Anyone who listens to WUWM is familiar with Bruce Winters' warm voice. A few years ago, he started to host the local, weekend version of The World Cafe, called Saturdays At the Cafe, which airs from 1 to 4 p.m. on 89.7.
David Dye, host of the national World Cafe, previously hosted the Saturday afternoon show. We asked Winters what it was like to take over for Dye and found Winters to be genuine, supportive and respectful of his Cafe counterpart.
OMC: How is your style different from David's?
BW: I tend to be a bit less formal. Plus, I don't know nearly as much about the music and the artists as he does. I'm a fan, not an expert.
OMC: Was it intimidating to step into David's shoes?
BW: No, we're just normal people. Most of us public radio folks don't have these giant egos. We respect what we as colleagues do, but we're not in awe of each other.
OMC: Do you personally like the kind of music played on the World Cafe?
BW: No, I personally love it. Before the World Cafe came into my life, I had moved far away from pop music of any kind. To me it was a big wad of piffle. Listening to the Cafe regularly, I found so much music I never knew about. I found out about people making great, current music and I got excited about music again.
OMC: What are you listening to these days?
BW: The new Susan Tedeschi disc, Rhett Miller's "The Instigator" and "Joyful Noise" by the Derek Trucks Band.
OMC: Did you grow up in Milwaukee?
BW: Yes. I was born here and went to high school here (Pulaski), college here (UWM) and live here.
OMC: When and why did you decide to go into radio?
BW: As a 17-year-old college freshman, I though I'd try this radio stuff because it seemed like fun. I was right.
{INSERT_RELATED}OMC: Why is The World Cafe -- and Saturday At the Cafe -- a good venue for non-mainstream musicians?
BW: The World Cafe has built a track record over the past ten years of championing the under-appreciated artist. They have also broke so many artists that we all know now, but they were the first to give them a shot. The mantra has been, "It doesn't matter if an album sells a thousand copies or a million. If the music is worthy of our time it gets air."
OMC: How would you like to see the Cafes evolve in the future?
BW: The World Cafe is to music what All Things Considered is to news. It caters to our curiosity, and is presented with an adult sensibility and a respect for the intelligence of the audience. The trick is not to stray from that, while at the same time increasing your service and listeners.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
