Hawaiian, reggae and blues part of KUNV’s surprising Sunday schedule

“The Lyon’s Den Radio Show” caps disconnected a daylong slate of eclectic programming connected KUNV-FM that besides features shows devoted to blues, Hawaiian and reggae music, each hosted by passionate volunteers.

Ashton Ridley, KUNV-FM 91.5 wide manager, said the shows — which besides tin beryllium heard via streaming astatine kunv.org/listen — bring to the presumption an assemblage beyond the regular listeners who tune successful for the nationalist vigor station’s accustomed jazz format.

“That’s the details we don’t get from ratings,” helium says. “It comes up astatine rank drives erstwhile radical telephone successful to say, ‘I privation to go a subordinate to support that programme on.’ That’s erstwhile you spot the large impact.”

Blues

Brian Spencer, 51, has hosted “Nothin’ But the Blues” for 23 years. The amusement runs Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon. Spencer remembers being intrigued by a B.B. King documentary helium was 12.

“Then, erstwhile I moved to Las Vegas (in 1995), a person of excavation was truly large connected it and turned maine connected to it. I started speechmaking books and listening to it. I’m self-taught.”

The entreaty of blues? “It’s the basal of each music,” Spencer says. “And it’s America’s music, and the past of it is truthful mind-bending.”

Hawaiian

Emory Nihipali has been hosting “Little Grass Shack,” a premix of accepted and modern Hawaiian music, for 22 years. The amusement airs Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

Nihipali, 49, grew up successful Las Vegas, left, past moved backmost successful 1991. During the precocious ’90s, “there were respective Hawaiian shows” connected the vigor here, says Nihipali, who began appearing connected an AM amusement successful 1998 and past moved to KUNV successful 1999.

“I’ve ever loved the islands and I saw the maturation of the Hawaiian radical here, moving to Las Vegas, and said it’d beryllium awesome to cater to that,” helium says.

“A batch of radical who travel from the islands person been saying I make that abrogation feel, which was my purpose.”

Reggae

Stan Rankin T. — existent sanction Stanley Tyrell — has released respective reggae records arsenic a performer. Sundays from 4 to 8 p.m. helium brings his encyclopedic cognition of the euphony to “Reggae Happenings” connected KUNV.

He started hosting the amusement successful 1982. At the time, it was 1 of 3 reggae programs helium hosted connected section radio. According to Ridley, the amusement present is the world’s longest consistently moving reggae show.

The amusement is “a labour of love,” says Tyrell, who was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame successful 2006.

“On the vigor amusement I speech astir the civilization of reggae euphony and the artists and the roots of reggae.

“I get a batch of requests for definite artists. People archer maine they emotion the words the reggae artists enactment retired — precise cultural, precise spiritual, precise uplifting,” helium says. “And erstwhile reggae euphony plays, you’ve got to move.”

Contact John Przybys astatine jprzybys@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JJPrzybys connected Twitter.