On St. Louis radio, Carol Daniel has never been just another voice. For decades, she was a mainstay on KMOX. In April, she delivered bittersweet news live on-air:
After 28 years, she was retiring.
Recalling that moment, “I unexpectedly, immediately got emotional,” Daniel told St. Louis on the Air.
“I knew that I would land somewhere, but I knew that if I did not make the move, and let myself be moved, that I might just stay in a darn good job with excellent pay and wonderful benefits. … And so I had to throw myself, because there’s something more.”
For Daniel, that something more turns out to be a new role and a new broadcaster. In September, Daniel was announced as a host and senior producer with Nine PBS. Daniel’s new show, “Listen, St. Louis,” premiered earlier this month as a podcast and on the Nine PBS YouTube channel.
The first episodes include interviews with Marvin Steele, president and CEO of Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce, and Neal Richardson, president and CEO of the St. Louis Development Corporation.
Daniel said she wants “Listen, St. Louis” to serve as a vehicle for exploring the key challenges facing the St. Louis region — not just how those problems were created, but solutions as well.
“I knew I would do something, and I wanted it to be something of purpose for the greater good,” Daniel said of the new show. “We can't let politics divide us for its own selfish gain. … We have to remove some of these divisions and really think of one another as family and as neighbors.”
To hear more of Carol Daniel’s reflections on her time in KMOX and her plans for her new show, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast or by clicking the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
