About2002

When Lambda Weekly debuted on Dallas community radio station 89.3 KNON-FM in 1983, it was one of the first radio shows in the country providing news, information and interviews of interest to the gay and lesbian community. Presenting the broad spectrum of gay and lesbian life has included memorable events such as broadcasting live from the 1993 March on Washington, DC and from the top of a roller coaster at Gay Day at Six Flags Over Texas, interviewing community leaders about the latest AIDS fundraiser and speaking with the creators of Greater Tuna (who say they are regular listeners when performing in town).

Bill Nelson, the show's first host, left in 1985 to run for Dallas City Council. The Nelson-Tebedo Clinic in Oak Lawn (a predominantly gay neighborhood in Dallas) was named after Mr. Nelson and his life partner, Terry Tebedo after their deaths in the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Alonso Duralde, now the artistic director of the USA Film Festival, was one of the hosts from 1985 to 1991. Steve Walters-Dearmond with David Taffet hosted the show since 1991 and Dallas psychologist Kathy L. Tipps, Ph.D. joined them in 1995. Steve left the show in November, 1999 and Kathy decided to return to more personal interests in mid 2000.

The current hosts come from diverse backgrounds: Mr. Taffet is a business owner and former Dallas Gay & Lesbian Alliance vice president; Lerone Landis come to LW with a background in radio. Patti Fink currently works for healthcare software company and serves as co-chair for the National Coming Out Project: Dallas-Ft.Worth, among other activist duties; webmaster and occasional guest-host Mike Hathaway serves on the board of a local video production and entertainment company.

Operating within KNON's mission to "empower the disenfranchised" of the DFW metroplex, Lambda Weekly seeks to educate the general radio listening public and to empower the gay and lesbian community. The show also strives to present the most up-to-date information about HIV/AIDS as it affects everyone ... gay, straight, female, male, adult or child.

Among its accomplishments, Lambda Weekly lists some radio firsts and exclusives:

The only live local coverage of the 1993 March on Washington, DC

The only live local coverage of the 1994 March on Austin, Texas

Annual live coverage of Oak Lawn Community Services' AIDS LifeWalk by reporters walking the route

The only live coverage of From All Walks of Life in Ft. Worth, Texas

Annual live coverage of the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade

Chastity Bono's first live radio interview - as a Gay Rights advocate

The only local live coverage of Candace Gingrich's appearance at National Coming Out Day at the Great State Fair of Texas including her announcement of the name change for the Human Rights Campaign the day before the national announcement

Dallas City Councilman Craig McDaniel's first radio interview

The only live coverage of "The Bus Ride Through East Texas" and the anti-gay melee in Gilmer, Texas which was later reported by national news outlets

Over the years, Lambda Weekly has presented interviews with a variety of guests from local community leaders to the famous and near famous. A sampling includes the following personalities:

Dallas' first openly-gay City Councilmember Craig McDaniel; Chris Luna, another Councilmember who came out during his second term

Local community leaders: John Thomas and Charles Domingues, the first and second executive directors of The Foundation For Human Understanding; Terry Stone, former executive director of Oak Lawn Community Services; Eve Campbell of The Women's Chorus of Dallas; Cliff Redd, executive director of The 500, Inc.

Texas' first openly gay State Representative, Glenn Maxey

National community leaders: David Mixner, Donna Redwing, Evan Wolfson, Torri Osborn, and Dixon Osborne

Entertainers: The Turtle Creek Chorale, singers Kirk Edens and LaDonna Goetz, gay comedian Paul J. Williams, drummer Cubby O'Brien (an original Mousketeer), pianist Michael Feinstein, actor Alan Sues (Laugh In), Olympic gymnast and actress Cathy Rigby (Peter Pan), producer Breck Wall (The Bottoms Up Revue), movie producer Kelli Herd (It's In The Water) and Olympic diver and actor/author Greg Louganis (Jeffrey)

Authors: Dan Woog, Karen Bernstein, Christopher Bram, Marilyn Alexander, John Gill, Ruthann Robson, Dariek Scott and Scott Peck

The casts of Angels In America, Parts 1 and 2, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, Beauty and The Beast and Quidam: Cirque du Soleil and dozens of other local and national theatre casts.

Lambda Weekly programming consists of local news, Women's Issues, the weekly calendar, music by gay and gay-friendly artists, the international GLBT news magazine This Way Out and humorous segments like "Those Darn Heterosexuals", originally inspired by the Lorena Bobbitt episode. To program only one hour a week (Sunday at 1:00 PM), the volunteer hosts spend much of the week researching all forms of media from print to the Internet.

Lambda Weekly listeners may interact with the show through a comment/fax line at (972) 463-9045 and through email at lambdaweekly@aol.com.

Join us each Sunday from 1 - 2 p.m. for Lambda Weekly, gay and lesbian radio for North Texas only on The Voice of the People, KNON 89.3 FM.