Local multi-media journalist Jill Ditmire recently discussed the concept for her new WFYI 90.1 FM arts and culture radio program Curious Mix where she is the producer/managing editor and host.

"Naming the show was a collaborative effort. Six of us met to go over a list of names that we thought might work. We wanted the show to have a name that gave us the freedom to include a variety of interesting stories. We wrote down all of the suggestions, talked them over, mixed and matched a few and came up with Curious Mix which appealed to all of us. I've been curious my entire life and a journalist most of it," she laughed.

"I go to events in a lot of neighborhoods and communities around Indianapolis and Indiana. There are so many organizations and people doing creative, unique projects and programs that many people don't know about. Things that are making a real difference in communities. We wanted to create a show that shared those stories. It's a radio show so we also focus on SOUND. We record the stories on the scene, taking the listener there, giving them a reason to care about the story and hopefully learn something new. We make them as audio rich as possible, and tell the back story creating stories that could be interesting to anyone, not just a fan of the arts," Ms. Ditmire emphasized.

Many individuals make the show possible. "Several WFYI staff members contribute regular segments and I work with freelance journalists to create content. I report, write and edit a full story each week, in addition to scripting the show, and editing the audio needed for the billboard, open and forward promotions in the show as well as making sure the WFYI marketing and social media folks have the pictures, sound and information they need to promote the show. I also post our stories to NPR (National Public Radio) ONE and we are working to get more of them on the WFYI website. WFYI's ATC Host Matt Pelsor takes all of the show elements, and the script and puts it together. Our theme music is very important, too. It weaves it all together. We were able to commission local musician and composer Brandon Meeks to create it for us. He and I spoke on the phone several times as I described the show and how I wanted people to experience it. Brandon created music that reflects the energy and vibe of the show. It's terrific. I tell people even if they don't like the stories, they are going to LOVE the music. I anchored the news on WFYI 90.1 from 2014 till March of this year when I started Curious Mix," Ms. Ditmire said.

Curious Mix can be heard on the radio (90.1 FM) or live on the web: (www.wfyi.org/programs/curious-mix/radio/rss) Thursday nights at 8 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. A weekly podcast of the show is also available on the www.wfyi.org website.

Journalism was her calling early in life. "I did speech team, theater and some radio commercials in high school, then studied and actually worked in radio and television while at Butler University. I went into TV News after college and still do some on camera TV work as well. I've been writing through that entire time," she noted.

This includes being a long-time Broad Ripple Gazette contributor. "I enjoy writing The Wine Scene column for (publisher) Alan (Hague). I try to make it interesting and make the wines I write about user-friendly. (She owned and operated the Mass Ave Wine Shoppe Cafe & Spirits from 2007 to 2014.) As an oenophile, she has toured wineries in diverse cultures. "Argentina was one of the most beautiful places I've seen. The terrain is rugged and perfect for grape growing. I also love the south of France, and Spain and have visited Portugal several times," she added.

Ms. Ditmire was naturally drawn to writing. "I knew that I wanted to study theater or journalism after high school, but journalism seemed like it had more opportunities than becoming an actress. Our family watched the news as I grew up and I was very aware of current events from a young age. That is when I knew I wanted to get into TV news," she said.

Like other Butler University Radio-TV students, Ms. Ditmire worked on the campus radio station, WJRP, and auditioned and was chosen to work on the University's professional FM station, WAJC, which was an NPR station. "We had a lot of people who actually worked in the Indianapolis TV and radio markets teach our classes. It was fantastic. They didn't sugar coat it. You knew what to expect when you graduated. My major was Radio-Television and I had minors in journalism and political science. At that time, you really needed to know what was going on in the world to be a credible journalist and I really appreciated having to take those courses," Ms. Ditmire recalled. "WAJC also was one of the first stations in town to play some classical music on laser disks (that are now DVD's and CD's). They were the size of long-playing records (LP's) and sometimes got stuck in the machine while we were live on the air," Ditmire remembered. These real-world college experiences blazed her career path in television that included anchoring and reporting news at TV stations in Lafayette, Indianapolis, Detroit and Lafayette including WTHR, WISH, WJBK, WLFI, WTTV, WRTV and the Ford Motor Company News Network.

Ms. Ditmire also produced her own PBS television series on Indiana Public Television for 8 years called The Good Life, showcasing independent chefs/restaurants and local wineries. In addition to writing about wine for the Broad Ripple Gazette, she judges wine competitions around the US and has written for a number of local and national newspapers and magazines.

"The most rewarding thing about my work is I always learn something new. When someone tells me they learned something from one of our stories, that makes it all worthwhile. My late father always wanted me to be a teacher, and my mother is a retired teacher, so maybe I am able to do the same in a very small way. I hope people will find stories on Curious Mix interesting and informative, and want to learn more about the topic, and share it with others," she surmised.

Tune into WFYI 90.1 FM at 8 p.m. Thursdays, 7 a.m. Saturdays or listen at www.wfyi.org/programs/curious-mix/radio for Jill Ditmire's Curious Mix of arts and culture in Indiana.