Comments / Opinions / Emails / Letters

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I've listened to KDHX ever since the first broadcast. Ir has been the highlight of every week for me. I am so sad that the station is changed and the DJs that Ive grown to feel like family, are gone. I can not listen to this station anymore. It has lost its uniqueness and magic. I am lost and so dissapointed at what they have done to a remarkable group of people and a whole culture of magnificent music. I am just lost for words. 

- Brenda Jones

 Here's a copy of my open letter to KDHX - "Hello. I am writing today to say thanks for all the great music over the years! I am a long time listener to KDHX and a local musician who has been living and performing in the St Louis region for almost 20 years.  I signed up to volunteer in 2010ish, but ended up getting hired at the time at a new job and could not allocate the proper time to help the station the way I knew it deserved.  My previous band was featured in a local artist spotlight a few years ago, and we were super grateful to hear our music on the air.  I have been interviewed on KDHX for my work with a local non-profit organization that I founded, and our organization was very grateful to have the local community radio station help get the word out.  My friend would tell me stories about when he was in high school and had KDHX's number memorized for call-in requests.  We talked about how cool it was that a radio station still existed where the DJ could actually pick up the phone and take a request and immediately play the song on air if it fit within the genre of their show.  And they would frequently do this!  I founded a non-profit organization in St Louis and was President of the organization for 2 years and Treasurer for another 2.  Music is my life, and volunteering and running a non-profit organization are both experiences I have had in the St Louis area.  A few years later, I ended up volunteering at a local AM radio station where I co-hosted a blues based program daily for a short period after my military service. I know music. I know radio. I know people.   I know non-profits. I have been listening to the station and noticed that lately the programming has dramatically changed in quality and personality.  All my favorite DJ's have either been unscrupulously fired or resigned in protest.  I have been listening to them speak on music and learning their personalities and rich cultural heritage including the most diverse music I have ever heard from the most diverse musicians on earth for the last few decades.  When I was 16 years old (I'm 44 now), I was in my car one night and heard the greatest music that overjoyed my young mind.  This was blues on 88.1 late Sunday nights.  Even though the station barely came in on my radio because of where I lived (southeast Missouri).  I later joined the Army and served 3 years and decided when I got out that I would be a professional musician.  I have been in several bands since then in the St Louis area and ended up being a blues musician for over a decade because of the spark that lit the fire in my heart from hearing REAL BLUES.  St Louis has been a great place to live and work as a musician because of the hard work of the volunteer DJ's former and current at KDHX.  I am deeply saddened at the actions of the current board of directors and especially the decision to fire a large portion of their most loyal staff.  Firing volunteer DJ's who made the station great with no good explanation is a horrible misstep.  I can see that the local media is reporting on this and the board of directors doesn't seem to have any good explanations.  If they were fired for lack of diversity, this is a terrible misstep (those DJs played more diverse music than I have ever heard anywhere else).  If they were fired because they disagreed with your new management and new policies including no longer performing at local events and were vocal about it, then that is also a horrible mistake.  Having a presence in the community is one of the things that makes KDHX great and I agree that the new policies are bogus.  Much of the listening public who donate also think this.   My heart is broken and I am sad and am truly worried about the future of the music scene in St Louis now because of the actions to fire the DJ's that I have come to know and love.  You have a chance to actually do the right thing morally and fiscally by admitting the missteps of management and reversing this perverse "Bold New Vision".  Rehire the DJ's you have wronged and stop the shame and humiliation you have brought to yourselves by admitting that wealthy lawyers and absentee managers have no business dictating the needs of the musical community, and there is no room for cold corporate speak in the real world where people actually live, love, work, and solve real problems.   To say that "no matter how many DJs resign in protest, we will not change course" is the worst offense of all.  If you truly TRULY believe that the station cannot work with those who attempt to actively hurt the organization, then the current management should be dismissed, and the current leader of the board should resign, because they are the two that seem to be the most vocal and causing harm to the organization.  The fact that no board members will go on the record other than empty pre-written corporate language legalese to explain why this is happening, tells me to expect the worse.  Scrubbing the official website archives of all past shows and playlists are equally abhorrent and very telling of gaslighting activities, retconning, and engaging in a revisionist history.  I believe the ultimate plan for management is to move to full corporate advertisement based sponsorship and abandon the non-profit model.  I realize this must come with some lucrative pay-outs for the ones responsible.  The second KDHX does this, I will never listen again.  How could a few dollars possibly be worth all this pain, suffering, and disrespect?  Tell me again, what is this "Bold new Vision?"  Serious question. Richie Darling Veteran Musician St. Louis resident Entrepreneur" 

,Jonathan Parker

September 24 at 5:10 PM  · I love the role that KDHX has played in and around St Louis. It has made many unique voices of this city heard and made me proud to be a part of this amazing city. It has given me the soundtrack of St Louis since I first listened and volunteered myself in 1989.    My shop, Parker’s Table, is a small business that made a big, paid-up-front, underwriting commitment to the KDHX concert calendar at the beginning of the 2023. This is something we have done as our contribution to savoring and supporting our great quality of life in St. Louis. Since that contract was signed months ago, abrupt and opaque changes have taken place at KDHX. Integrity, responsibility, honesty, and transparency are essential to the community Parker’s Table wishes to be a part of. We support diversity, equity, inclusion, and reject oppression.That is the very reason I have reached the point where I am sharing my lack of confidence in the leadership of the station as it is now. It is with a heavy heart that Parker’s Table will choose to suspend our underwriting for KDHX concert calendar until such a time that I feel that I can have confidence in the leadership of the station.  

 Pierson said the station's response was well documented. I have been keeping up with this story since the beginning, and I can find nothing but corporate speak attempting to hide behind weaponizing DEI. Taking language designed to protect against true discrimination and turning it against Tom - utter garbage on Pierson and Wells part. The sad truth is that even if they wanted to try to get a younger age audience, the people they are running off supported their station. As Frank Zappa said, "Dumb all over and a little ugly on the side." 

- Scott Watson

On the off chance that any former and/or  even current DJ see this post. Thank you! Thank you for your service, your time, love and dedication. KDHX was the go to station for diversity, good music, and DJs with a passion for what they were doing. I have so much love for what I knew KDHX to be and so much gratitude for it being such an integral part of growing up in St. Louis for me.  Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

- Nadya Chadwick

 Hello! My dad is Mark Mason “Sunny Boy.” I want to say how heart warming it is to see so many positive posts about my dad and how much he will be missed. I’m sure he has been reading them. I can with much certainty say how much this radio station means to him. He has even gone as far as saying that as much as he loves New Orleans, he doesn’t think he could leave his beloved radio show and move there. It brings him so much joy playing the music you won’t hear anywhere else. He loves having local musicians come in to promote their records or shows. I always thought my dad should have been a teacher of music history. This show was the next best thing. Hopefully, this Tuesday wasn’t his last show. 

- Sara Mason Pohl

"THE E.D. (Executive Director) HAS BEEN DRIVING THE GOOD AND KNOWLEDGEABLE OUT AND HIRING YES-MEN AND BUDDIES.

 I CAN CERTAINLY EMPATHIZE WITH TOM RAY. I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE DID THAT, BUT ANYONE WITH IDEAS OR OPINIONS ARE CONSIDERED A THREAT RATHER THAN AN ASSET.  THAT'S WHY THE STATION'S IN THE HOLE SHE DUG THE LAST FEW YEARS"    - - - FORMER EMPLOYEE              

The current leadership of KDHX, Saint Louis's Community radio station has failed to live up to the community in community radio.

Recent conflicts have shed light on the leadership's inability to adequately hear, or address the concerns of the community.   

- Anonymous

 This makes it very clear how the "Tom Ray firing" is not the central issue. It's just the straw that collapsed the camel and just the latest example in a string of equally disastrous and highly suspect moves by Kelly Wells. I read it top to bottom. Appalling is an understatement. I'm glad that people that have been quiet until now are disclosing the dysfunction under Well's reign. - Anonymous

I think the continuous references to “corporate” and “Human Resources” are misguided. As an employee relations professional for several of the largest corporations in STL and KC for the past 30+ years, there is nothing “corporate” about the statement they released. It was amateurish, petty, and stupid. If you were a paid employee, it would have greatly increased the corporation’s liability.

Furthermore, the corporate approach would be to look at impact. You get termed in corporate America because you present a risk to profits. This can include behaviors that present a liability. From the way their statement reads, it simply sounds like you pissed someone off. In a non-profit org, it seems like the profit would be replaced with donation generation. It doesn’t sound like people were canceling donations while you were on the air.

I spend most of my Mondays telling supervisors to get over it and they can’t fire someone because they feel disrespected.

-Anonymous

Tom, my name is Jesse Lopez and I’m the co-creator with Dion Brown, and former host of Sittin on the porch jam at the National Blues Museum It’s been about 5 years since this started and I wanted you to know I had so much encouragement from Dion, Jackie,Terry Dave and I too was a volunteer I had to step down from my battle with Parkinson’s disease In five years I can count on one hand the number of times I had missed We didn’t get paid and I didn’t want to You’re iconic and because you aren’t there they can’t take away what matters most, the memories you’ve created for me and this town! For this I thank you! 

Forever grateful Jesse Lopez.

I searched to find the KDHX by-laws both on the station website and Google but came up empty handed. For what it's worth I did find this comparison of listener supported stations: http://home.pon.net/wildrose/analysis.htm
NOTE: KDHX rated a C-.

- Greg Bernard

Joan Bray and Paul Dever need to go as well. They are the ones that are holding Kelly Wells up. They will just install another corporate minded person who knows nothing about the STL music scene and it's history. Kelly Wells is a symptom.

John Parker

The loss of so many donors speaks volumes, if that doesn't get her fired I don't know what will!

- Lori Miller

Tom's legacy of immersion into the greater community and the music he loves is impossible to tarnish. Self-defeating management fads come and go; genuine passion and commitment just becomes more and more legendary.

- Steve Carosello

I am another longtime listener - 15 yrs, ever since we moved to STL and while unpacking boxes heard a radio station playing Bulgarian folk music. It was like, wow is that cool stuff? If they play that, what else do they play? And I never changed the channel since. Regular donor over the years, KDHX DJs have been constant companions in our cars, our kitchen, our living room. Now to see such an extraordinary cultural institution devastated so quickly by such unprofessional, such imbecilic acts of vanity and narcissism, is mind-boggling. How can I possibly send in money during this fund drive when management has shown they have no idea how to manage the funds - and the public trust - that the already had? We will miss KDHX, both the music and the 'friends' who have provided the soundtrack to our St Louis lives.  

- Matthew G.

My open letter to KDHX (talk@slpr.org request for information). #kdhx4stl:

To Whom it May Concern,

As a long-time listener, contributor, and friend to long-time programmers, I am genuinely concerned about the “leadership” decisions of KDHX. As an HR guy, I can attest to how difficult it is to find stability and balance without first establishing a culture of  equity. It needs to come from the top down, and then become integrated completely into the grain of the organization. This requires policy, procedure, constant training, and progressive discipline. Establishing this type of culture takes a lot of methodical work…

360 degree feedback surveys/campaigns (both internal and external community) are crucial from the get-go for the following:
Set goals and get buy-in.
Collect the relevant data.
Analyze the data.
Take actions to remediate equity issues.
Routinely monitor equity.
To establish buy-in with the following policies, procedures the feedback must be applied to policies and constant training initiatives for the following to establish an equitable culture:
Volunteering/job structures.
Recruitment and hiring of volunteers.
Benefits or privileges.
Orientation and onboarding.
Supervision and mentoring.
Training and development.
Performance assessment and feedback.
Progressive discipline.
Resources and support.
Strengths.
Opportunities.
Threats.
Weaknesses.
Separations.
I’m guessing this wasn’t done from the beginning, followed, and performed by leadership. Now the years of mismanagement are coming to a head and looking for a quick fix. You can’t work backward into a process, and then blame the people for your mistakes from never having an equity-creating process to begin with. It doesn’t work that way. It’s why it’s blowing up in your faces. You need to take yourself out of the equation, and replace yourselves with knowledgeable and trained leadership, who gets their guidance from organizations like SHRM, etc. That is the humble, and right thing to do. Thanks for listening to me.

- Jon Feraro
Formerly of Feraro’s Pizza, STL

I am only a former donor and member, so perhaps my opinions cannot possibly be measured by the same standard as those who work ( ed ) and volunteered there However, my one and only encounter with this person made quite a negative impression upon me lasting until even today. I’ve been all over this country and checked out the local and regional public radio stations as I’ve traveled. None…0… could match the diversity, breadth and depth of music offered, nor the artful knowledge given with passion by the staff and DJ’s. To see that diadem of public trust, entertainment, as well as education chipped away and reduced seems tragic and plainly just wrong. The current management seems to be creating a very bad radio reality show. I’m afraid poor ratings will soon follow.

- Jordan Jump

"As a former longtime volunteer DJ said to me, 'KDHX is no longer a community station'. It is currently a closed system 'non profit' with bylaws which makes Ms. Wells only accountable to a board she has hand picked."  

- Anonymous

Hello,  

  My wife and I are life-long listeners and regular supporters of KDHX.

We have recently established a revokable trust including a portion to be donated to support KDHX.

  We will however be temporarily suspending our gift in light of the current management problems as exemplified by the recent firing of founding member Tom Ray, and others. Also the by-law changes and donor member listeners being marginalized with no voice on anything  related to our beloved public radio station.

Kelly Wells has positioned herself as the ruling entity backed by a 50% reduced board, that lacks effective input. 

This all needs to be addressed with a new donor member approved board and leadership. 

All should be made transparent and revised by-laws to ensure

the future and growth of the station, and it's integral place in our community.  

 When we see progress along these lines the donation will be reinstated.  

We do not seek to harm KDHX, But rather to get it back on the tracks. 

All programmer volunteers need to be given the respect and voice they used to have.  

Sorry Kelly, but your approach of isolation management isn't working.  After all, it is a public organization.

- Jeff Miller, Chesterfield, MO

It’s a Community Radio station. Listeners are or should be part of the community. There have been several protests about this ridiculous firing. The community is protesting, yet we are ignored. I’ve never heard of firing a professional that has volunteered services for over 35 years. This is just a personal hit job. They are now having their Spring Fundraiser. I’m sending them a note about what I would have donated but since I’m not part of their community, I will donate elsewhere from now on. I’ve chosen our Blues Museum.

- Dee Shoaff Barnett

KDHX may never have had a studio without Tom Ray. In 1988, he cosigned the loan that allowed the station to purchase the 3504 Magnolia building, which was the station's studio for many years.

- Eric Von Schrader

This is so messed up... so much has come to light in recent years about the horrible higher-ups at KDHX and yet what it is supposed to be is amazing. there really isnt any other station in the country like it anymore and i fear if we dont support it we will lose it but at the same time how can we support it after all this comes out?

Jonny Xacto

 I am fortunate to know Tom Ray and his wife Laura Roodman-Ray.  Two wonderful people who have helped make St. Louis home.  Tom is a first rate ambassador of the St. Louis music scene and has helped my music knowledge significantly.  I cannot see what he did after 35 years that would warrant such poor treatment of a KDHX mainstay.  My support of this station started when I met Tom and it ended with his last episode.  Better musical seas await you sir! 

- Scott Watson

I believe everything happens for a reason. This too shall pass and you will have the victory. I have also experienced bad management and witnessed power in the hands of the wrong people. And you're absolutely right this is destructive behavior and destroys public support and public opinion. I'm glad you're calling them out. By doing so the earned support will land exactly where it is supposed to. Love to you Tom Ray.

- Kathy Slifkoff

So sad when something that should be so great like an actual community radio station gets ruined by people on a power trip. Some people just ruin things for everyone. Shame!

- Melissa Bedrock 

It happens across community radio without fail, it's happened/happening here. Those people suck and they have infiltrated OUR airwaves! Those People DO NOT know music, Those People DO NOT know the market. Those People KNOW a MODEL. You can ask Tom, I used to be a people-person, people ruined that for me. Love ya Papa, KDHX you're dead to me!

- Keith Abel

I'd easily be able to Remind him (Gary Pierson) that he's never been hated by anyone as much as by the mother of two kids who he has been instrumental in destroying as a board member of Clayton High School.
The crimes are so serious there I'm talking to federal law enforcement.
The worst of that began 4 years ago and is still happening.
So he humors himself to think he isn't reviled by many in other arenas.
He's an equal opportunity asshole. Shares his stupidity and destruction wherever he goes.

- Julia Williams

A most unhappy email I just sent:

Hello, I am officially requesting the cancellation of my monthly donations to KDHX. Please cancel my monthly credit card draws, and destroy my payment information securely as soon as possible.
It pains me to cancel my support for an organization created to support a cause I believe in so strongly: the power of music independently bringing people together. However, when that organization shows that it has clearly lost its way, betrays the values that made it great, and is abusive and exclusionary to those that make the organization possible, it becomes apparent that financial support is no longer justifiable. While the causes behind this may be debatable, the results are clear. With a glad-handing board of directors, a silencing of volunteers and a mandated community relations board, and the active abuse, neglect and pernicious treatment of those that make the organization great, KDHX's leadership has shown it is incompetent and unable to professionally, successfully move the station forward.
I have no illusions that my modest support will be injurious on its own, but I hope that the cancers damaging the organization can be removed in time to prevent more damage. I look forward to supporting an organization that will once again align with its goals.

Sincerely,

Sad. Very sad.

I am withdrawing my financial support to KDHX until the Board changes.
I have been a financial supporter for 30 years.
Don Zygmund 

 "The community has been taken out of the community radio station, by a very devious self-serving station manager. She has pursued re-writing of the station bylaws to have all decisions controlled by her, with a rubber stamp board. A malicious Karen..." 

- Anonymous

Yes, thank you for sharing. For now, KDHX is no longer an option for our household. This smacks for someone trying to re-org that station for a transition into a "regular" radio station or perhaps something with more "unique" programming. Right now, this is a mis-use of the public airwaves.

-Marcy Epps Watson

There’s always something to discover from KDHX that’s for sure

Kelly you opened up the flood gates & now you’re gonna get wet.

- Anonymous

 When I first moved to St.Louis in 2015 ( from Houston Tx) KDHX was a breath of fresh air. Real music !!! I listened every day. With the changes in programming that have occurred I no longer listen to the station at all. What a shame. I guess I’m just going to miss such great cultural programs such as Tibetan Throat Singing that I expect will soon be the norm . St Louis is a music city , world renowned for promoting our cultural and historical musical contributions to the world of music. Those days are apparently done and I’ll soon pass from this world, as we all. I’m not a professional writer so it’s hard for me to express myself without my guitar in hand ( professional musician as in I’ve made my living for my entire adult life) ! Oh well… It was a great station while it lasted. All Things Must Pass.  

Sincerely, John McVey 

 KDHX is taking itself down right before our eyes. The board & Wells have a fervid desire to destroy the station by flouting their idiocy every time they issue a statement defending the indefensible.      Tony Patti

Tom - I miss your show. Learned a lot of new music from you. I actually bought 2 records for my first time. My mom gave me some money for my 7th birthday in August 1977 and I bought Kiss Love Gun and KC & the Sunshine Band’s self titled album at the Venture Store in Cave Springs, St. Peters. 

As a former writer at KDHX and seeing what, I consider a mentor, another staff member went through in the wake of Wells assuming her position, I’ve been wanting to take to social media to write about my decision to not be involved. With you being let go made me feel the same as when Bob Reuter passed. Hope to hear you on the airwaves soon with you Blues and Soul Patrol…

Jason Warren

This is so disheartening , but it seems that it’s also not unusual. Our “college” /public broadcast station here in LA , KCRW, once run by volunteers etc. turned into exactly what you described years ago. Sadly, the people who take the biggest hits are the small community of people who where there in the beginning, building what they thought would be a future. Good people who genuinely loved music. I am sorry. I guess greed and ego have no bounds.
Thanks for all your hard work , and bringing so much love into a community. Perhaps that is the biggest gift.

- Nancy Hunt

I have to say I’m floored at this “ride out the discontent” approach. It feels incredibly disempowering and stifling of the community. 

I wonder if in addition to a list of questions/expectations for leadership, a timeline would be helpful. It could include things like “we ask for a response by X date”. It could also include things like “if dialogue is not opened our next courses of action will be:”
If they continue the approach of silence maybe some options could be to start reaching out to sponsors/underwriters explaining that we encourage them to hold their underwriting pending a change of leadership, etc.
I would be very clear that every step is an invitation for engagement and long-term support, *not* an effort to soil relationships with the community nor funders…. But at the same time being clear about boundaries and expectations.

- Em Piro

The response by Wells to the Riverfront Times was a classic construct of organizational buzzwords fleshed out with what I recognize as mumblefuck. Count yr blessings, TRR, and go build yourself a gig of your own making, free from all that nonsense.

- Eric Oliver Tomlinson