Change is gonna come

The program director’s job is one of the toughest in radio. I give regular thanks that it is Jackie Sauter's, not mine. At the core of the job is the mandate to keep the sound fresh, to find voices both diverse and comprehensive, to balance the need for information with the need for entertainment, and to have a global view of everything that goes out over our air. It requires an exquisitely tuned ear, telepathic connection to the audience, a thorough understanding of mission, and a bushel basketful of tact and sensitivity. The test of these qualities comes at times of trepidation and excitement, at times of change, like now.

Beginning Monday, February 5, NCPR will be refreshing its weekday lineup with a number of new programs. At 2 pm weekdays, Dick Gordon, the much-missed former host of The Connection will return to NCPR with his new program, The Story, which looks at the world through the real-life experiences of ordinary people, with the aid of the innovative Public Insight Journalism service. At 1 pm on Friday, we will introduce a variety of limited series and specials, beginning with Radio Lab, the imaginative science series from WNYC. Open Source, formerly heard once a week and a day late, Wednesday at 2 pm, will now be carried live and in full Monday-Thursday at 7 pm. The program offers analysis, commentary and features, developed through a unique network of bloggers and citizen journalists, and is hosted by the peerless Chris Lydon.

To accommodate these additions, weekday broadcast of The World and Performance Today will be moved back one hour, to 8 pm and 9 pm respectively. The Folk Show will also move, from 8 pm to 7 pm on Friday. Please give these new programs an advance peek at their websites above and, as always, let us know what you think about these or any of our programs. Write jackie@ncpr.org.