Monte Belmonte and Kaliis Smith are the hosts of the Fabulous 413, a daily afternoon radio show celebrating life in western Massachusetts — and a kind of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” for grown-ups.

Monte Belmonte was born and raised in Massachusetts and has been a radio host in western Massachusetts for the last 20 years. He’s married to Smith College Spanish lecturer Melissa Belmonte, and has three incredibly creative kids, Atticus, Enzo and Pax.

Kaliis Smith, who is also the show’s digital producer, is originally from Roxbury and now lives in Springfield. A guitarist, she’s in several local bands including Ex-Temper, The Brass, and Soul Magnets, and she’s the author of “Finger and Thumb.” Her latest is “Sir Morien,” a children’s book co-written with New York Times bestselling author Holly Black.

During this episode, we chat about:

• What the Fabulous 413 is
• How Monte and Kaliis find the topics or guests for their show
• What their favorite segments have been
• How they listen to audience feedback
• What they have coming next for the Fabulous 413
• Challenges they’ve faced on the show
• Their advice for anyone looking to get into public radio as a career

And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things Western Massachusetts and what makes it a wonderful place to live and visit.

Access the full transcript here.

Watch the episode on YouTube here.

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