Alec Baldwin’s “Here’s The Thing” comes to KUT Friday nights
KUT to Announce Replacement for “The Tavis Smiley Show” in January
AUSTIN, Texas – Dec. 18, 2017 – KUT 90.5, Austin’s NPR station, is expanding the broadcast time for its most listened-to program, “Morning Edition.”
Beginning Monday, Jan. 1, KUT 90.5 will air an additional hour of “Morning Edition” from 9 to 10 a.m. This will make the NPR morning news magazines – “Morning Edition” and “Weekend Edition – available to Austin listeners seven days a week until 10 a.m. The added hour will also give KUT the flexibility to feature more from KUT’s award-winning newsroom, such as longer-form interviews with local newsmakers and the ability to focus more attention on and coverage of local news stories. Longtime KUT 90.5 “Morning Edition” Jennifer Stayton will be in the host’s chair for this additional hour of the show.
“Austin interest in public radio journalism has never been higher, as shown by the increasing numbers of Austinites turning to KUT 90.5 for news each day. And as Austin has grown, so has the need for more news coverage,” said Hawk Mendenhall, associate general manager of broadcast and content services. “This additional hour of ‘Morning Edition’ will enable us to deliver more news from our community, the nation and the world on a daily basis.”
To make way for an expanded “Morning Edition,” WBUR’s “On Point” will leave the KUT schedule starting Jan. 1.
Additionally, “The Dinner Party Download,” which ended production, will be replaced by “Here’s the Thing” from 9 to 10 p.m. Fridays.
Hosted by Alec Baldwin and produced by WNYC in New York, “Here’s the Thing” joins the KUT line-up for 10 weeks starting Jan. 5. “Here’s the Thing” is a series of intimate conversations between Baldwin and artists, policy makers and performers to learn what inspires their creations, examine the decisions that changed their careers, and discuss how relationships influenced their work. Guests during this 10-week run include Jimmy Fallon, Carly Simon, Carol Burnett, Paul Simon and more.
Finally, Public Radio International (PRI) announced last week that it is terminating its distribution agreement with “The Tavis Smiley Show” due to allegations of misconduct against Smiley. KUT hopes to make a program announcement for the 6 to 7 p.m. Sunday timeslot in January. In the meantime, KUT will air documentary specials on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.
About KUT 90.5 Austin’s NPR Station
KUT 90.5, Austin's NPR station, delivers in-depth stories by and about people in Austin – for Austin – with the highest journalistic standards from a variety of thoughtful perspectives. A founding member of NPR, KUT News has won more than 200 state, national and international awards for journalistic excellence.
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Contact:
Erin Geisler, KUT Public Radio, (512) 475-8081
