Tyler Mason's job title with the City of River Falls is Communications Coordinator. Communicating is what Mason has been doing for the last year in his new gig. His job description is being the eyes and ears for the River Falls community.
"Once I got my feet under me and found out how the city worked," Mason said, "I thought this would be a good tool to help tell stories."
Mason started the brand new "Kinni Cast" last week. It's a podcast focusing on all levels of city government for River Falls.
"There are so many different facets of city government, so we're going to have each department on and share what they do," Mason said. "It will focus on the work the city does and how it impacts the community."
The new "Kinni Cast" has a nice ring to it according to Mason.
"It's quick and catchy, I think," Mason said.
Mason came to the City of River Falls from a marketing and communications position with Medical Alley, a healthcare trade organization with many members.
"Tyler gets the big picture regarding communications in 2025," said City of River Falls Utility Director Kevin Westhuis. "He just has a knack for finding the interest and eyeballs for our community.”
Westhuis will be guest number three on the Kinni Cast. City Administrator Scot Simpson was the first guest. The first episode dropped last week. Mayor Dan Toland's episode was recorded this past week. It will be available this coming Wednesday. The "Kinni Cast" podcast will have new episodes every two weeks and they will drop on Wednesdays. They can be heard on most podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple podcasts and iHeart Radio.
"People can also find it on the city webpage, as well, so plenty of places," Mason said. “The ‘Kinni Cast’ will be audio only.”
Each episode will last 15 to 30 minutes according to Mason.
"It will depend on the guest and topic," said Mason.
Mason is no stranger to podcasts. He produced and edited the podcasts at his former position with Medical Alley. He has also been hosting a voluntary community podcast in Hudson since 2023.
Mason says the goal of the "Kinni Cast" is two-fold.
"Obviously, it's external and we want residents to tune in," Mason said, "but it's also a good tool for our staff to get to learn more about other departments they don't normally work with."
If residents have "Kinni Cast" guest ideas or related city issues they'd like to learn more about, Tyler may be reached via email at tmason@rfcity.org.