By Faradis Lindblom
Dottie Ray may be gone from radio, but she is certainly not forgotten, nor is the role she played.
In 2014, Ray, host of the Dottie Ray Show on AM-800 KXIC hung up the mike after her last show. Now, two years after her retirement from radio, a film has been released about her accomplishments and work as a woman in journalism.
The film, Staying Tuned: The Dottie Ray Story, will be screened today at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth St.
“I love the community and certainly have been very lucky and grateful for the opportunity,” Ray said about the film.
For 55 years, Ray hosted a morning show in which she interviewed Iowa City locals for 15 minutes. She hosted the show from her living room, mainly focusing on events relating to arts and culture in the Iowa City area. In her early days in journalism in 1942, she worked as the Editor-in-chief of The Daily Iowan.
Susan Frye, one of the producers of the film, said she thinks Ray is a stellar role model for women. As a guest on Ray’s show throughout the years, Frye said she’s been waiting for someone to write a book or film about her accomplishments as a woman in journalism.
Two and half years ago, Frye decided to be that person.
“It’s not just the telling of the Dottie Ray story, it’s the story of women in journalism,” Frye said. “It’s important because Dottie is unique, not only in the state of Iowa but all over the country for what she has accomplished as a woman in journalism.”
Ray said she feels very lucky and privileged to have a film about her. She describes her accomplishments in journalism as “totally accidental” but praises her time at the University of Iowa and the DI as her starting point.
“When I came to the university as a transfer from Eagle Grove Junior College in 1942, the enrollment was 6,000, and now it’s hitting 30,000,” Ray said. “I have been privileged to participate as the university and Iowa City grew.”
Ray’s close friends and colleagues were interviewed for the film, as well as scholars in women’s journalism. Frye said her hope for the film was to accurately depict Ray’s 50-plus years of accomplishments, conveying her progression through life and career from her time at the DI to her time with AM-800 KXIC, the birth of her daughters, and her acceptance of the prestigious Marconi Award.
During her time hosting the “Dottie Ray Show,” Ray was very involved in the Iowa City community, hosting representatives from various charity events, nonprofits, and fundraisers.
“She really educated our community about what was going on in terms of charities, nonprofits, education … the whole spectrum,” Frye said.
Jay Capron, a fellow radio personality at KXIC who worked alongside Ray for many years, said if people in the community were planning an event, their first concern was always when they were going to go on the “Dottie Ray Show.”
“The ripple effect that her show had is immeasurable,” Capron said.
Some local theaters saw value in Ray’s show when promoting their events.
Jennifer Holan, the executive director of Riverside Theater, said the theater staff members never hesitated to send one of their actors to the “Dottie Ray Show,” noting Ray always made their time on her show feel like a charming visit rather than a pressuring interview.
“She always made everyone feel welcome and comfortable and always made sure there was coffee,” Holan said. “We knew they’d be in for a positive experience.”