Murray State’s NPR station, 91.3 WKMS-FM will broadcast more afternoon news with the addition of two new programs The Takeaway and BBC Newshour, replacing NPR’s Talk of the Nation after it ends production due to its cancelation by NPR.
Starting July 1 The Takeaway replaces Talk of the Nation at 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Science Friday will continue to air 1 to 3 p.m. Fridays on WKMS. The Takeaway is a co-produced by WNYC and Public Radio International (PRI). The show, hosted by public radio veteran John Hockenberry, features national and international news coverage, and works to deliver stories through a conversational and personality-driven format. Hockenberry is a four-time Emmy Award winner and three-time Peabody Award winner. In 2007, he was named a Distinguished Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. He is the author of the nonfiction book Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs and Declarations of Independence and the novel A River Out Of Eden.
BBC Newshour will replace Talk of the Nation at 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Distributed by American Public Media (APM), Newshour provides definitive reports on the big stories of the day with headlines, commentary and reporting from around the world. The BBC's global correspondents bring listeners vital information to keep up with world events. The program is hosted by Owen Bennett-Jones, Lyse Doucet, Robin Lustig, Razia Iqbal, James Coomarasamy and Julian Marshall.
Talk of the Nation will air its last episode Thursday, June 27, ending a 21-year-long run, 12 years of that on WKMS-FM. The call-in talk show helped launch big names in public broadcasting including original host John Hockenberry and This American Life’s Ira Glass. Current TOTN host Neal Conan is known as one of NPR’s most distinguished journalists, bringing extraordinary depth and insight and skill to his work. He will leave a legacy of excellence, having skillfully carried NPR, WKMS, and the nation through some of the most important news of the last decade.
WKMS has a weekly audience estimated at about 20,000 listeners in the Four Rivers Region of western Kentucky, southernmost Illinois and northwestern Tennessee. The station's public media services include 91.3 WKMS-FM, Murray; WKMS HD-1 and All-Music HD-2; 90.9 WKMD and WKMD HD-1 and HD-2, Madisonville; 89.5 WKMT, Fulton; 99.5 Paris, Tenn., and All-Music 92.5 Paducah and 105.1 Madisonville. The station also offers both channels WKMS HD-1 and HD-2 at wkms.org, where regular weekly schedules of programs are available. Listeners with questions can call 1-800-599-4737 during regular business hours.
Contact: Membership Coordinator Jenni Todd (270-809-4748 or jtodd14@murraystate.edu)
