New Programs Added to VPR News Weeknight Schedule

We are pleased to announce new programs coming to the VPR News service on weeknights beginning Monday, September 10.

Monday through Thursday evenings, we’ve added Q from the CBC at 8 p.m. Q, which got positive feedback from listeners during a test run last month, is an energetic arts, culture, and entertainment magazine that takes you on a smart and surprising ride, interviewing personalities and tackling today’s cultural issues around the world. Hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, with his trademark wit and spontaneity, Q covers pop culture and high arts alike with forays into the most provocative and compelling cultural trends. 

Credit: Michel Martin by Stephen Voss

At 9 p.m., NPR’s Tell Me More brings fresh voices and perspectives to public radio. Capturing the headlines, issues and pleasures relevant to multicultural life in America, the daily one-hour series is hosted by award-winning journalist Michel Martin. Tell Me More focuses on the way we live, intersect, and sometimes collide in a culturally diverse world. Each day's show features a variety of segments examining U.S. and international news, ideas, and people.

And at 10 p.m., VPR has created Tonight On VPR, which features a different program every night: On Being on Mondays, The State We’re In on Tuesdays, Moyers And Company on Wednesdays, and To The Best Of Our Knowledge on Thursdays.

Credit: Reuben Jackson by Stephanie Seguino

On Friday nights, kick off your weekend with Friday Night Jazz With Reuben Jackson, our new local jazz program from 8-11 p.m. Reuben is former curator of the Duke Ellington collection at the Smithsonian, a jazz expert, and now, a Burlington High School teacher. Reuben's program kicks off a weekend of locally-hosted music in the evenings, joining My Place with Joel Najman on Saturday and All the Traditions with Robert Resnik on Sundays.

We’ve also added a new 24-hour jazz stream, available at VPR.net, our mobile website, and iPhone app. VPR Jazz24 features the great jazz artists of all time as well as today's top talents and is produced by Pacific Public Media, which operates KPLU in Tacoma, WA.

These programs provide listeners with a new and deep experience in arts and culture, and fresh voices and perspectives on how we live and intersect in a culturally diverse world.

We hope you’ll check out our new weeknight lineup and let us know what you think!

Give Q A Listen

Listen next week for Q, a new program we're piloting on VPR. Q is a lively arts, culture, and entertainment magazine hosted by Jian Ghomeshi. We’re testing it out for a few days at 8 p.m. beginning Monday, July 30th. We’re asking you to give it a listen and let us know what you think.

Q explores our cultural landscape, bringing you new ideas from the people who are paving the way. Ghomeshi has interviewed an array of prominent international figures from prime ministers to sports stars and cultural icons. He offers his own editorial insights on the day's events and laces the show with insight and wit. You’ll also hear live music that runs the gamut from R&B to folk-punk. Produced by the CBC, Q is the most popular arts and entertainment program in Canada and is increasing in popularity in the U.S.  The program was profiled in the New York Times July 22nd.

The retirement of Tom and Ray Magliozzi from Car Talk has prompted an important discussion about innovation in public radio. VPR strives to give you the opportunity to hear the best public radio programming being produced today – by stations, networks and independent producers. The TED Radio Hour, Snap Judgement, The Moth Radio Hour, State of the Re:Union, American RadioWorks, and Radiolab are all programs that started out ‘new’ and are now favorites. Piloting Q is a continuation of VPR’s commitment to trying new things.

I hope you’ll give Q a listen and let us know what you think. We’re testing it out for a few days at 8 p.m. beginning Monday.  Learn more about Q here.

For more about innovation in public radio, listen to Vermont Edition from July 20th, which featured conversations with VPR President Robin Turnau and Ira Glass of This American Life.