Mark Houston is a radio host, producer, writer, and event creator based in Rapid City, South Dakota. If it involves a microphone, a story, or a crowd of people having a good time, chances are he’s had a hand in it. For more than three decades Mark has worked in media, helping shape one of the most recognizable local media ecosystems in the Black Hills. His work spans six radio stations, multiple podcasts, digital journalism, and large community events that bring thousands of people together every year. On the air, Mark hosts and produces shows like The Second Shift, the Whiskey@Work podcast, and the Doc Talk podcast with Monument Health. His conversations range from pop culture and weird news to deep dives into whiskey history and approachable discussions with doctors about the topics people actually want to understand about their health. His style leans more toward curiosity than expertise. The goal is simple. Make it interesting. Make it fun. And make people feel like they’re part of the conversation. Outside the studio, Mark writes for the Rapid City Post, including the restaurant column Taste the Room and the spirits column Distilled, an extension of the Whiskey@Work podcast that focuses on the most fascinating stories, history, and personalities in the world of whiskey. He’s also deeply involved in producing and promoting community events across western South Dakota. From whiskey festivals and pub crawls to concerts and themed promotions, his focus is simple. Create experiences that feel local, memorable, and just a little unexpected. At the center of everything he does is a belief that local media still matters. When it’s done right, it doesn’t just entertain people. It helps build the community it serves.
There’s a word most of us filed away in the same drawer as polio and rotary phones. Measles. Something your grandma had. Something we beat. Then look at the board. […]
Pour yourself a bourbon tonight and you’re holding a thank-you note to a dead French king. The word on the label traces back to the House of Bourbon, the royal […]
You go in for one paperback. You come out with eleven and a tote bag you didn’t own that morning. It happens to the best of us, and it happens […]
Every St. Patrick’s Day the T-shirts come out. “Don’t worry, liver, you’ll be fine.” Chantel Holz, CNP, has a two-word response to those. “Job security.” Holz works in gastroenterology at […]
In 1836 two young men walked off a farm at Strathythan, near Ellon, and headed for Aberdeen. James Chivas was 26. His brother John was 22. Sixteen miles, and by […]
Because every restaurant is more than just what’s on the plate. Pub | $$ | 155 Osborne Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Settling In I crossed a border to get here. […]
