© 2026 All Rights reserved WUSF
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Raising awareness of local news, the Beatles' real nowhere man

Ways To Subscribe
WUSF
/
stock.adobe.com

It’s Local News Day, which highlights the work journalists do to keep their communities informed. On “Florida Matters Live & Local,” we sit down with Tampa Bay area newsroom leaders about the challenges facing community journalism. Then, we learn about a missing Beatle.

Why local news matters

(0:00) Bay area newsroom leaders discuss why community journalism is essential — and easy to overlook until it’s gone. They share how they consume news in a crowded media landscape and why the region benefits from this diverse ecosystem. The conversation also highlights industry challenges and the push to remind audiences that local news underpins a healthy democracy.

GUESTS:

  • Kristen Hare, Pointer’s faculty director of craft and local news
  • Ray Roa, Creative Loafing editor-in-chief
  • Julio Ochoa, WUSF news director

And now these days are gone

(36:00) Once upon a time, Ringo Starr got sick and a fill-in drummer got the gig of a lifetime with The Beatles. Then, he disappeared from the spotlight. We talk with a rock ’n’ roll detective who unpacks the wild story of Jimmie Nicol’s brief ride at the top.

GUEST:

  • Jim Berkenstadt, author of “The Beatle Who Vanished” and owner of Rock and Roll Detective, an entertainment consulting firm in Madison, Wisconsin.
I am the host of WUSF's Florida Matters Live & Local, where I get to indulge my curiosity in people and explore the endlessly fascinating stories that connect this community.
As the executive producer of WUSF's Florida Matters Live & Local, I aim to create a show and podcast that makes all Floridians feel seen and heard. That's also my assignment as a producer for The Florida Roundup. In any role, my goal is always to amplify the voices often overlooked.
As an engagement reporter and producer for WUSF's Florida Matters Live & Local and a Report for America Corps member, my goal is to bring Floridians on our show and connect their stories with the greater community. I want our listeners to not just feel like the show is for them, but literally about them, and hope they feel inspired to reach out and tell us about their lives.
Quincy Walters is a producer for WUSF's Florida Matters Live & Local,