WDAF Radio (610 AM) was the leading news network in the post WWII era, expanding to WDAF-TV in 1949. The station was owned by the Kansas City Star until 1958. One of the most successful local shows, “Conversations,” was hosted by Walt Bodine and Jean Glenn. In 1964, the station was purchased by Taft Broadcasting company. Taft opted to move “Conversations” to a two-hour Sunday night slot. The program offered rotating weekly topics, with “Religious Trialogue” airing once a month. The Religious Trialogue program featured a discussion of religious matters relating to the community. The panel included The Rev. Robert H. Meneilly, pastor of Village United Presbyterian church, the Rev. Lawrence Guillot, assistant pastor of St. John LaLande Catholic church, and Rabbi William B. Silverman of Temple B’nai Jehudah. The program was comprised of two parts; it began with a panel dialogue about a current topic, from the perspective of their faith tradition, and their personal views, followed by questions and remarks from listeners. The Trialogue eventually expanded to area churches, engaging live audiences, as well as radio listeners. A year after its launch, the WDAF radio director wrote, “The series was a significant one in Kansas City Radio, and all of us here feel very proud of the fact that this station could broadcast.” The program lasted from November 1964 through June 1966.[1]

 

References

[1] Walt Bodine, My Times, My Town (Kansas City: Kansas City Star Books, 2003), pp 60, 119-29, 134-35. Quotations from Kansas City Star article, “Public Affairs Theme for New Talk Show”, September 1964. Exact date not known.  Quote from Nick Bolton, GM of WDAF, letter to Guillot, May 25, 1965.