TUCSON, Ariz. (July 1, 2009) – The local radio show that delivers a diverse range of stories about subjects that matter to the residents of Southern Arizona celebrates its 200th program July 3.

“Arizona Spotlight” from Arizona Public Media has covered state and local news, provided in-depth interviews with artists and authors, and has talked to the people behind the headlines of the day since its debut on KUAZ radio in March 2003.

Current “Arizona Spotlight” host Mark McLemore has been involved with the show since 2006 and says he enjoys hosting even after 100 shows because of the variety of topics involved with keeping listeners informed on what's happening in the community.

“It involves working cross-departmentally with many colleagues at Arizona Public Media, and each show presents a different set of challenges,” McLemore says. “Sometimes, I really don't know what the next week will bring, and I enjoy having that kind of excitement in my job.”

Other producers currently reporting on the local community for “Arizona Spotlight” include Tony Paniagua, Pam White, Louis Carrion, Christopher Conover, Sooyeon Lee, Robert Rappaport, Kimberly Craft and Laura Markowitz.

“Arizona Spotlight” debuted on KUAZ in 2003 as a quarterly half-hour radio program of interviews and features, hosted and produced by then-General Manager and Director Jack Parris. The show shifted from a quarterly to a monthly broadcast in 2004, and in 2005 it expanded to a weekly series and added a repeat broadcast so listeners could catch the show once in the morning and again in the evening. The show was hosted then by Producer Julie Beirach before McLemore became host in 2007.

Past guests of the show include local musical luminaries Howe Gelb, Al Perry, Joey Burns of Calexico, Vicki Brown and Naim Amor; political figures like former Arizona Rep. Jim Kolbe and former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano; and public media personalities Ira Glass, Cokie Roberts and Ray Suarez.

The 200th show of “Arizona Spotlight” on July 3, 2009, will feature a look at the American Indian Language Development Institute, which works to protect native languages, and an interview with physician and author Dr. Larry Dossey, who studies how premonitions may have more of an impact on things than most of people think.

“Arizona Spotlight” is hosted by Mark McLemore and is produced by Senior Production Engineer Jim Blackwood and Assistant Production Engineers Ginger Doran and Matt Felix. Original music heard on the show is by critically-acclaimed Tucson band Calexico.

“Arizona Spotlight” airs Fridays at 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 7 p.m. on KUAZ FM 89.1 and KUAZ AM 1550. Listeners of the program who miss the shows during these broadcasts can listen to archival shows as well as new reports on the Arizona Spotlight webpage.

Arizona Public Media® is a member-supported non-profit media organization of The University of Arizona, this year celebrating 50 years of public broadcasting service to Southern Arizona. Arizona Public Media (AZPM) station KUAT Channel 6 offers Channel 6-1 PBS-HD; 6-2 V-me (en español); 6-3 Create; and KUAS Channel 27 offers Channel 27-1 PBS-HD; 27-2 PBS Kids; 27-3 PBS World; the UA Channel (Cox 116/Comcast 76), classical music station KUAT-FM 90.5/89.7; NPR affiliate KUAZ 1550AM/89.1 FM; and the Ahora channel (en español) on KUAZ-HD2. AZPM also produces award-winning original local programming from its digital studios on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. More information on programming and community events can be found at www.AZpublicmedia.org

Arizona Public Media is a registered trademark of the Arizona Board of Regents.