Monday, May 6, 2024
In his 50 professional years, Tumbleweed has interviewed some true Texas characters and assembled the largest private collection of oral history in the United States. He writes a syndicated weekly newspaper column and teaches broadcasting at the university level.
People all over East Texas have told me I need to interview James Duncan, who works at radio station KMHT in Marshall. So, on an interview trip to that part of the state I stopped at the station.
The enterprising staff had arranged a full day of interviews for me; a rare happening indeed and I appreciate it very much. To stay in one place and get a dozen interviews happens just a handful of times. It sure cuts down on expenses and time. They even provided a delicious lunch for me. James Duncan was my first interview. It certainly set a high standard for the rest of the day’s activities, although I was amazed at the amount of talented, knowledgeable, smart people the folks at KMHT arranged for me.
When James was growing up in Gilmer, he had trouble spelling his middle name: Michael.
“When I was about 15, I called my dad because I wanted to borrow the car that afternoon,” James said. “So, I called his office. He was district attorney at the time, and I said this is Michael and I want to borrow the car. He said, ‘Who?’ I said Michael. He said, ‘Spell it.’ I said J-a-m-e-s.”
He loves working at the radio station.
“KMHT is the heartbeat of East Texas. We try to bring news and views that fit our area. We’re local and cover local activities and local news.
He does a program called Swap Shop weekday mornings from 9 to 10.
“You know one of the interesting items people call in and have for sale is guineas. They’re the best watchdogs ever and we get lots of calls about them. We still get horses and mules. But we’re country. It’s like Canton First Monday on the radio with dogs and chickens, all kinds of stuff. You know Canton’s trade days event was started by coon dog trading down at the sale barn.”
He really gets close to his callers.
“These people are just like family. It’s just like you were in the bunkhouse back on the ranch talking with a group of friends. And they do have some interesting stories. And they’re good people. They make me feel good and I’d like to think I make them feel good. It’s one of those things where you kinda get personal with the people who call in. We get people of all ages who sew, split wood, and talk about recipes.”
James has a constant stream of callers. He never has to play music during his show because people are waiting on the phone to get on the air.
“You’ll hear a lot of commercials. People like to buy time on Swap Shop because that’s when people are listening. Everybody has that distinct East Texas accent and people tune in to hear the flavor and heritage of the language.”
James was in the cattle breeding business before going into radio in 1968.
