Hot Seat: Media Monday with Ron Klopfanstein

This week’s episode of 95.5 FM’s Hot Seat: Media Monday with host Ron Klopfanstein brings together community, creativity, and reflection as we celebrate the season and look ahead to what’s next. The conversation highlights the success of the Lavender and Lights event in Remsen and how accessible art can create meaningful new traditions for families, previews the free, community-focused New Year’s...

In this holiday-season episode of Hot Seat: Media Monday , host Ron Klopfanstein hangs out with Gio Gump , host of Eat Local , and comedian Trippy Hippie for a warm, spirited conversation about food, comedy, creativity, and community. They talk about why local cuisine feels like home, the value of consistency in media and entertainment, and the unseen work producers do to bring meaningful stories...

In this episode of Media Monday , host Ron Klopfanstein hangs out with blogger Richard Weems to discuss his work documenting Utica’s vibrant and often overlooked arts scene and the role independent storytelling plays in preserving moments mainstream media often misses. The episode also features ✨ Revealed: The Art of Burlesque ✨ , an on-the-ground report from The Portal in Utica, where six stude...

Hot Seat: Media Monday ; Aaron Woodman, Lisa Fazio, Cleo Qupid, Utica D.I.Y. Shows Concert/Toy Drive and Alliance Classical Players’ “Downton Abbey Christmas” 12-8-25 S2:E14 This week's 95.5 FM "Hot Seat: Media Monday" spotlights civic engagement, folk medicine, local music, and Utica’s performing arts scene. Aaron Woodman breaks down his “Becoming the Change Maker” series and the im...

On this week’s 95.5 FM "Hot Seat: Media Monday," host Ron Klopfanstein opens with a powerful World AIDS Day reflection before delivering an emotional report on a Herkimer family torn apart after ICE agents detained both parents without presenting a warrant, leaving their children navigating fear, separation, and a difficult legal battle. The family’s attorney urges community members to w...

This week on 95.5 FM Hot Seat: Media Monday , Cait Devin and Bailey Sharron from Kate’s Character Corner join us for a fun and insightful conversation about the art of bringing today’s most beloved pop-culture characters to life at children’s events, from the Frozen Princess and Wednesday Addams to Rapunzel and even Taylor Swift, with a focus on authenticity, confidence, and creating true magic fo...

This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday with host Ron Klopfanstein spotlights community resilience and creativity — from Utica University’s new sensory room supporting student wellbeing, to local cheerleaders Madison Krupa and Diva’Nae Brown preparing for national competition, to filmmaker Jacob Lasher whose documentary series The Other Side centers healing through storytelling; the episode also highli...

This week’s 95.5 FM Hot Seat: Media Monday with Ron Klopfanstein spotlights four remarkable women and one non-binary guest whose work reflects strength, creativity, and intelligence across very different fields. The hour features Chelsy Plows , who will be the first female in New York State to graduate from P-TECH’s civil engineering program; Tina Betz , whose Drawn in Glass exhibit highlights her...

In this episode of Hot Seat: Media Monday (11/3/25), Ron Klopfanstein spoke with environmental advocate Charlie Perrotta about New York’s Proposition One, which has since passed, allowing 323 acres of the Adirondack Forest Preserve to be used for expanding the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex. Perrotta explained how the measure retroactively legalized prior illegal construction and warn...

This week's Hot Seat: Media Monday  brings together three stories that celebrate creativity, community, and civic courage. The show begins in New Hartford, where twin sisters Ella and Reagan Sullivan take on the contrasting lead roles of Beetlejuice and Lydia in their junior high production of Beetlejuice Jr. Director Susan Nackley Mojave shares how nearly 100 students collaborated onstage and...

In this episode of Hot Seat: Media Monday , host Ron Klopfanstein covers the No Kings protest , a nationwide pro-democracy movement that united millions in a call for civic action and accountability. Featuring guests Mark Hemmingdinger and Pat Selzer , along with voices from protesters across Central New York, the conversation explores family engagement in activism, the importance of youth partici...

In this episode of Hot Seat: Media Monday , host Ron Klopfanstein spotlights the voices and stories that strengthen our community. Guests Sonia Martinez and Sonia Marte from the Mohawk Valley Latino Association share insights on Hispanic Heritage Month , Dominican culture , and the immigrant experience, reflecting on the importance of unity, food, family, and cultural pride. Poet Mathew Cushman di...

Hot Seat: Media Monday Jack Cooper, author of Pain Before the Rainbow, Pete Colter, author of The Endless Fall, and the 20th Anniversary of Uticon 10-06-25 S2:E5 by Ron Klopfanstein In this episode of “Hot Seat: Media Monday,” we present a powerful mix of storytelling, art, and community engagement. The show begins with author Jack Cooper , who discusses his autobiographical anthology Pain Before...

Hot Seat: Media Monday  burlesque performer/producer Cleo Qupid, NYS Supreme Court candidate Elizabeth Snyder Fortino, performer/producer JWatch, and  Royalty & Rogues Renaissance Festival 9-29-25 S2:E4 by Ron Klopfanstein This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday , hosted by Ron Klopfanstein , blends arts, community, and local politics in a lively lineup of stories and interviews. Burlesque performe...

This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday brings together a wide range of stories that highlight creativity, culture, and community. The episode opens with Chris Duck , Ellie Hadity , and Roxie Yasilopoulus from the Arc of Oneida Lewis County ’s inclusive production of Alice in Wonderland , showcasing how theater empowers adults with disabilities through performance, costume design, and set building. Ent...

Hot Seat: Media Monday Scott Carr and John Stemen “100 Years of WIBX Radio,” Utica Creative Reuse “Trash to Treasure” exhibition, and Saturday Night at the Tram 9-15-25 S2:E2 by Ron Klopfanstein This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday marks the 100th anniversary of Utica’s WIBX radio, with host Ron Klopfanstein joined by veteran broadcasters John Steman and Scott Carr . The conversation traces the stat...

This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday brings together stories of creativity, activism, and healing. Tina Parzych and Ashley Pace from the Pride of Westmoreland Marching Band share their 80s-themed murder mystery fundraiser, blending nostalgia with community support. Utica Creative Reuse’s Stone Soup project shows how discarded items become collaborative art, promoting sustainability and neighborhood...

Hot Seat: Media Monday Hot Seat: Media Monday filmmaker Muna Crescent, Shawn Essafi from Mohawk Valley Institute for Learning in Retirement, Summerween! Roller Derby Double Header and Mohawk Valley Latino Festival 8-25-25 by Ron Klopfanstein This week's Hot Seat: Media Monday features a discussion of the silent short film BonniRabbit by filmmaker Muna Crescent , who uses art to explore and cop...

Hot Seat: Media Monday Hot Seat: Media Monday Central New York Roller Derby, Ladies Death and Derby Society, 56 Fridays, and DJ J-Easy at Levitt AMP Music Series 8-18-25 by Ron Klopfanstein This week's Hot Seat: Media Monday features three dynamic segments. First, an introduction to modern flat-track roller derby with Megan “Chaos Reigns” Lyman from the Central New York Roller Derby and  Rache...

Hot Seat: Media Monday Nabil Khan and Drew Allen (Drew’s Magic and Balloons) with comic/gaming/entertainment news, Hawa Peters and Utica Royalties Talent Show, and Lily Christopher shops Clinton  8-11-25 by Ron Klopfanstein This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday on 95.5 FM The Heat, celebrates the arts, culture, and community spirit of Utica and beyond. Entertainment correspondent Nabil Khan recaps Bo...

This episode of Media Monday , hosted by Ron Klopfanstein, explores the power of healing, creativity, and community through three engaging segments. Photographer Charlie Perrotta shares how nature and night-sky photography support his mental health and personal growth, offering group walks to help others connect with mindfulness and wonder. A visit to Sylven Beach Amusement Park captures summer no...

On this episode of Hot Seat on Media Monday , host Ron Klopfanstein explores the intersection of politics, PR, and performance art. Utica locals weigh in on the Republican response to the Epstein scandal, followed by a compelling interview with Jack Pflanz , who breaks down the strategy behind nonprofit marketing and media outreach. Artist and producer JWatch joins to discuss building authentic, c...

This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday offers a vibrant and multifaceted look at community life in Utica, blending activism, art, inclusivity, and charity. It opens with a “Good Trouble” pro-democracy rally inspired by John Lewis, where speakers call for activism rooted in love and understanding. Other segments spotlight a size-inclusive pop-up at Almost Local thrift store, a soulful interview and liv...

This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday explores the intersection of community, culture, and media through three compelling segments: a moving report on a New Hartford butterfly release honoring loved ones, a thoughtful review of the new Superman film that reframes the hero as an immigrant symbol of kindness and identity, and a deep conversation with former WIBX journalists John Steman and John Swan ab...

International Journalist Brendan Maslauskas Dunn, artist Lorraine Kreimeyer, SNUG Peace Rally, Trump Tax Bill local impact, and Lily Christopher at the New Hartford Farmer’s Market by Ron Klopfanstein This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday features a dynamic mix of investigative reporting, global perspectives, and local community voices. We begin with a deep dive into the Republican “Big Beautiful Bil...