show a kind of ‘home’ for even more people in the St. Louis, Rolla, and Quincy areas."
St. Louis on the Air introduces listeners to important and interesting voices, newsmakers and events that shape our region. Each show strives to educate, engage and inspire. Listen every weekday at noon or at 7 p.m. on 90.7 FM, the STLPR mobile app or anytime via podcast. In addition to its broadcast audience, the St. Louis on the Air podcast has reached 1 million downloads the previous two calendar years.