Several public radio broadcasters in the Upper Midwest have recently made adjustments to their schedules:
Iowa Public Radio has launched a new weekend music program, “Studio One All Access,” on its News and Studio One network, which includes KUNI/90.9 (Cedar Falls-Waterloo-Cedar Rapids) and WOI-FM/90.1 (Ames-Des Moines). The show airs from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and is repeated Sunday evenings at 7, highlighting music discovery from Iowa, Midwestern, and national artists. It replaces “Gas Money” and “Studio One Tracks.”
Minnesota Public Radio’s News network, including KNOW/91.1 (Minneapolis-St. Paul), launched “Minnesota Now” on Oct. 18. The new hour-long news magazine airs at noon Monday through Friday and is hosted by Cathy Wurzer, who also continues to host MPR’s version of “Morning Edition.” As previously noted, the launch of the new show came as part of a midday lineup shuffle at MPR News that saw Angela Davis move to the 9 a.m. hour and the national show “1A” expand to two hours from 10 to noon. The schedule is different on Fridays, when Kerri Miller hosts a show focused on books and ideas at 11 a.m. (The original post here incorrectly stated that “Minnesota Now” did not air on Fridays due to an error in MPR’s online listings.)
Nebraska Public Media‘s Lora Black retired Oct. 15 after 30 years with the network, which includes KUCV/91.1 (Lincoln). Black marked the retirement with a special edition of “Classics By Request.” A new permanent host for the network’s early afternoon hours has not yet been announced.
Wisconsin Public Radio’s Ideas Network, including WHA/970 (Madison) and WHAD/90.7 (Delafield-Milwaukee), made changes Oct. 2 due to the end of production of national shows “Ask Me Another” and “Says You.” The 10 a.m. Saturday hour is now occupied by “Code Switch” and “Life Kit,” while the network airs WPR’s “BETA” in the 8 a.m. Sunday hour.
NPR ended distribution of “The Best of Car Talk” at the end of September, forcing schedule changes at the few public radio stations that were still carrying the repeats. KIOS/91.5 (Omaha) now airs “Bullseye with Jesse Thorn” at 9 a.m. Saturday, while WVIK/90.3 (Rock Island) moved “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” to 9 a.m. and added “A Way with Words” at 11 a.m. “Car Talk” reruns are now available as a twice-weekly podcast.