Every Wednesday around 3:30 p.m., you’ll find me on The Rundown with Mark Starling on News Radio 570 WWNC.
I’ve been doing it for about seven months now, and to be honest, I’m still not entirely sure how it happened. At the time, I had just finished filming the pilot down in Georgia, and Hurricane Helene was tearing through Western North Carolina like a buzzsaw.
That whole stretch of life is a blur. I was making back-and-forth runs to Haywood County, hauling in supplies. I was glued to my phone, sharing updates on X, and trying to connect people with resources. I was in constant contact with our state reps, trying to keep folks informed and calm in the middle of the chaos.
And the radio? Lord, I did so many spots during that time—KC O’Dea, Pete Kaliner, Joe Cats. A few hosts even floated the idea of regular segments or launching a podcast. But life was on fire. I didn’t have the bandwidth.
Then Starling asked. And somehow, that was different.
I’ve got a soft spot for every single one of those guys. They’ve been good to me. But there’s something about Starling—maybe it’s all those years he’s spent soaking up the soul of Western North Carolina. I think he’s halfway to being a hillbilly at this point. And that? That makes him family in my book. I never even considered saying no.
If you tune in to WWNC, chances are you already know Mark’s voice. He’s been a steady presence there since 2015, running First News on 570 every weekday morning. But he’s been in radio a lot longer than that—across Florida, Virginia, New York—you name it. These days, though, his boots are planted in WNC, where he’s not just reporting the news, he’s living it right alongside everyone else.
During Hurricane Helene, Mark wasn’t just a voice on the radio. He and his team—shoutout to producer Tank Spencer—became a lifeline. They were trapped in the WWNC studio, trees down, no power or water, no reliable cell service. But they stayed on the air, round the clock, doing what local radio was always meant to do: serve.
They shared critical info—where to find insulin, which roads were washed out, who was still missing. Mark worked with ham radio operators to get news out when everything else had failed. One caller broke down and sang Amazing Grace on the air. Another called in about a man, his wife, and their grandson being swept away. At least 120 people in North Carolina didn’t make it through that storm—but because of Mark and his team, a whole lot more did.
They weren’t just doing a job—they were loving on their community, as Mark put it. And that love didn’t end when the floodwaters receded. Months later, he was still using his platform to spotlight recovery efforts and local groups like Valley Strong Disaster Relief.
That’s what makes Mark Starling different. He’s not parachuting in to cover a crisis. He’s already here—on your radio, in your corner, fighting for WNC right alongside the rest of us.
Sure, First News on 570 tackles politics and headlines and whatever madness is coming out of Raleigh that week. But it’s also got heart. And that’s because Mark doesn’t just know how to work a mic—he knows how to listen, how to care, and how to hold space when it feels like the sky is falling.
You can hear him weekday mornings on WWNC, or catch us together on Wednesdays during The Rundown. And if you’ve got a story to share, you can reach him directly at mark@wwnc.com.
Just be warned: it’s hard to tell Mark Starling no. And, honestly, why would you want to?
