By Jenni Todd
Murray, KY – WKMS-FM, the listener-supported public radio service and NPR member station from Murray State University begins its seasonal broadcast of "Company for the Holidays" programming on Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving Day. "Company for the Holidays" is a blend of musical and spoken word holiday entertainment airing weekly through New Year's Day 2010.
Giving Thanks: A Celebration of Fall, Food and Gratitude with John Birge: Thanksgiving Day from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Host John Birge combines music and stories in this contemporary reflection on the meaning of Thanksgiving. Guests include writer, humorist, and All Things Considered commentator Kevin Kling and Violinist Pamela Frank. This year's program will also remember the great American writer John Updike. From his 2002 Giving Thanks visit, Updike shares November reflections and holiday memories, including a Thanksgiving verse he wrote for his children.
Splendid Table's Turkey Confidential: Thanksgiving Day from 10 a.m. to Noon
Lynne Rossetto Kasper invites you to ask questions about getting the family feast perfect on this ultimate day for "foodies." Enjoy two hours of Thanksgiving morning triage for cooks across the nation! Kasper and her guest chef, Mario Batali, will take your calls in a live broadcast when you need it most - on the biggest cooking day of the year.
Harvest Home: Thanksgiving with the Dale Warland Singers: Thanksgiving Day from Noon to 1 p.m.
Over the years, the Dale Warland Singers have provided magical performances to listeners across the country. Drawing upon the archive of those live performances, America's premier a cappella choir performs a beautiful hour of newly arranged favorites, quiet and simple Shaker tunes and rousing folk songs.
National Day of Listening Special: Thanksgiving Day from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Thanksgiving Day's Talk of the Nation's first hour features Neal Conan speaking with MacArthur Genius and Story Corps originator David Isay about making time for recording interviews with loved ones over holidays.
Giving Thanks: A Celebration of Fall, Food and Gratitude with John Birge: Friday, November 27 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Enjoy the full-length celebration of Thanksgiving in music-and-stories with a thoughtful, contemporary reflection on the meaning of the holiday. Additional highlights include a celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday anniversary, Ellen Kushner reading from Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl," plus a poetry cameo from Studs Terkel, and an unforgettable journey of the spirit at Chartres Cathedral from Charles Laughton.
You can see the entire WKMS program schedule at wkms.org.
WKMS is a listener supported public radio service at 91.3 FM. The station also airs on 92.1 FM, Paducah; 99.5 FM, Paris, Tennessee; and 105.1 FM, Madisonville, WKMS HD-1, WKMS HD-2 with Classical 24, and online at wkms.org, where the station offers extensive web resources regarding its programming and more. For further information call 800-599-4737.