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A People's History of Kansas City

Where cassette tapes never died

By Suzanne Hogan,
Anna Schmidt
Published April 10, 2024 at 4:00 AM CDT
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National Audio Company / Suzanne Hogan / Crysta Henthorne KCUR 89.3

Cassette tapes could have remained a relic of the 1970s and 80s. But against all odds, they’ve survived the eras of CDs and streaming to win over music lovers of a new generation. That’s in large part thanks to the National Audio Company in Springfield, Missouri, the largest cassette manufacturer in the world. Suzanne Hogan shares the story of how this proudly analog format found a new life.

Cassette tapes could have remained a relic of the 1970s and 80s. But against all odds, they’ve survived the eras of CDs and streaming to win over music lovers of a new generation. That’s in large part thanks to the National Audio Company in Springfield, Missouri, the largest cassette manufacturer in the world.

Suzanne Hogan shares the story of how this proudly analog format found a new life.

This episode of A People's History of Kansas City was reported and mixed by Suzanne Hogan with contributing reporting from Anna Schmidt and editing by Barb Shelly and Mackenzie Martin.

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A People's History of Kansas City MusicmanufacturingSpringfield
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Suzanne Hogan
Every part of the present has been shaped by actions that took place in the past, but too often that context is left out. As a podcast producer for KCUR Studios and host of the podcast A People’s History of Kansas City, I aim to provide context, clarity, empathy and deeper, nuanced perspectives on how the events and people in the past have shaped our community today. In that role, and as an occasional announcer and reporter, I want to entertain, inform, make you think, expose something new and cultivate a deeper shared human connection about how the passage of time affects us all. Reach me at hogansm@kcur.org.
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Anna Schmidt
Anna Schmidt is the fall 2023 intern for KCUR Studios. She recently graduated from Kansas State University, where she was the Opinions Desk Editor for the Collegian student newspaper and took over the role of podcast host. You can email her at anna.schmidt@kcur.org.
See stories by Anna Schmidt
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