Fans of NPR's Fresh Air, hosted by Terry Gross, will have much to celebrate with the addition of Fresh Air Friday and Fresh Air Weekend -- part of several program changes coming to WNIJ August 15th. Another popular NPR host, Sam Sanders, moves to prime time with the scheduling of his show, "It's Been a Minute," right after "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!" on Saturday mornings.
Public radio stations nationwide are adjusting their broadcast schedules in response to COVID-19 and other factors. Among the biggest changes: American Public Media pulling the plug on "Live From Here," hosted by mandolinist Chris Thile, and WBUR striking out its sports program, "Only a Game."
WNIJ's director and general manager, Staci Hoste, says these moves created an opportunity for a broad review of the station's weekend offerings.
"While we'll miss the familiar voices of the programs leaving our air, I believe listeners will enjoy the program lineup of new shows mixed with the return of longtime favorites like This American Life with Ira Glass," Hoste said.
Glass's program, a public radio favorite, will get a repeat airing Sunday mornings at 10.
Other changes include an extra hour of "Here & Now" on Fridays and the addition of "Mountain Stage," an acoustic music program hosted by Larry Groce and produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting. View the new lineup below. We welcome your comments about these changes on WNIJ's Facebook page or via Twitter @WNIJnews. You can also send us an email at npr@niu.edu.
-------------------------------------------------
WNIJ Broadcast Schedule beginning August 15, 2020
