The Show
Access Minnesota is a 30-minute public affairs program that airs weekly on radio and monthly on TV. Each episode focuses on the issues, people and stories that impact the state. From politics, current events, science and the arts, Access Minnesota covers a wide range of timely topics. University of Minnesota faculty members provide expert analysis, and guests include elected officials, community leaders, researchers and noted authors.
Access Minnesota is produced by the Minnesota Broadcasters Association in collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts and the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s quarterly magazine, Minnesota. Production support is provided by The CW Twin Cities (WUCW-TV) and Radio K (KUOM).
The Host
Jim du Bois is a veteran broadcaster whose career spans nearly four decades. At 14, du Bois volunteered at the Minneapolis Public Schools radio station KBEM. Two years later, he began a career in commercial radio and held a variety of positions in programming, news and management. Du Bois was a frequent contributor to the former NBC Radio Network, covering a variety of breaking news stories and the Mondale for President campaign headquarters on election night in 1984. In the early 1990s, du Bois helped launch a unique all-sports radio format and programmed one of the nation’s most successful country music stations. Since 1996, du Bois has served as the president/CEO of the Minnesota Broadcasters. He is also an active supporter of the University of Minnesota, holding positions on the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA) National Board of Directors and the University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Committee. He received the UMAA’s National Volunteer of the Year Award in 2005 and was named a University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts Alumnus of Distinction in 2006. In 2008, he was recognized at the National Association of Broadcasters annual conference for outstanding accomplishments in promoting and marketing the digital television transition.