WISE — In the past two years, Heather Evans has had plenty of side commentary gigs while teaching political science at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
On Thursday, that commentary becomes a regular weekly job as Evans takes to the airwaves and streaming with her own radio show.
Evans hosts “Red, White, and Confused,” starting Thursday at 6 p.m. on Emory & Henry College’s WEHC 90.7 FM.
Evans said the concept for a radio show came together earlier this summer when she attended a League of Women Voters meeting and sat next to retired Emory & Henry communications professor and radio host Teresa Keller.
“(Keller) mentioned she hosted her own show on WEHC where she talked with a range of people in the community, including people involved in politics,” Evans said. “It became a conversation where we talked about what such a program focused on politics would look like, and I was offered my own show.”
While the show came together over the summer, Evans said it has its roots in a course, Media and Politics, that she taught at Sam Houston State University in Texas before coming to UVA Wise.
“Dan Rather is a Sam Houston alumnus, and we had a studio there named after him,” Evans said. “We were working with a mass communications professor there to develop a television show on politics, and the students in my class were working on developing the show and coming up with topics and guest lists.”
The communications professor left before the television show became reality, Evans said, but her students were able to gain experience and to develop podcasts.
The name of Evans’ new radio show comes from what she has seen in society while appearing as a television and radio commentator on national and regional politics.
“The ‘Confused’ part of “Red, White and Confused” comes from what seems like a lot of confusion about what’s legal in government,” Evans said. “I hope to help people understand better how government works and what it can do.”
The opening show starts with a timely topic — COVID-19 — and Evans has assembled a three-state guest panel. UVA Wise nursing professor Miranda Cashio, King University professor and former CIA staffer Gale Helt and professor Andrew Sanders from Texas A&M University San Antonio will talk about how their respective states and governors have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I have a lot of friends involved in politics too. We’re going to be able to talk about everything about local, state and national politics,” Evans said.
“Red, White and Confused” appears Thursdays at 6 p.m. on WEHC-FM and will be available for streaming and podcasts at the station’s website, https://www.ehc.edu/wehc/
