When Jonathan Covert’s twice-a-week program airs live on Morningside College’s student-operated radio station, listeners can hear the Algona, Iowa, native express opinions on everything from the New Jersey Devils to the Toronto Blue Jays to Alice Cooper.
Wait, what does a 1970s shock rocker have to do with a sports show?

By Earl Horlyk, Sioux City Journal reporter

When Jonathan Covert’s twice-a-week program airs live on Morningside College’s student-operated radio station, listeners can hear the Algona, Iowa, native express opinions on everything from the New Jersey Devils to the Toronto Blue Jays to Alice Cooper.

Wait, what does a 1970s shock rocker have to do with a sports show?

Actually, the 9-11 p.m. Tuesday night “Covert Show” and the 6-8 p.m. Thursday night “Thursday Classroom” combine sports, music and anything else that crosses the Morningside mass communications sophomore’s mind.

“One week, I was struggling to come up with a non-sports-related topic for my Thursday night show,” Covert said, inside the KMSC 92.9 FM control booth. “Then I called my mom, who asked me why don’t I talk about Alice Cooper? Hey, seemed like a good idea to me.”

After only seven months on the air, Covert is already winning acclaim for his unusual jock talk/dad rock hybrid mix. He was one of only six student broadcasters, from across the country, to be recognized with a finalist award for “Best Specialty Music Show” at the 78th annual Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) International Media Conference, held in New York, March 1-3.

A nonprofit education corporation founded in 1940, IBS represents more than 1,000 member radio, TV and webcasting stations. Its college broadcasting awards competition annually receives more than 7,000 entries.

Covert said he is pleased to be selected as a finalist, but is also quick to give credit to his college and the station.

“We were competing with schools that are much bigger than Morningside, as well as some that are smaller,” he said. “The best thing about Morningside is that they give you all of the hands-on experience that you want.”

This is something that Covert clearly relishes.

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