About John
December 5th, 2007 — smalltowntalkJohn Panesko has deep roots in the Twin Cities and has lived here all his life. His father was born here in 1907, and his grandfather settled here in the late 1800’s.
His grandfather used to ride into town by horseback for supplies and he would sit around the stove at the store and talk about the news of the day. John is carrying on that old tradition with Let’s Talk About It.
If you respect others who might disagree, then your voice will be heard. If you are mean or angry, you are not welcome. That’s the way it used to be, and still is on Let’s Talk About It.
John is a lawyer whose major in college was radio and television. He became the host of Let’s Talk About It ten years ago.
An avid observer of life, John prefers to talk about the real motivations of politicians, businesses and the media. Unlike most talk show hosts he admits when he’s wrong or when you have a better point of view. His theme is “we’re all in this together” and that’s his attitude towards finding the answers to problems.
December 8th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
“Let’s Talk About It” has been aired on KELA for decades with a variety of hosts, and I’ve been a listener all of that time. When John became the host, the show improved markedly. He was fully prepared to talk on just about any subject, and he saw to it that the show emphasized conversations between the host and caller, rather than callers just phoning up to “make speeches” without challenge. The show is not called “Let Me Talk About It” but “Let’s (let us) Talk About It” and John certainly makes that concept a reality. When I am unable to listen, I fret about what I may have missed. Thanks to this new website, I’ll never miss it again! Thanks, John!
April 7th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I truly enjoy listening to let’s talk about it because the exchange between listeners and John keeps me in touch with the community and the world, too. I am a recent widow and can’t drive so am not able to get around and make new friends. We moved here from California about 4 years ago (cost of living became too much) and left behindour friends of many years. It is very lonely living in my little apartment with no one to talk to all day and can no longer phone my husband in the nursing home. I start my day listening to Let’s Talk About It. It’s a feel-good experience. I am grateful to have such a friendly show to listen to.
July 12th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I listened to Lets Talk About It at work for many years, and enjoyed the interplay between John and the people who called in. But since I moved to Everett, I’m just slightly outside KELA”s listening area. Live streaming of the show has taken care of that problem. I can once again keep track of whats going on in my old stomping grounds. thanks such a great show.