Dear WYSO Listeners --
We are making program changes, compelled by two pending national events: On Point is becoming a 1-hour program; and Live from Here is being cancelled. These changes create opportunities!
First, we are bringing World Cafe back to our weekday schedule. It complements Excursions with Niki Dakota. Starting September 21, Excursions will be offered from 11am - 2pm, followed by World Cafe from 2 - 4pm. This creates a five-hour block of music on weekdays, a place to hear the best new releases alongside classic fare -- a mix that World Cafe describes as “essential and emerging artists.” Yes! Many of you remember World Cafe, as we carried it prior to 2014. It has a terrific new host, Raina Douris. We are proud to bring it back.
What about Fresh Air from 3-4pm, you ask? We will move Fresh Air to 7pm, and no longer carry The World. For those still working at 3 who can’t spare the time or focus to listen to long-form interviews, now you can catch Fresh Air when you’re relaxed at home and ready to engage. For those who still want to hear Fresh Air at 3, it’s available as a podcast each day and on npr.org.
Now let’s look at Saturday evening: We’ve chosen Mountain Stage to replace Live from Here. When we asked you for suggestions for a replacement, this show came up again and again. Here’s the blurb:
“Produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and distributed by NPR Music, Mountain Stage features performances from seasoned legends and emerging stars in genres ranging from folk, blues, and country; to indie rock, synth pop, world music, alternative, and beyond.”
Our local bluegrass program Down Home Bluegrass will return to its original time of 6-8pm and Mountain Stage will air from 8-10pm. Finally, eTown will move to 10pm and American Routes will move to 11pm. This creates a 7-hour block of some of the finest roots-oriented American music you’ll hear anywhere.
We are excited about these changes, which represent a step toward being the best hybrid format (news + music) station we can be. I welcome your feedback.
I hope this finds you and your family healthy and well. Thanks for listening to WYSO.
Yours in community,
Luke Dennis
WYSO General Manager
ldennis@wyso.org
PS. You can always find our full broadcast schedule at https://www.wyso.org/schedule