Community radio station KOPN in Columbia, Mo., has hired Miquel Calçada as GM.
Calçada has worked in broadcasting for more than 30 years, according to a station release. A native of Catalonia, Spain, Calçada hosted the first live TV talk show in the country and went on to host other public TV shows. He later established and sold two commercial radio stations.
Calçada then completed graduate degrees in public administration and international relations at Syracuse University before returning to Barcelona, where he was commissioner of Catalonia’s tricentennial celebration.
“Calçada’s interest in KOPN stemmed from his research into public and community radio in the US,” according to the release. “One thing led to another and eventually he found his way to KOPN and Columbia.”
“Since relocating to the US three years ago, I have been fascinated by the public media model here, particularly by the community radio paradigm,” Calçada said in the release. “Its whole raison d’être is to serve the local community, in multiple ways. If this type of radio were not useful to our diverse community, KOPN would have faded away long ago. And yet here we are, about to celebrate our 50th anniversary. The opportunity to help KOPN celebrate its 50th year in a new location was an important motivation for me to come to Columbia.”
KOPN plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year in new studios after moving out of its original home, which is in an upstairs location. “A property search and early-stage planning are underway to move the station from its home of 48 years to a location where everyone, regardless of physical limitation, can participate,” the station said.