While KNCO managed to continue live broadcasting, in the studios, throughout the worst of the pandemic, that hadn’t been the case for Nevada City’s community radio station, KVMR, with its large, volunteer staff of announcers. But that changed over the weekend, with their first in-studio live program since the shutdown of March 20th of last year. General Manager Ali Lightfoot says show hosts had to learn some new tricks…

Lightfoot also points out that KVMR was under the stricter CAL OSHA requirements which were just recently loosened. And they could see as many as 200 volunteers and community members coming through their doors, sometimes on a weekly basis, with enclosed spaces and no windows in the studios…

But Lightfoot says, with such a large staff, it’ll take about six weeks to get everyone trained on safety and emergency protocols that will still be in place. But she says masks will no longer be required, if you’re vaccinated. And the change also comes just in time for the celebration of KVMR’s 43rd birthday, which is Wednesday.