Buckle up, Buttercup. Maxwell Shaeffer will be our potluck podcast guest today.

One of Central Iowa’s most popular on-air radio people will join us from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. A link to the Zoom call can be found below.

For years, Max was the voice we heard introducing classic songs on KIOA radio. He is also popular with local theater lovers, who applaud his numerous roles on the Des Moines Community Playhouse stage.

Max was a part of our lives, and when he was abruptly fired from KIOA Radio in 2018, many rose up and wanted to support him.

Van Hardin, the former program director of WHO-AM radio, scored the deal, and Max took over for Hardin to host the morning drive show, along with Amy Sweet, on the station’s daytime portion before programming became difficult (WHO aired Rush Limbauh’s show the afternoon before his death).

Things seemed to be going great. The reviews were good. Oh, there was a manager in another part of the company who wanted them to show tension, create drama, and get angry on the show, but they ignored the “how-to” because they thought they knew their audience was 5 to 9 a.m. would not want or expect morning “upset” and division.

Then they were called up and released in March of this year.

In June, Maxwell and Amy released a podcast where they told listeners about their fall.

Here are the program notes and a link to the show.

Maxwell’s Iowa CoffeeCast, hosted by Maxwell Schaeffer, begins with a candid conversation with his former radio morning partner Amy Sweet. The duo previously hosted the popular morning show “Max and Amy” on WHO Radio, but were abruptly fired in early March 2024. During a routine meeting, they were informed of their termination, which turned out to be a planned HR layoff. Despite exceeding ratings goals set for them months ago, receiving positive listener feedback and support, and continuing to maintain successful promotional relationships, they were not given a specific reason for terminating their employment. In their conversation, they share their theories about why this happened. Maxwell and Amy recall the absurdity of their resignation day and the perceived lack of foresight about the impact their dismissal would have on their colleagues, given their diverse roles and contributions. They expressed frustration with the new program director’s vision, which conflicted with their decades-long genuine, community-focused approach to broadcasting in the Des Moines market. The program director’s insistence on made-up opinions and provocative debates was not consistent with their long-held values ​​or, as they perceived it, with the station’s morning show heritage:

Maxwell’s Iowa CoffeeCast

This podcast was originally a bonus for paying subscribers, but we had so much fun that I wanted it to be available to everyone. This column and our Monday Zoom events have become a labor of love, and your financial support has made it possible for more than 75 aspiring writers to attend the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat. For them, your support has made a difference.

I will announce the fate of the retreat soon. There are still a few pieces that need to be put together to make this happen. Stay tuned.

Please join Maxwell Shaeffer and me today at 12pm local time. We still have a lot to learn about what he’s doing now.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86844177542

Get the Sunday Roundup featuring columns from members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative?

Here is yesterday’s post: