KASU 91.9 FM announces new format changes, airing July 6

June 30, 2009 -- Change is in the air at Arkansas State University-Jonesboro’s radio station, KASU 91.9 FM. As of July 6, the KASU format will change to include the introduction of public radio’s finest national discussion programs from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, programs such as "The Diane Rehm Show," "Fresh Air with Terry Gross," Dick Gordon's "The Story," and Neal Conan's "Talk of the Nation."

KASU station manager Mike Doyle said, “Over the years, many of our listeners have moved from, or traveled to other states, experienced the wide variety of public radio programming available on other stations, and asked about adding some of their favorites to KASU. So we studied our schedule carefully, decided which programs to add, and are confident that our listeners will appreciate the variety of new voices and topics we’ve chosen especially for them.”

From Monday-Friday, beginning at 5 a.m., NPR’s "Morning Edition," with Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne, will air as usual, with KASU’s Mark Smith providing local updates. "The Diane Rehm Show" will follow "Morning Edition" from 9-11 a.m. "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" begins at 11 a.m., followed at 12 noon by "The Story" with Dick Gordon. Neal Conan’s "Talk of the Nation" runs from 1-3 p.m., and NPR’s "All Things Considered," with Melissa Block, Michele Norris and Robert Siegal, will remain in its regular slot while adding an additional hour from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Local and regional news with Greg Chance will continue to air at 3:12 p.m., and "Marketplace" will air from 6:30-7 p.m.

Programming times for classical music will shift to the evening. "Performance Today," with Fred Child, will occupy the 7-9 p.m. slot, followed by "The Concert Hall," from 9-11 p.m. "The Concert Hall," formerly known as "Sunday Symphonies," will vary as the seasons change. "The Concert Hall" will include performances from the Chicago Symphony, "Live! At The Concertgebouw," the Milwaukee Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic. Peter Van de Graaff will host "Classical Music" from 11 p.m.-5 a.m.

Weekend programming has also changed, according to Doyle. “In addition to your long-time weekend favorites, we hope you’ll tune in for "American Routes" Saturdays from 5-7 p.m., "Fresh Air Weekend" on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and "The Parent’s Journal" at 12 noon. You’ll also find some of your favorite public affairs programming on Saturday afternoon from 1-4 p.m. "Jazz with Bob Parlocha" can now be found every Sunday evening beginning at 8 p.m., and it runs until 5 a.m. Monday morning,” Doyle adds.

In addition, Doyle notes, “Of course, adding so many new shows means that some of our current offerings will no longer be available on KASU. We did not make these decisions lightly. We looked carefully at the number of people listening, the cost for each show, and the results of our annual on-air campaigns. I know that some of our listeners will be disappointed to learn that a favorite show is no longer available on KASU. But I also know that public radio fans are always interested in experiencing something new, and I’m sure they’ll find new programs to love on our schedule.”

He continues, “Inside the July program guide, you’ll find the new program line-up and in-depth descriptions of all our new shows. If you have questions, feel free to contact me directly at (870) 972-3486 or at mdoyle@astate.edu. I look forward to listeners’ ideas and opinions about KASU and the programming we offer to our listening community.”

To request a program guide, call (870) 972-2200 or 1-800-643-8269. To view or print the new KASU program grid, click here.
 

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