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The Current welcomes four new voices to the airwaves

Radio station on the air
Radio station on the air Benjamin Hartwich/Pixabay

April 07, 2022

In the coming weeks, listeners will hear several new hosts on The Current.  

As previously announced, Ayisha Jaffer will be the new evening host on weekdays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. starting Monday, April 18. 

A trio of new hosts have also joined the staff as on-call team members that will fill various daypart spots in the schedule. On-call hosts add their musical knowledge and support the regularly scheduled programming on an as-needed basis. 

Barb Abney

Barb Abney
Barb Abney
Provided

Abney was the midday host at The Current from 2006 to 2015, and has also hosted at Go 96.3 and KFAI. A native of Ohio, Abney was one of the hosts at the Cincinnati alternative station WOXY. Her first on-call shift is planned for Saturday, April 9, hosting Radio Free Current. (Feel free to leave requests in the comments below.)     

Jessica Paxton

Jessica Paxton stands next to the Schmitt Music mural
Jessica Paxton
Provided

Paxton was the drive-time host on Northfield's independent station, KYMN Radio (95.1 FM &1080 AM) for almost 13 years. She moved back to Minneapolis in 2021 to become the talent buyer at The Parkway Theater, where she’s been handling the booking and marketing since 2018. 

Chaz Kangas

Chaz Kangas
Chaz Kangas
Darin Kamnetz

Kangas worked for Go 95.3 in both on- and off-air capacities, and also has been a writer covering culture for outlets including The New York Times, LA Weekly, Village Voice, and City Pages.