Over the last four decades, there have been many iterations of Studio One — KUNI’s Progression show became Night Music, which then became Live from Studio One and eventually, Iowa Public Radio’s Studio One Tracks and, now, the current 24-hour Studio One music format. Throughout this storied history, there has been one constant: beloved host and Senior Music Producer Mark Simmet. Simmet retired at the end of 2025 after 38 years with KUNI and Iowa Public Radio.
Simmet is a true Midwesterner. He hails from the small German town of New Ulm, MN and received his degree in studio art from Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN. During his time at Saint John’s, Simmet started his radio career with a weekly show on KSJU, the university’s closed-circuit student radio station.
After graduating in 1980, Simmet’s professional career started back in New Ulm, where he wore many hats at a local commercial radio station. There, he did everything from reading the news to doing live weekday weather broadcasts with the National Weather Service. Simmet also met his now-wife, fellow journalist Jean Caspers-Simmet.
When Jean’s career brought her to Estherville to edit the Estherville Daily News, Mark brought his audition tape to several Iowa radio stations. He ultimately landed a gig with a jack-of-all-trades small-town commercial station, also in Estherville. His true ambition, though, was to work in public radio.
“It had always been my dream to work at a public radio station,” Simmet said. “It would kind of be like college radio, except as a job where you get paid to do it. It’s kind of a crazy dream, really.”
That dream soon came true.
“We got the Des Moines Register, and in their classified ad section, back when that was still a thing, they had an ad for KUNI,” he said. “They were expanding at that time and looking for more hosts. So, I applied for that, sent my tape in, went in for an interview in Cedar Falls and then they hired me.”
Simmet started at KUNI/KHKE in June 1987, the same year he married Jean. Since then, he's hosted all kinds of music programming, from daytime jazz on KHKE to alternative music at night on KUNI and even the occasional folk show. Simmet has fond memories working with KUNI mainstays like Bob Dorr, Al Schares, Karen Impola and Tony Dehner throughout his career. He also recalls exciting moments with the Friends of KUNI, as hordes of volunteers answered phone calls during pledge drives.
“The thing is, with Mark, I could never ever predict what music he was going to like — like ever,” Dehner said. ”I don't think it's any secret that he is a huge Neil Young fan and knows everything about that band, about Neil and his music. [He’s also] a big Grateful Dead fan. One year, his favorite album of the year came from the group YACHT, and there was the year he had 100 gecs on his top five list for the year. He’s a big fan of, like, '80s new wave music and just a huge variety of music. He’s a really well-rounded listener and appreciator of music, and just super knowledgeable, knew a lot of great trivia and was very insightful.”
Simmet has interviewed a multitude of interesting people throughout his career, including Hozier, Ani DiFranco, Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, as well as countless local talents. Like the true music connoisseur and Minnesotan he is, Simmet chose to play the Bob Dylan deep cut “Series of Dreams” as his sign-off from the air.
In addition to enjoying more time with his adult children, Willa and Donald, Simmet also plans to spend his retirement traveling and gardening. After a long, illustrious career hosting all kinds of music radio, some R&R with Jean (also recently retired) is well deserved. Thanks for all your contributions to the local music community, Mark! Enjoy retirement!
