‘Principal’s Office’ debuts on local KADL radio station

    Talking about anything and everything you and your friends are talking about.
    That’s the theme for “The Principal’s Office” call-in radio show that debuted earlier this month on KADL radio in Imperial.
    At the microphone is Chris Barr, Chase County’s 7-12 principal, who’s spending his first year in the community.
    He’s had a passion for radio for some time. In Alaska, where he worked in education before moving to Nebraska, he had a radio show with the same name for eight years.
    His first show on KADL was Oct. 7 followed up with another last Friday.
    It airs every Friday from 9-10 p.m. at 102.9 on the FM dial, and Barr said be ready for some fun.
    “We are highly interactive with our callers,” he said.
    He’s been pleasantly surprised with the response so far, and said it’s nice having that support.
    Students, CCS staff and community people have called in so far, prompted at times by some suggestions from Barr and his primary co-host, Amber Brewer of Anchorage, Alaska, who is on air with him via FaceTime.
    Brewer is a para-professional in Anchorage, where Barr also worked.
    “Don’t’ be shy calling in,” Barr said, emphasizing his desire to have fun.    
    “It’s a show anyone—for kids who are young and not so young,” he smiled.
    Barr doesn’t expect on hearing only from local residents—he’s got a few followers from across the country who used to call in on his Alaska radio shows, too.
    Tommy Two Straws, as he’s known, called him during his first two shows on KADL.
    “He’s a guy from Chicago. It’s kind of fun to have these characters call in, it adds to the show. It’s a getaway,” Barr said.
    He has other “characters” calling in from Denver, Las Vegas and other locations, he said.
    Finding topics to discuss on his show isn’t difficult, it appears, but he stays away from religion and politics.
    Shows will pose a timely question to get the discussion going, such as “How do you ask out your Homecoming date?”
    Other topics this month include how to hold an awesome Halloween party or what’s the worst Halloween candy?
    A common topic he will include touches on “old school ways.” Or he’ll simply ask, “What are you passionate about?”
    He and callers have talked sports on his shows, and, of course, Husker football. He’s finding Nebraskans are pretty “passionate” about their Huskers.
    Games sometimes find a place on his show, he said. “Red line” challenges the caller to name 10 items starting with a particular letter Barr or his co-host gives them. Distracting music in the background adds to the challenge.
    Sometimes, he added, the caller will dictate the topic.
    CCS Supt. Adam Lambert said he was able to listen to Barr’s first show Oct. 7.
    “He has a great personality, and is so great with our kids and staff,” Lambert said.
    “He brings such a positive energy to our district and this radio show only adds to it,” he said.
    When he’s at CCS during the day, Barr said students are asking about his show. He hopes to direct their interest by taking students to the station and showing them how it all works. He said in an earlier interview it could spark a future career for some students.
    His Friday night spot will likely move to a mid-afternoon time slot on Saturday after the Husker football season, he said.
    Barr noted his weekly show can also be followed on Facebook, where people can submit comments during the show. He said they’ll respond to them as well as take live calls.
    His Oct. 21 and 28 shows were prerecorded because of Barr’s other commitments, but he’ll return live on Nov. 4.
    Radio listeners can call into his show Fridays from 9-10 p.m. at 308-882-4209.