Whether you’re a beachcomber, stuck on the Sagamore, ferrying to the Vineyard, or somewhere in between, chances are you’ve heard the voice of Mindy Todd, storyteller-in-chief and Executive Editor of Cape and Islands radio, and host and producer of The Point.
“I’ll tell you a funny story,” she says. “There was this philanthropy conference on the Cape, and they asked me and a Chamber of Commerce CEO to present this study they had done — full of statistics and really dry material.
So in the pre-meetings, I say, ‘We need some stories here, because this is really boring otherwise.’ And the guy says, ‘That’s why we asked you — you make boring stuff sound interesting every day.’
“I think there’s a compliment in there somewhere,” Todd laughs. “But I have people tell me all the time that they started listening to The Point when we’re covering a topic they’re not really interested in, but after a couple minutes they’re really engaged by it. When you’re passionate and enthusiastic about what you’re talking about,” she says, “that’s contagious.”
Over the course of nearly 25 years hosting and producing the award-winning show The Point, Todd has helped solidify CAI (GBH’s sister station on the Cape and Islands) as the go-to station for year-round residents, seasonal vacationers, and weekend visitors alike. We sat down with Todd to talk about delivering local news and flavor, the pervasive magic of the Cape and Islands, and most importantly, her favorite places to eat around the Cape.
You’ve had an over 40-year career in broadcast journalism and commentary. What got you into that field?
I started out as a DJ for WARE in Ware, Massachusetts. Fun fact, that’s one of two radio stations that shares a name with their community of license — the other is WACO, in Waco, TX.
Anyway, I was the midday DJ, and a couple months later, they moved me to the morning drive timeslot, which was unusual for a woman at the time — typically women were relegated to the midday shift or sidekicking — so I did that for a while, and then I moved around to a bunch of different radio and TV stations: West Palm Beach; Waterbury, Connecticut; West Lebanon, New Hampshire; White River Junction, Vermont; Portland, Maine; Indianapolis; Nashville.
And then my husband and I decided we wanted to come back to New England. I was working on a talk show on a commercial radio station. After a little while the program director at CAI called me up and said, “I’ve been listening to you every day for three weeks. You are so public radio — what are you doing there? I have an idea for this show.”
That was how The Point was born — end of September 2001. We came on once a week, and then it was three times a week, and by the following April or so, I went full-time.
Why do you gravitate to radio?
Radio’s a very intimate medium. People really feel like they know you. I enjoyed my time with TV, but it’s really changed a lot over the years. Whereas radio, I just really enjoy interviewing folks. I was a news reporter for a long time, but it’s amazing the conversations you get to have with all kinds of interesting people on radio. What I’ve found, too, is that all roads lead to Cape Cod. You find a story, we’ll find a Cape Cod or Islands connection.
What’s one word to describe yourself?
I guess I think of myself as a connector. So I get all these really interesting people, and we talk about what they’re doing, you know, whatever topic it is. And I think a lot of times, the listeners or audience get connected to that, or get connected to people. I’ll give you two stories.
We were at a CAI pub night, and a woman came up to me and said, do you remember that show that you did on bullying in the workplace? She goes, “You helped us get our bully out of our workplace.” I was astounded.
And then another time, we had two guests who hadn’t met before. A couple years later, they came back on the show. Unbeknownst to me, they had teamed up together to promote each other’s programs and collaborate, expanding their programs. I thought, “Wow, that is so cool!”
What do you find rewarding about covering the Cape and Islands community?
I just think the Cape and the Islands are a magical place, and it’s not just about the weather. People say that they come over the bridge and it’s just like a release, you know.
Each of the towns, be it the Cape or Islands, or Nantucket — which is one town — they have their own special sort of magic. They all have a character of their own, and the people are really connected to that, whether they live here year-round or they’re visiting. It’s why people come back, and why they have second homes here. There’s a real sense of caring and protectiveness about the community and what’s happening.
What challenges accompany covering the Cape and Islands during down seasons?
I mean, the important issues are still here in the wintertime. We’re still talking about water quality and housing and traffic. I suppose we don’t talk about sharks and ticks so much in the winter, but the challenges and the joys of serving the Cape and Islands are largely the same season-to-season.
Why do you think it’s especially important for the Cape and Islands to have public media serving them?
I think everybody should have local public media, no matter where they are. Look at what’s happened to local newspapers — they either went under or aren’t covering local issues anymore. It’s really important to have local news and local talk programs where people have an opportunity to have conversations with folks from all sides in their community, exchanging thoughts, ideas, and possible solutions.
How has GBH’s Connecting the Commonwealth Initiative changed the scope of your work?
It’s been a great collaboration with GBH, and now, with Connecting the Commonwealth, it’s even better. We were able to connect all three stations (CAI, GBH, and New England Public Media in Springfield, Mass.) and really cover the state.
I recall [in a study] people responding that they think local news is great, but they’d like to hear more regional news. I think Connecting the Commonwealth is a really great addition to help us tell the stories of the region.
[CAI has] a very small newsroom, so this just gives us more opportunities to tell stories from Springfield and Boston, and provides our reporters much greater reach for their stories. Ultimately, I’d love to have a reporter on each of the islands and on the South Coast, but we do great work with what we have.
What have been some of the stories of the summer so far?
Sharks! Sharks! Sharks! People love to hear about sharks. We put up a little video of the shark in Woods Hole, and as of [3 weeks later], it’s got 5.5 million hits. I think people are really interested in the science that’s happening here — turtle releases, right whales, and marine research in general.
We have a Weekly Bird Report with ornithologist Mark Faherty, who also joins me to talk about birds the second Tuesday of the month. When we started that a million years ago, I thought, “A whole hour on birds — what are we going to talk about?” But you’d be amazed how many people are birders. Now it’s one of our most popular shows, alongside gardening with horticulturist Roberta Clark and the weekly regional news roundup on Fridays, which is a must-listen program.
Lightning Round
Favorite beach?
I can’t pick a favorite.
Favorite places to eat on the Cape and Islands?
Oh, there are so many. When I’m in Provincetown, I love Fanizzi’s. Here in Falmouth, I’m partial to Añejo. And when I go over the bridge, I would say Stomping Grounds in Buzzards Bay.
What are you reading or listening to right now?
I’m actually reading the new book by our food reporter, Elspeth Hay. It’s called Feed Us with Trees: Nuts and the Future of Food.
When you’re not in the studio, what can we find you doing?
Probably in my garden. I have a 10-year-old grandson, so he and the garden keep me pretty busy.
What are some of your favorite places to recommend to people who are visiting the Cape and the Islands?
I always say, wherever you go, venture out a town or two — or three — away. There are so many magical places waiting to be found.
My husband grew up in Falmouth, and he had never gone out to Provincetown to see the right whales. So we hiked out to Race Point, and as we came around, there were about 15 whales frolicking right there. We couldn’t believe how close they were, because the seabed drops off.
He was amazed that in all of his time living here on the Cape, he had never seen that. So, I say, get out and explore other towns. Each one has magical spots and things to see.
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Tune in to The Point on CAI at 90.1FM 91.1FM 94.3FM or online at www.capeandislands.org, weekdays at 9am and 7pm, to hear the award-winning public affairs program hosted by Mindy Todd. From Monday through Friday Todd hosts a lively and informative discussion on important issues for Cape Cod, the Islands, and the South Coast, and every Friday, she speaks with news editors and reporters from around the region for the News Roundup.
Check out all of CAI’s local programming, including Elspeth Hay’s The Local Food Report and C.L. Fornari’s The Garden Lady.
