Monday, March 23, 2009

Here and Now Added to VPR's Schedule

Next Monday, we'll begin airing the news magazine program Here and Now weekdays at 1 p.m. The Story with Dick Gordon has moved to 2 p.m. It's replacing Day to Day, which ended production last Friday due to budget cuts at NPR. 

Hosted by broadcasting veteran Robin Young, Here and Now combines the best in journalism with intelligent, broad-ranging conversation for a fast-paced program that updates the news from the morning and adds important conversations on public policy and foreign affairs, science and technology, and the arts: film, theater, music, food and more. The program has been produced by WBUR/Boston since 1998. Originally a local news magazine, it is now distributed nationally by Public Radio International.  


How did we pick Here and Now? Over the last several months we listened to and analyzed the field of available programs to replace Day to Day. The analysis included an informal survey of VPR's Community Forum and data from previously-held focus groups.  We listened to hours of different programs and examined how they  performed in other regions. We were looking for a program that  would serve VPR listeners with strong content and strong presentation - one that we hope has even more promise for the future.

Why Here and Now? Well, we've found that VPR listeners especially enjoy news magazine-style programs, and Here and Now is one of the strongest news magazine programs we've heard. Since it feeds live at 1 p.m., the program provides an update on the developing news of the day and fits well in the midday lineup, following Vermont Edition and preceding The Story. The program is broad and features technology, finance, culture, theater and music.  Based in Boston, we also liked it because it sometimes provides listeners with a Northeastern perspective. Additionally, Here and Now has seen an increasing amount of interest from public radio stations around the country. We believe you'll find the program matches the depth, values, and variety you appreciate from VPR.

You'll find daily program descriptions and audio archives online here. We hope you'll listen and let us know what you think!

1 comment:

  1. I find myself strongly agreeing with your guest making the distinction that we have more the situation of egg selling than of persons donating their eggs. I think whoever supplies the egg which successfully is fertilized and becomes a child has the same responsibility to that child as does the careless male who sleeps around and fathers a child. No difference. Upon birth, the child's rights of origin information and expectations of origin parent - emotionally and economically - should trump parental choices, and these are the same needs society has as well.

    Kevin Iungerman, One Citizen, Glens Falls, NY.

    ReplyDelete

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