KUOW Introduces New Program Starting September 3, 2013
KUOW is creating a new midday newsmagazine program. Instead of producing three separate midday shows (Weekday, The Conversation, KUOW Presents), KUOW hosts and producers from those programs will collaborate on a new, fast–paced, two-hour program called The Record on KUOW.
The Record on KUOW will air from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.
See the new program schedule (PDF). Listen to a preview of The Record on KUOW.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is changing Monday through Friday?
August 12, 2103:
2 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Monday - Friday: All Things Considered begins airing at 2 p.m. Writer's Almanac continues to air at the end of the 2 o'clock hour. KUOW Presents no longer airs. After 3 p.m. All Things Considered will include stories from The World and KUOW local and regional content.
August 19 - August 30, 2013:
The "best of" Weekday and The Conversation will air during the transition to the new midday schedule as hosts Steve Scher, Ross Reynolds and Marcie Sillman, and their program producers prepare for the September 3 premiere of the new program, The Record on KUOW.
- 9 a.m. - 11 a.m., Monday - Friday: Best of Weekday will feature favorite episodes of Weekday through the years. Live production of Weekday stops as staff prepare for the premiere of The Record on KUOW.
- 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Monday - Friday: To the Point continues to air until September 3, then moves to its new time, 8 p.m. - 9 p.m., Monday - Thursday.
- 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Monday - Friday: Best of The Conversation will feature favorite episodes of The Conversation through the years. Live production of The Conversation stops as staff prepares for the premiere of The Record on KUOW.
Beginning September 3, 2013:
- 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Monday - Friday: The Takeaway airs at its new time. Weekday no longer airs. Learn more about The Takeaway.
- 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Monday - Thursday: Here and Now debuts (To The Point airs at its new time, 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday). Learn more about Here and Now.
- Fridays, 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.: Week In Review with Steve Scher.
- Fridays, 11 a.m. - noon: The Tavis Smiley Show.
- 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., Monday - Friday: The Record on KUOW airs. (The Conversation no longer airs. The Takeaway moves to its new time at 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.)
- 2:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Monday - Friday: All Things Considered continues to air at its earlier time. Writer's Almanac continues to air at the end of the 2 o'clock hour.
- 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Monday - Thursday: To The Point airs at its new time.
Q: Why make these changes?
In 2000, KUOW set out to produce three different shows (Weekday, The Conversation, KUOW Presents) with three distinct areas of coverage: arts and culture, politics and news. Over the years, the focus of those shows has overlapped and become very similar. The natural next step in this evolution is to combine them into one efficiently produced, fast-paced program.
Having our team work on one expertly-produced show will provide a better defined program for our listeners. Our editorial process will be more efficient behind the scenes and will allow us to focus the talent and expertise of our hosts and producers on a tight two-hour program.
By making the pacing and mix of our entire midday programming offerings more consistent with KUOW's morning and afternoon programming, we're responding to the way listeners use KUOW.
Q: What is going to happen to Weekday, The Conversation and KUOW Presents?
The same great hosts and producers who brought you these excellent programs are going to be working full-time on The Record on KUOW. KUOW Presents will no longer air after August 9, 2013, nor will Weekday and The Conversation after August 30, 2013.
Q: Why is the new show running at noon, Monday - Friday, and not at 9 a.m.?
Running The Takeaway, with its international and national stories, in the morning brings listeners the top-of-mind global stories as soon as possible.
Q: Is there any local content before noon on weekdays?
A: Yes. We will continue to present local coverage and news every hour starting at 5 a.m. That includes reporter features, host interviews and newscasts.
Q: What is new and unique about The Record on KUOW?
The Record on KUOW continues our long standing mission to create and serve an informed public while meeting the highest standards of journalism, cultural expression and entertainment. We will keep doing what we do best and what our listeners expect: tell excellent stories, report the news and help spark crucial conversations relevant to our region.
The Record on KUOW is a daily, locally produced newsmagazine that will be a dynamic, diverse destination that informs, delights, and inspires, by presenting smart, in-depth, illuminating and compelling radio about the Puget Sound region and beyond.
The Record on KUOW is news driven. It responds to what's happening in the news and brings our listeners the analysts and personalities who can best tell the story as it's developing.
The pacing of The Record on KUOW will be modeled after our most successful programming (Morning Edition and All Things Considered). This means KUOW listeners will hear more stories, and a lively mix of local, national and international reporting.
Q: What can I still expect to hear on The Record on KUOW?
Many regular features from Weekday and The Conversation will be carried forward into the new show:
- Interviews with elected officials
- Nancy Pearl book recommendations
- News from Canada
- News quiz
- Sound of the day
- Friday news roundtable continues to air on Fridays at 10 a.m.
- Greendays Gardening will become seasonal, instead of weekly
- Poetry curated by Elizabeth Austen
Activities around the program that will also stay the same:
- There will be top-of-the-hour newscasts every hour from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Writer's Almanac will continue to air at the end of the 2 o'clock hour.
- We will have a regular rotation of three hosts: Ross Reynolds, Steve Scher and Marcie Sillman. It is similar to what listeners hear on NPR's All Things Considered.
- The producers from Weekday, The Conversation and KUOW Presents; Dave Beck, Andy Hurst, David Hyde, Arwen Nicks, Jason Pagano and Jeannie Yandel will bring their talents and expertise to the new program. We say goodbye to Weekday's Katy Sewall. She and her husband have accepted a fellowship in Rome for the 2013-2014 academic year.
- Our announcers, Bill Radke, Bernard Ouellette and Reiny Cohen, will still be on at their regular times during and after the new programming changes).
- Our current KUOW reporters, announcers and newscasters will continue to report the news, weather and breaking stories of the day.
Q: Are there any changes scheduled for KUOW2?
Yes, we have several changes on KUOW2, including moving some programs from KUOW to KUOW2. View the new KUOW2 schedule, effective September 3 (PDF). Here is a summary:
- To the Point will air Monday – Thursday at 11 a.m. on KUOW2.
- Science Friday will air from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on KUOW2.
- The midday broadcast of Tell Me More moves to Monday – Thursday at noon.
- The BBC Newshour will air Monday – Friday at 1 p.m.
- There are also several weekend changes, including:
- To the Best of Our Knowledge will now be heard Saturdays at 5 p.m.
- Both halves of Humankind will now air Saturdays at 7 p.m.
- Distribution of My Word and My Music is ending, so those programs have been dropped from the schedule.
- New Dimensions will air at noon on Sundays.
- Peace Talk Radio moves to Sundays at 1 p.m.
Q: Why make changes to KUOW2?
The schedules of KUOW and KUOW2 are meant to complement each other and expand program offerings to listeners. In this schedule change we didn’t want to remove any programs from KUOW and KUOW2.
Listen and tell us what you think
Lend us your ears! Listen to The Record on KUOW on September 3 and then tell us what you think using the form below, or contact programming@kuow.org.