WNYC & MPR LAUNCH “INDIVISIBLE” TO COVER THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

On Friday (1/13) Politico reported [link] the launch of a new daily, Monday through Thursday, talk program called "Indivisible." It will debut on Monday, January 23^rd. "Indivisible" is co-produced by WNYC and Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), in conjunction will The Economist. 

According to a press release [link], the purpose of "Indivisible" is …to convene a nightly gathering for Americans to talk, debate, and find common ground in the first 100 days of the new administration.

"Indivisible" [link] is a 14-week limited series and will be available to stations for one-hour at 8:00pm ET. WNYC and MPR hope for maximum clearance on NPR News stations nationwide. The program will also be available as a podcast.

A DIFFERENT HOST EACH DAY

"Indivisible" will have four hosts, each appearing on a specific evening:

• MONDAYS

WNYC’s Kai Wright along with co-hosts John Prideaux and Anne McElvoy of The Economist partner on a program that allows Americans to hear and discuss how the world is reacting to the changes that are coming to Washington and what new opportunities and challenges arise as a result. 

• TUESDAYS

WNYC's Brian Lehrer hosts a program evaluating how — and how quickly —American norms are changing. How are language, ethics, the law, and our institutions adopting new contours under a new and unprecedented leader?

• WEDNESDAYS

Charlie Sykes, a leading voice in conservative talk radio for 25 years, will interview policy makers and engage listeners in conversation that weighs developments in the new administration’s first 100 days against American values and conservative principles.

• THURSDAYS

Minnesota Public Radio's Kerri Miller will examine American identity at this moment of change. Who is a part of the national narrative, who feels left out, and how might our long-term sense of ourselves change? 

Dave Kansas, Executive Vice President, American Public Media Group (APM) and MPR said "Indivisible" will be: “...geared to synthesize what has happened each day during the first 100 days of the new administration and give our audiences a platform to reflect and share their perspectives.”

KEN SAYS: Congratulations to WNYC and MPR for creating this important programming. I hope it receives ample carriage because it is doing what broadcast radio does best: providing urgent, in-the-moment information and analysis. The key to radio’s future is to be the place where listeners know they can find out what is happening now and the implications for the immediate future.

NIELSEN AUDIO FALL 2016 DIARY RATINGS: GRAND RAPIDS, DAYTON & TULSA

Grand Rapids is an important market for Michigan Radio and Michigan Radio is important to listeners in “GR.”  WUOM’s presence continues to grow, considerably out-pacing local NPR News stations.

I miss WCSG’s presence in this “book” – apparently they did not subscribe to the Nielsen Audio estimates.  WCSG is a pioneer Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) station that is known as an innovator.

After thinking about it, I am sorry I seemed to dismiss WVGU-AM a/k/a Real Oldies 1490 & 850 AM [link]. Last July I implied [link] that I could see no educational purpose for the station.  I still wonder what is "educational" about hearing Patches by Dickey Lee.

Where Real Oldies 1490 & 850 AM excels is maximizing “sense of place.” The voices on the station are/were pop culture icons in the area and are deeply ingrained in the memories of locals. Plus, they appear to be contributing to WVGU’s bottom line.

At first glance, the numbers from Dayton seem to indicate Cincinnati stations taking turf away from local voices.  But WDPR and WYSO are strong shops and won’t displaced.

I listed the Nielsen Audio estimates for WNKU from Fall 2015 because they demonstrate the popularity and reach of the Triple A station.  WNKU still has not been sold.  Last Spring I predicted that it would be sold quickly because Northern Kentucky University had hired Kalil & Company, a broker with a reputation for getting results.  There must be something that is causing the delays – perhaps the fate of commercial station repeaters.  Whatever, my best wishes are with the folks still running WNKU.

Fall 2016 was a very positive “book” for three noncom stations in Tulsa. Nice to see Classical KWTU get a boost. I am not familiar with KLRC, so I don’t know why they lost two-thirds of their listeners since Fall 2015.