WKXL - New Hampshire Talk Radio

Jody Underwood, Ph.D of EdOpt.org breaks down their work to help New Hampshire families find the right school and education choices for their children, from home school to so much more.

Well, it's taken a very long time to get The Village Players of Wolfeboro into the studio, but, dang it we finally did it! Paul Stewart the President and Stefanie Marsh the Treasurer make the trip in to chat about all things VP. We got into the history, past productions, current productions (especially Sweeny Todd), auditions, how seasons are chosen, their beautiful theater in beautiful downtown Wolfeboro and a heck of a lot more!

It's Friday, which means the Friday Fun Bunch is in the WKXL Studios! Ken Cail interviews Tom Raffio, President & CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, Ellen Raffio, and Kitty Rae the OFFICIAL “Flick Chick."

This week on Facing the Future, Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, explained why he believes the U. S. economy is edging closer to a recession, led by the negative impacts of higher tariffs and restrictive immigration policies. He also weighed-in on the dangers of runaway debt.

Maria Callas is the subject of today's Artful Living series, "American Icons". You don't want to miss this episode discussing the woman who changed the face of opera!

Thursday we learned of the many manufacturing jobs available throughout New Hampshire from Roy VanGemert, Jr. who is the Development Manager of New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership. N.H.M.E.P will be holding a job fair on Monday, August 18 from 4:30-7:30 at Manchester Community College on Front Street in Manchester. For more information log onto www.nhmep.org

Today's guest was celebrity dwarf comedian Brad Williams! Calling in from CA Brad wanted to talk about his upcoming shows Aug. 8th at the Capitol Center for the Arts."Pound for pound, Williams is one of the funniest comedian in the country right now and has taken the comedy world by storm with sold out concerts across the U.S. and Australia along with numerous comedy specials with his most recent being Starfish. In September, Brad will be seen in the movie Spinal Tap II: The End Continues and if this is not enough, there is also the entrepreneurial side to Brad – he has just come out with a hot sauce called DEATH BY DWARF. His high energy live performances frequently produce standing ovations from audience members; which prompted the late Robin Williams to call him “Prozac with a head.”

A variety of topics brought to the table on Wednesday's program. Included among them, legal trouble for California Democrat Adam Schiff, the “marriage” between the NFL and Disney and the recent success of the Boston Red Sox and New Hampshire Fisher Cats. We were joined by Fisher Cats broadcaster Chris Jared who discussed the ‘Cats current winning streak despite the loss of several key performers who were traded away by their parent club, the Toronto Blue Jays.

Today, Veronica talks about alternatives to screen time and goes over some of the outdoor family fun that can be had this summer that both kids and adults can enjoy!

Today on Artful Living we discuss the world of professional wrestling and the passing of Hulk Hogan with our friend and longtime Hulk Hogan fan Ken Demers. Hope you can join us!

The first Tuesday of the month means a visit from the New Hampshire Insurance Department. The Department's Supervisor for Property and Casualty Compliance, LuAnne King, was with us to discuss the fire coverage that is included in our home owners and apartment dwellers insurance policies. Luanne King recently hosted a webinar with the New Hampshire Fire Marshal's office where it was disclosed that the state averages 1,063 home fires each year. Among the topics of discussion on today's program, what sort of measures should be taken to make sure you are prepared for a worst-case scenario.

Monday's show covered a wide variety of topics from Nancy Mace announcing her candidacy for Governor of South Carolina to National Chocolate Cookie Day which is today. Correspondent John Leahy joined us to discuss the surging Boston Red Sox, the Patriots and their first pre-season game this week against Washington plus John's visit to Concord this Wednesday to perform on the Bank of New Hampshire Stage.

Old Orchard Beach has an officer detained by ICE, the Chinese mafia is buying up Maine property for illegal cannabis grows, and we have to talk about Sydney Sweeney and her American Eagle jeans. A. J. Kierstead is joined by Dexter Tarbox and The Maine Wire's Steve Robinson.

Today was a field trip day! Headed to the campus of the Peterborough Players to do an onsite cast interview for their upcoming production of “Native Gardens”. From their site: "Native Gardens is a high-spirited Horti-Culture Clash by Karen Zacarías.  Melissa Crespo will be directing the comedy.  Pablo, a high-powered lawyer, and doctoral candidate Tania, his very pregnant wife, are realizing the American dream when they purchase a house next door to community stalwarts Virginia and Frank. But a disagreement over a long-standing fence line soon spirals into an all-out war of taste, class, and horticulture. The hilarious results guarantee that no one comes out smelling like a rose.” Tickets can found here.

It's Friday, which means the Friday Fun Bunch is in the WKXL Studios! Ken Cail interviews Tom Raffio, President & CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, Ellen Raffio, and Kitty Rae the OFFICIAL “Flick Chick."

This week on Facing the Future, we looked at the financial challenges facing Social Security and Medicare with Jessica Riedl of the Manhattan Institute. She explained why these programs add to budget deficits despite the misperception that they are self-financing.

The American Musical will be our theme on Artful Living. Join Jane as we discuss the history of this innately American artform.

Dan Weed of Weed Family Automotive in Concord joined us on Thursday's program to discuss the ramifications of New Hampshire's elimination of the yearly motor vehicle inspection program which will officially end on January 31 of 2026. Dan talked of his plans to implement a non-state sanctioned vehicle check that would be unveiled to his customers prior to the termination of the current program.

Todays guest is Jordan Reeves from The Barnstormers in Tamworth. "The Barnstormers Theatre is premiering a brand-new play this month — “Front Row to Murder,” a cozy, comedic murder mystery inspired by Agatha Christie and written by longtime Barnstormer Jordan Reeves. It opens July 24 and runs through August 2. Directed by Blair Hundertmark and featuring a cast of professional actors, the play is both a love letter to theatre and a fun nod to the Tamworth community, which was directly involved in the development process. In fact, Jordan hosted feedback sessions at the local library to help shape the final script.”

It was another "One Hit Wonder Wednesday" on the show. Co-hosting today was Merrimack County Recruiter Emily Gagnon who brought back some great memories from Vicki Lawrence to Living Color and a number of terrific performers and groups in between. Emily also supplied some fun and intriguing backstories of the songs she selected.

Today Veronica has a very informative conversation with Malissa Blasdell of Blasdell Bodycare. They discuss the making of organically sourced skin care products, and the importance of knowing what we put on our bodies.

Join Jane on Artful Living as she discusses some of the special events happening all over the state of New Hampshire in the month of August. 

Tuesday's topics on the program were numerous. Included among them, the tragic shooting Monday on Park Avenue in New York City which killed four people, a clubhouse confrontation between Bryce Harper of the Phillies and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred over the possibility of a salary cap in MLB, the names of this year's potential Atlantic Hurricanes, the removal Deion Sanders' cancerous bladder and the death of baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.

A wide-ranging program on Monday from baseball to professional wrestling to the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. We were joined by our correspondent John Leahy to talk about the Red Sox' weekend and the legacy of the late wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan who is credited to bringing his genre of sports-entertainment into the mainstream. In addition we had a visit from Kate Saunders, the Executive Director of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. Kate previewed the 92nd Annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen's Fair which starts Saturday at Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire and runs through Sunday, August 10. For more information it's www.nhcrafts.org

The Writers' Den ends its inaugural season with a deep conversation about the process of writing. Masheri Chappelle is not only the host of The Writers' Den and the Chair of NHWP, she is also a professional Story Guide, who uses her intuitive ability to guide authors to create their authentic literary voice. Join Masheri and author Dan Pouliot as they discuss literary tools, techniques, and the writing process.

Today's show is about the upcoming Ovation TC production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and our guests were Meg Gore (AD), Katy Gore (choreographer), Debrah Hernandez (Esmeralda) and Jillian Mastroberte (Gargoyle)."Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame showcases the film's Academy Award-nominated score, as well as new songs by Menken and Schwartz. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame who longs to be "Out There," observes all of fifteenth-century Paris reveling in the Feast of Fools.” Tickets can be purchased: https://ovation.ludus.com/index.php

It's Friday, which means the Friday Fun Bunch is in the WKXL Studios! Ken Cail interviews Tom Raffio, President & CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, Ellen Raffio, and Kitty Rae the OFFICIAL “Flick Chick."

This week on Facing the Future, Molly Reynolds of the Brookings Institution talks about the possibility of a government shutdown in the fall and whether the spending power is shifting away from Congress toward the executive branch.

Today on Artful Living is Ted Talk day! Jane Cormier will bring our listeners short discussions on choosing joy in our daily lives and how to deal with stress in positive ways! Hope you can join us.

It was an OLLI Thursday on the program as we were joined in studio by Tori Berube, the Program Manager for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNH. The registration period for OLLI's Fall registration for courses begins on August 4. Also with us Thursday were OLLI presenters Paul Brogan of Concord and Patricia Nicolino of Portsmouth. Paul and Patricia outlined the course they will be involved with this Fall and told us about their introductions to the OLLI volunteer based educational program.

Todays guest was Emma Cahoon. Emma stops by to chat up tKapow's first show of their 18th season. From their own marketing: "theatre KAPOW and Ballet Misha bring to life the greatest love story and most epic tragedy of all time. Seven actors and sixteen dancers lay their scene in fair Verona in this fresh and physical reimagining of Shakespeare's transcendent play. Featuring musical selections from Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet ballet and performed on the beautiful green space in front of the iconic Alumni Hall at Saint Anselm College.” it opened July 18th and continues this weekend July 24,25,26.

Wednesday we paid tribute to the “Godfather of Heavy Metal”, Ozzy Osbourne, who died Tuesday at the age of 76. New Hampshire Fisher Cats broadcaster Chris Jared joined us to preview today's matinee at Delta Dental Stadium and the remainder of the homestand. Plus we learned that old fashioned pay phones are returning to rural areas in Vermont where cell service is limited but this time, the calls are free!

Veronica flys solo today talking about the use of AI in our society as it pertains to health, entertainment, and everything in between.

Today Artful Living will highlight the life and music of the great German composer, Johannes Brahms. We hope you join us for this wonderful telling of his life and listen to some of his incredible work.

Tuesday we welcomed back our correspondent John Leahy to discuss THE most bizarre finish to a Major League Baseball game in about 54 years. It took place Monday night in Philadelphia. Other topics on Tuesday included higher energy bills for many customers in New Hampshire, the departure of a Kraft from the Patriots' front office and the celebration of National Hammock Day!

It was a Medicare Monday on the program. Christian and Larissa Troy from Woodpecker Insurance in Concord joined us in studio to discuss all things Medicare. The focus of Monday's show was reviewing the Annual Enrollment Period from October 15-December 7. We also discussed some Medicare phone scams that have taken place and emphasized the importance of face to face meetings with licensed Medicare agents.

It's Friday, which means the Friday Fun Bunch is in the WKXL Studios! Ken Cail interviews Tom Raffio, President & CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, Ellen Raffio, and Kitty Rae the OFFICIAL “Flick Chick." We were also joined by special guest Chris Brown!

This week on Facing the Future, former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels joined us to discuss the need to develop contingency plans for a fiscal crisis in the U.S. that he sees as increasingly probable.

Stephen Foster was the Father of American music. On Artful Living today, we will learn about Stephen Foster and hear some of his beautiful songs! Hope you will join us.

Thursday's program was eclectic and eccentric as we discussed the World Atlas' list of New Hampshire's Nine Most Eccentric Towns. New Hampshire Fisher Cats broadcaster Chris Jared joined us to talk about the Cats once again playing as the N.H. Space Potatoes. That game will be Friday night at 7 against Binghamton at Delta Dental Stadium. Also on Thursday's show, the possibility of the elimination of limited liquids through TSA checkpoints for air travelers.

Wednesday marked our monthly “Small Business Matters” segment in association with the U.S. Small Business Administration, N.H. District Office in Concord. Our guests on the program were Nick Gray, Founder of the Gray Property Group with modernized rentals in the Manchester area and on the seacoast of New Hampshire and Erik Lesniak, Liaison for the City of Manchester's Economic Development Office. Among the topics were the availability of affordable housing in New Hampshire and the revitalization of Manchester over the past several years.

On todays show Veronica chats with Marty Hendricks, the founder of SUPERHUMAN podcast, where he talks a lot about health and tech in our everyday lives.

We are going to listen to Ol Time Radio today on Artful Living, with the Charles Dickens novel/play, "Great Expectations". Join us and enjoy this Dickens classic!

On “National Give Something Away Day” we complied by awarding a pair of passes to the Whale's Tale water park in Lincoln, New Hampshire which we will continue to do all week. It was a potpourri kind of Tuesday as we looked back at Monday's historic Home Run Derby won by Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners. Tonight's 95th Major League Baseball All Star Game in Atlanta was previewed and also mentioned, an award-winning ESPN documentary called “Southpaw” which chronicles the life and career of the most remarkable baseball player ever, Jim Abbott.

Monday's show featured correspondent John Leahy as we discussed the current 10-game winning streak of the Boston Red Sox entering baseball's All Star break. Baseball's trading deadline is set for July 31 and we talked about several scenarios prior to that date that the Sox may consider. Sunday's start of the MLB was also one of our Monday topics with Pinkerton Academy's Liam Doyle being selected fifth by the St. Louis Cardinals, the highest New Hampshire pick since Carlton Fisk in 1967. In addition, we paid tribute to one of America's favorites on National Mac & Cheese Day.

We focus a lot on entertainment on this radio/podcast but what good is it if you can't experience the entertainment? Amy Evans, board member of NHhears.org, graciously comes by to talk about hearing loss in this day and age. And she came armed with stats, technology currently being used and the evolution of that technology going forward. Red River Theatre is one example of some of the cutting edge tech being employed in theaters. They have something called “The Loop” that aids in assisting those with difficulty hearing. Fascinating stuff actually and we in the entertainment industry should perk up because we want to entertain everyone not just the healthy!

It's Friday, which means the Friday Fun Bunch is in the WKXL Studios! Ken Cail interviews Tom Raffio, President & CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, Ellen Raffio, and Kitty Rae the OFFICIAL “Flick Chick."

This week on Facing the Future, Jim Capretta of the American Enterprise Institute digs into the 2025 Medicare Trustees Report. Then he explains why the federal budget rules are deepening societal differences.

Today Jane chats with Susan Riedl of Capital Art Therapy about the programs they provide, why they are so important, and much more. Join us for this thoughtful discussion!

We covered all the bases on a Thursday edition of the program. New Hampshire Fisher Cats broadcaster Chris Jared joined to talk about the Cats representative in this Saturday's “Futures Game” in Atlanta, pitcher Trey Yesavage, the Toronto Blue Jays first round pick in 2024. Also on the docket, New Hampshire legislation passed earlier this week allowing “social districts” in the state that would allow alcohol to be consumed in designated areas outside of their establishments. That option is subject to approval by cities and towns around the state. The law will go into effect on September 5.

Well it's summertime and we (okay I) decided to try a little more laid back approach to the show. Introducing “Quad Intro Music”! I felt that it was time to start introducing some of the songs and artists that I reference to the listeners in a longer version. For some it's a new music find and to others it's a time to reminisce. So each block starts with a song from wayyyy back followed by me chatting about the summer theater scene in NH. Companies mentioned are The Barnstormers, The Peterborough Players, The Winnipesaukee Playhouse, Powerhouse Collaborative and The Village Players. Oh and songs from Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show.