New Hampshire Public Radio host Laura Knoy

New Hampshire Business Review, Aug 1, 2008 by Kibbe, Cindy

For more than a dozen years, listeners to New Hampshire Public Radio's "The Exchange" have been greeted by the silky voice and provocative questions of Iowa Knoy.

The 46-year-old Knoy who grew up in Keene, took time away from the studio to sit with NHBR for a conversation off the mike.

*Q. How did you get into radio?

A. When I was a kid, I was always doing fake magazines and newspapers. I'd interview my mother, I'd interview my cat, my sisters. I always liked to write, I always liked journalism. Maybe I'm just nosey. I'd like to tell you that I worked on the Keene High newspaper, but I didn't.

After college, I luckily got a job for the Institute of International Economics, which was a think tank in D.C., doing grunt work, research. After a couple of years, I found I kept gravitating to the reporters who came into the office and the writing. I ended up getting an economics research job at USA Today That kind of got me into journalism.

I remember one week where two or three people in the same week said to me. "You have a really nice speaking voice." So I was walking down the street thinking about this, when I thought, "You should do radio."

It really was an "aha!" moment. I remember stopping and looking at the pavement and thinking this.

* Q. You wound up doing radio in D.C. for National Public Radio.

A. At first, I worked for a variety of outlets as a freelancer. Then I landed at WAMU, which is the local NPR affiliate. I was there for about four years. Then I went over to NPR for three or four years as a newscaster - doing those top-of-the-hour newscasts that you hear - and fill-in reporter.

* Q. How did "The Exchange" come about?

A. I called Mark Handley, who was the former president here at NHPR, and asked, "Whatcha got?" He asked if I wanted to report for NHPR, but I had kind of "been there done that." But then I said, if I had my own show, that might be different. To this day, I don't know what prompted me to say that!

He said, as a matter of fact, the board had just approved the funding to start a new local talk show, and was I interested.

I sometimes think, what if I hadn't made that call? What if I was too shy? What if I said, "Oh, I don't want to bother him"?

It was meant to be.

* Q. How has "The Exchange" changed over the past decade?

A. Scott MacPherson and I started the show Oct. 9, 1995. In some sense, we haven't changed. The goals are the same. We try to provide a civil dialogue on the issues that matter to the people of New Hampshire. I guess what's changed is that we've just gotten more skilled at what we're doing. I've definitely gotten more skilled as an interviewer.

* Q. What do you do to get ready for a show?

A. I come from the school of being over-prepared. I was a nerd who always turned her papers in early.

* Q. You certainly are in the thick of things during campaign season.

A. They always say New Hampshire is a proving ground for presidential candidates. Some of these people really need it. I can interview candidates who have been in the U.S. Senate or a governor for years, and you'd think they'd come in and be perfectly prepared on their talking points - and they aren't.

They really need that New Hampshire "retail" experience to get it together, because I've seen them when they come in unvarnished. And believe me, some of them need varnishing!