Monte Belmonte

Monte Belmonte

Monte Belmonte 6am - 10am

Having grown up in the suburbs of Boston, I always thought Western Mass was a desolate wasteland. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Well, I guess I can imagine it but I don’t WANT to live anywhere else. On this page you’ll find conversations with some of the people I find most interesting in our Valley. Authors, astronomers, astronauts and other people that start with letters other than “a.”

I got my start in radio impersonating Al Gore while off the air on Election Day 2000, and since that election dragged on and on, so has my radio career. I love bringing music and my “low minded humor for high minded people” (Wine Squirrel copyright 2017) to people of the Valley every weekday morning.

Monday, October 11, 202110/11/2021

On Shatner and Hampshire: Mr. Universe

In Podcasts

We have been critical of billionaires in space. But what about former Starfleet commanders? And Hampshire College Astronomer Dr. Salman…

Monday, October 11, 202110/11/2021

Rhonda Anderson on Indigenous People’s Day

In Podcasts

The Western Mass Commissioner on Indian Affairs and one of the directors of Ohketeau Cultural Center, Rhonda Anderson, on the…

Friday, October 8, 202110/08/2021

Finding Their Thrill, Reclaiming Blueberry Hill

In Podcasts

Meredith Wecker from The Benson Place on Burnt Hill in Heath on their real-life “Blueberries for Sal” experience and reclaiming…

Wednesday, October 6, 202110/06/2021

The Word Nerd’s last batch of Scrabble-winning words

In Podcasts

Randkluft, yclept, diphthong, squdgy: they don’t look like real words. But Emily Brewster, resident wordster, from Merriam-Webster assures us they…

Wednesday, October 6, 202110/06/2021

The Secret of Sinchanee

In Podcasts

Come to a red-carpet movie premier at The Shea Theater, in the midst of where the movie The Secret of…

Tuesday, October 5, 202110/05/2021

Dear Mister Ward…

In Podcasts

Evan Gregg wants to publish his grandmother, Verna’s, collected letters from her time as correspondent for the catalogue company, Montgomery…

Monday, October 4, 202110/04/2021

The Importance of Sputnik-Mr. Universe

In Podcasts

Hampshire College astronomer Dr. Salman Hameed on the enduring legacy of the first satellite. https://soundcloud.com/939theriver-1/the-anniversary-of-sputnik-mr-universe?si=99eef672d61045af9dc7c3f244ee7c17

Friday, October 1, 202110/01/2021

Italian Imposter? WINE SNOBS

In Podcasts

What business do Italian have in making Merlot? Turns out the know what they’re doing. Monte and the Wine Snobs…

Friday, October 1, 202110/01/2021

The magical disaster that is “THE ROOM”

In Podcasts

Monte talks with Greg Sestero, the second lead in the amazingly bad movie The Room and the author of the Golden…

Thursday, September 30, 202109/30/2021

The Clock is Ticking for the Dems: McGoverning with McGovern

In Podcasts

The Democrats keep standing in their own way. Why is Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern so Zen about it? https://soundcloud.com/939theriver-1/the-clock-is-ticking-for-the-dems-mcgoverning-with-mcgovern?si=6da4d4b6dc6e455c871b1b3ad993d81a

Recent Headlines

1 day ago in Entertainment, Music

Bruce Springsteen performs at New York Public Library gala

Bruce Springsteen was among six honorees Monday night at the New York Public Library's annual "Library Lions" gala, which pays tribute to "outstanding achievements" in arts, culture, letters and scholarship.

1 day ago in National, Trending

Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in US history, dies at 84

Dick Cheney, the hard-charging conservative who became one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history and a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq, has died at age 84.

2 days ago in National, Trending

Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded in November

President Donald Trump's administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP for November, after two judges issued rulings requiring the government to keep the nation's largest food aid program running.

2 days ago in Entertainment, Music

Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Grateful Dead singer, dies at 78

Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, a soulful mezzo-soprano who provided backing vocals on such 1960s classics as "Suspicious Minds" and "When a Man Loves a Woman" and was a featured singer with the Grateful Dead for much of the 1970s, has died at 78.

2 days ago in Sports, Trending

After the $500 million Dodgers’ title repeat, what’s next for MLB?

The $500 million Los Angeles Dodgers' thrilling World Series win over the Toronto Blue Jays attracted record international attention for Major League Baseball, affirmed LA's status as the sport's best team and drew more attention to baseball's payroll disparity heading into what is likely to be contentious labor negotiations.