Channel 9 Launches In the Loop, a New Weekly Community and Minority Affairs Show 
Taped on Location in the Loop, the Innovative Program Will Offer a Fresh Perspective on Local Issues and Community Leaders 

St. Louis - March 22 - KETC announced today the launch of a new weekly program entitled In the Loop, which will air at 9 p.m. on Fridays beginning April 12. The show immediately follows the timely news digest NOW With Bill Moyers. Hosted by Alvin Reid, editor of the St. Louis American, and Jim Kirchherr, senior producer at KETC, the program will offer the St. Louis region a fresh perspective on a variety of community and minority affairs topics and issues.

From its unique shooting location to the diverse lineup of guests, the program promises to be unlike any other local public affairs show. In the Loop will cover a broad range of community issues by interviewing guests with diverse viewpoints, ethnic backgrounds and experiences. 

The famous restaurant Blueberry Hill, located in the Loop neighborhood of University City, provides a casual and dynamic setting for the show. As the hosts, Reid and Kirchherr will address topics ranging from downtown revitalization to the growth of new cultural influences on our region. Joining the two hosts at their regular table will be politicians, athletes, authors, artists, activists and others, many of whom are dealing with ethnic and minority topics. 

"This show is a little edgier than what we've done before," says KETC's executive producer Patrick Murphy. "We'll be tapping into the contacts and resources we've cultivated from years of being St. Louis' top producer of insightful and educational local programming, from Decades to St. Louis Chronicles. The issues that face the region are so important that it's crucial to have a show that engages an audience."

The initial lineup of guests on the show include Melanie Adams, president of Metropolis; Gilberto Pinela, head of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; talk show host Lizz Brown from WGNU; and Jeffrey Bonner, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo.

"We wanted a setting that would encourage guests to open up a little," says Kirchherr, who co-hosts the program with Reid. "We sat down and said, 'Who would you like to sit around after work and talk about things with?'" Kirchherr explains. Whoever passes that litmus test could become a guest on In the Loop. Although an official spokesperson may sneak in, more likely, says Kirchherr, guests will be headline makers and "always someone making a difference."

 "The beauty of this show is that we can bring on anyone who has an interesting story to tell," adds Reid. He likes to encourage guests to reveal their sense of humor during interviews, in keeping with the casual nature of the show. Reid helped launch Gannett's USA Today Baseball Weekly, and has also worked for Commerce magazine and Emerge magazine. 

In the Loop tapes on Mondays while Blueberry Hill continues to serve patrons. Restaurant servers, pedestrians on the sidewalk and Bi-State buses are all part of the fabric that enliven the set. Murphy says that the excitement generated by moving the production "literally into the community" infuses everyone, from the technical crew to the hosts, with energy. "Jim and Alvin work so well together," Murphy says.

Reid and Kirchherr agree. "We have natural chemistry," says Reid. "He's an easygoing guy, I'm an easygoing guy," Kirchherr adds. "We both know St. Louis pretty well, but not from the same point of view. The key is, we bring different perspectives even to issues on which we agree."