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Riverside Chats

Maria Corpuz to Join 'Riverside Chats' Team at KIOS

Maria Corpuz is a Filipina woman with short black hair and red lipstick. In this publicity photo, she is wearing a short-sleeve white shirt and black pants.
Maria Corpuz is a writer, entrepreneur and community organizer in Omaha. She will begin hosting episode of Riverside Chats later this year.

We are pleased to announce the addition of writer, journalist and community organizer Maria Corpuz to the Riverside Chats creative team.

"After being a guest on Riverside Chats, the weekly shows have become a staple on Mondays," Corpuz said. "Tom and his team have clearly put their heart and soul into this program and I am honored to help continue it."

Corpuz's deep knowledge of Omaha and its culture will be an asset to the conversations aired on Riverside Chats. Her duties as a co-host will complement Tom Knoblauch's role as the creator and primary host of the show. Knoblauch will continue to present most episodes with Corpuz filling in on a regular basis.

"I often say that public radio works best when it works local. And it really excels when people who are dedicated to a community's past, present, and future get involved," said KIOS program director Todd Hatton. "To me, that's Maria Corpuz and Tom Knoblauch in a nutshell. What Maria has created, and continues to create, with Nite Caps says a lot about Omaha, its people, and its potential. I couldn't be happier that she and Tom are working together to make an already great show even better."

Corpuz's presence in Omaha is meaningful and varied. She graduated from Creighton University in 2016 with a degree in public relations and advertising. She co-founded the nonprofit news service NOISE the same year with friend Dawaune Lamont Hayes. Corpuz's professional experience also includes hosting the late-night talk show Nite Caps at OutrSpaces. She was a guest on Riverside Chats last year, telling her story and outlining her vision of providing space for conversation, growth and community collaboration.

"I'm really excited to have Maria on board," Knoblauch said. "Part of Riverside Chats' mission is attacking the idea of Midwest culture as a monolith. Her curiosity and passion will feed into a rich exploration of the ideas and people we get to highlight each week."

Corpuz's episodes of Riverside Chats will start airing later this year.

Courtney is back in her hometown after graduating from the University of Kansas in 2019 with degrees in journalism and film. While at KU, she was the arts and culture editor of the University Daily Kansan and had a summer internship at KCUR, Kansas City's NPR member station. She has three pet rats and has seen almost every Audrey Hepburn movie.
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