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Meet the Radio Staff

Director of Radio Ann Alquist  joined Prairie Public in 2024. Ann Alquist has more than 20 years of experience innovating public media from Alaska to Rhode Island. Before coming to Prairie Public, Ann co-led an initiative for energy independent radio for southeastern Alaska, building renewable energy sources to power translators for KCAW Sitka in the remotest parts of the North Pacific. A year-round bicycle commuter, she appreciates a flat landscape. 

News Director Dave Thompson has been saying good morning to public radio listeners in North Dakota since 1981, and under his watch, Prairie Public’s radio service has won more than 150 awards for news reporting. Dave is a native of Bismarck, and his hobbies are karaoke, bowling, karaoke, music collecting, karaoke—and by the way, did we say karaoke?

Program Manager Erik Deatherage came to Prairie Public from a public radio station in Maryland—where he was assistant program director, host, and production manager. Erik’s not new to the Prairie Public family: he worked with our own Mike Olson in the early ‘90s as a news reporter, on-air host, and music programmer. 

Craig Blumenshine, producer and co-host of Main Street, came to Prairie Public from Wyoming where he spent a majority of his career telling the stories of the Cowboy State. He recently served as the senior public affairs producer for WyomingPBS, interviewing scores of people from across the state for the Wyoming Chronicle series and popular Capitol Outlook show. Craig and his wife Tracy have three children who live with their families in West Fargo, Jamestown, and Medford, WI.

Tayontae (Tay) Callowayjoined Prairie Public in August 2024 as a radio studio operator after completing his MFA in Documentary Films at Wake Forest University. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, writing, watching films, baking, and learning about film equipment. Though he has yet to receive any awards, Tayontae would send any he won straight to his mom, knowing she would cherish it more than he would.  

Katie David is originally from Cando, North Dakota, and has lived in North Dakota her entire life. She earned a Bachelor's degree in history from the University of Mary, and was an Emerging Leadership Academy graduate before joining the Prairie Public news team as a reporter. Outside work, she likes to read, build things, crochet, sculpt, paint, cook, and learn about pretty much anything. 

Todd McDonald came to Prairie Public after spending 13 years doing news in the realm of commercial radio, and he has spent a lot of his time in newsrooms in northwest Minnesota and eastern North Dakota. When Todd’s not out with his microphone gathering information, he’s spending time with his wife and son, camping, doing backyard astronomy, and continuing his search for obscure music.

Mike Olson, host of Into the Music, is adored by listeners for his ability to put together fascinating and stimulating sets of music that draw on his very wide and very deep knowledge of rock, jazz, blues, folk, country, bluegrass…the list could go on. A Williston High grad, he did a stint in the oil fields (not this boom, the previous one) before going to UND. In 1984 he started as an announcer at UND’s KFJM and stayed there as it grew into Northern Lights Public Radio. As UND transitioned to having its stations operated by Prairie Public, Mike did, too. He can be heard in Fargo, Grand Forks, and Williston on the regular FM channels — if you have an HD radio you can get him anywhere in the state — and, of course, anywhere in the world with our online stream.

Scott Prebys has enjoyed a highly successful career as a performer, educator, conductor, and clinician. He is a 2009 recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts (North Dakota) and recently concluded a 37-year career in higher education. Scott hosts Prebys on Classics and Prebys on Jazz.

Danielle Webster joined the staff of Prairie Public as a radio news reporter in 2006. She delivers news from the Fargo area to Prairie Public’s statewide radio audience. Danielle is a University of North Dakota graduate who worked as a feature reporter, news reporter, and production assistant for the university’s “Studio One” news program. Her work on “Studio One” was nominated for a regional Emmy.