For the latest profile in the "Meet Team BPR" series, learn more about Land Deer. Land is part of the crucial team that provides a seamless experience for BPR News and BPR Classic listeners, and is an announcer for C24 and BBC World Service.
Team BPR: Tell us about yourself.
Land: I’ve been at BPR for over 6 years, starting out as a volunteer. In college at UNC-Chapel Hill, I studied theatre, which was my first love. My first role was as “Injun Joe” in a production of Tom Sawyer, around age 10. After college, I was lucky enough to spend 15 years as a performer and manager in non-profit theatre in my hometown of Atlanta. After leaving theatre, I realized that radio, public radio in particular, had always been a big draw for me. I pursued opportunities at my local public radio station, joined forces with a couple of other radio geeks, and we made a show! For two years, I hosted and co-produced ArtVoice, a weekly radio magazine covering arts and culture in Atlanta. It was super gratifying to be able to promote individual artists and small arts organizations in our community and bring them to wider attention.
Team BPR: What attracts you to work in public media and for Blue Ridge Public Radio?
Land: I’ve always been a huge fan of publicly-funded radio. I appreciate the goals and mission of public media to inform and serve, and the interest in individual voices and stories found there. The staff at BPR is such a great group of dedicated and hardworking folk – and a sense of humor and fun is key!
Team BPR: When you're not announcing or creating daily program logs, what do you enjoy doing?
Land: Lake swimming, traveling, visiting my nieces, seeing theatre, puttering in the yard … A few other favorite things are my cat, Ireland, the Edinburgh International Arts Festival, and the Atlanta Braves. Go Los Bravos!
Team BPR: What are you currently listening to?
Land: I’ve gotten into Irish authors lately and am reading A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry and Anna Burns’ Man Booker Prize winning Milkman.
