If you keep up with local news or follow radio coverage of high school sports, you know Mathew Pilger – or at least you know the sound of his voice.

Pilger serves as news director at KWWR and KXEO radio in Mexico, but he seems to be everywhere. City council meetings? Yep. Bulldogs football games? You know it. Pilger hosts the morning show and provides live coverage of Mexico sports, as well as breaking news.

He knows the area well. Pilger graduated from Mexico High School in 1994. And while he earned a degree in Broadcasting and Journalism from St. Louis’ broadcast center, Pilger first took his career in another direction. He once owned a restaurant in Mexico called J.J.’s.

Although he jokes that his mother is the only one listening, since joining the radio station in 2016, Pilger has become a local institution behind the microphone, with a St. Louis Cardinals mug in hand.

What’s it like to be the voice of Audrain County? Oh, gosh – I don’t know if I’d call myself the voice of Audrain County. But I feel very privileged to be able to keep people informed.

Do you have a favorite radio moment? I would have to say 2018, when the Mexico softball team won the state championship in Springfield. That was an experience I’ll never forget. Seeing the celebration, I had chills going down my spine. It was awesome.

How about a broadcaster you admire – besides Jack Buck? Man, that’s tough. Mike Shannon is one of my favorites. And believe it or not, Jim Ross from professional wrestling is someone I enjoy. I just read his book Under the Black Hat. It was an interesting read.

You work long hours. What keeps you going? I enjoy the immediacy, being able to let people know what’s going on as it happens.

What’s the most difficult part of the job? Getting up at 4 a.m., or before 4 a.m. The early mornings.

Do you keep a blooper reel? Oh no – We wouldn’t have enough space in the building for that. It’s an everyday thing.

That’s the good thing about immediacy, right? You just move on. Yeah, and quickly.

You are obviously a Cardinals fan. The Cardinals, the Chiefs, the Blues, Mizzou – I’m a homer. I love all of our local sports teams, too.

Pick one player in Cardinals history, one that stands out to you. Man, that’s a tough one, but I think it would be Yadier Molina. I’m hoping he’s going to return to the Cardinals, but it’s not looking that way.

If you weren’t in radio, you’d be …? I’d be cooking. I love food. I owned a restaurant and a bar. Do you know where Stacy’s is? I sold it to Stacy in 2015. So I’d be serving drinks and making burgers.