Classical Host

Midday classical host Wednesday through Friday

If you’ve listened to Radio Kansas for a good long while, you may recognize that one of our “new” voices is actually returning host Melissa Ousley!

She stumbled into a career in broadcasting in the late 80’s when she moved to Wichita to be near her soon-to-be husband. The attraction (to radio work, that is) was immediate and the chance to be around great music without having to practice piano was irresistible. After establishing herself as a host and producer at Radio Kansas, Melissa moved to Minnesota and continued her work at WCAL in Northfield and Minnesota Public Radio in St. Paul.

You’ve heard our statement of purpose “Bringing you the world of classical music,” and we’ve long recognized that the full scope of classical can be explored only if we engage a wide variety of hosts and producers. Even after moving to Minnesota, we’ve chased Melissa down to host 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. early each week. Lynne Warful hosts 10 to 3 (with a break for lunch) on other weekdays.

Melissa grew up near New York City. As a teenager, she attended the Preparatory Division of the Manhattan School of Music. Her bachelor’s degree in music education is from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Mel’s morning classical show at WCAL was twice named “Best Classical Radio Program” by the Twin Cities paper City Pages. When she’s away from the airwaves, Melissa loves to run, read, and spend time with her family.