Public Radio International (PRI) and WNYC, New York Public Radio® are developing a new two-hour national news program. Wow. Something to listen to other than Morning Edition. It’ll be hard to break the habit but I am more than willing to make the switch if it involves all my FAVES at WNYC. I am so there. Here’s an excerpt from the press release:

The show will be created in collaboration with other journalistic
leaders — The BBC World Service, New York Times Radio and WGBH Boston
– and will capitalize on their formidable local, national and
international reach and reputation. It will be produced out of WNYC’s
new, state-of-the-art studios in Lower Manhattan, where WNYC will move
in Fall 2007.

The program will represent an entirely new sound in public radio’s
morning drive time. Departing from the highly-packaged format — with
pre-recorded interviews and long features — that has become the
medium’s hallmark sound, it will bring a wholly live, open, and
unprecedented personality-driven format to public radio’s renowned news
and information programming.

The show is scheduled to launch in early 2008. I think this is very interesting. WNYC is filled with talented reported. WNYC is a New York treasure.

As a obscessive WNYC listener, it is big news that they are developing an alternative to Morning Edition, which certainly got a whole lot less lively after they fired Bob Edwards. For those who don’t remember — Edwards hosted Morning Edition since its inception in 1979. He won a Peabody award in 1999, he was described this way: "Edwards is man who embodies the essence of excellence in radio. His reassuring
and authoritative voice is often the first many Americans hear each
day. His is a rare radio voice: informed but never smug; intimate but
never intrusive; opinionated but never dismissive. Mr. Edwards does not
merely talk, he listens."

In 2004, NPR decided to "freshen up" public radio and replaced Edwards as anchor of Morning Edition just months before his 25th anniversary. That was such a low blow, listeners reacted 50,000 signed a petion to keep Bob Edwards on Morning Edition.

At our house, we loved Bob. His show was lively, it was fun, it was a great way to wake up in the morning. We still listen to Morning Edition, of course, but I am excited to see what WNYC, et all comes up with.

I am guessing that Satirious Johnson is going to be a big voice in all of this.

Up-to-the-minute local, national and global news will be delivered by a charismatic host – to be announced later this year — and a vibrant team of national and international contributors. The breadth and unique capabilities of the show’s media partners will allow in-depth news coverage and live reports from the field from within the US and around the globe, with BBC reporters and analysts joining in on the discussion.