WKSU Feeds Your Curiosity With Re-Structured Lineup

Station to showcase additional news and information while still offering classical, folk music

WKSU (89.7 FM) is reinforcing the strength of its award-winning newsroom by expanding news and information programming in its daily schedule beginning Aug. 5. The station will feed listeners’ curiosity with a mix of trusted news magazines and new programs, including several which previously have only been heard in Northeast Ohio on WKSU’s HD-4 channel.

Classical music remains a powerful part of WKSU and will be showcased each evening. WKSU continues to offer distinct online audio streams and HD Radio streams that offer all classical music, folk music and news to complement the on-air broadcast signal.

“We believe this combination of news and music is the sound of Northeast Ohio’s future,” said Dan Skinner, WKSU executive director. “WKSU is dedicated to telling the story of Akron, Canton, Cleveland and beyond through local and regional news, and the added national programs will allow us to tie the world together. The station continues to offer quality, unique music presentations that stand out nationally and honor WKSU’s objective of promoting arts and culture.”

These schedule changes add more stimulating and diverse national programs to complete listening blocks that will make it easier for listeners to find news and music at predictable times during the day.

News and information programs will be featured weekdays from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and be complemented by public radio entertainment shows on the weekend. Listeners can still find classical music with WKSU’s familiar hosts weeknights beginning at 8 p.m. and continuing in early morning hours. WKSU will air the station-produced Folk Alley Radio Show on Sundays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Shows making their Northeast Ohio debut include: The Takeaway with John Hockenberry (9-10 a.m., Monday-Friday), the national call-in show On Point with Tom Ashford (10 a.m.-12 p.m., Monday-Friday) and Snap Judgment, a contemporary blend of story and urban music (4-5 p.m., Sunday). Weekends see a shake-up with new shows and a juggled Saturday schedule, as well as Sunday rebroadcasts of several favorites. The complete schedule, more information on programs and details about online listening and HD Radio is available online at www.wksu.org/discoverwksu.

“We believe these changes will allow WKSU to stay Northeast Ohio’s trusted source for engaging public radio – now and for years to come,” Skinner said.

WKSU is a service of Kent State University, broadcasting throughout Northeast Ohio on 89.7, along with WKRW 89.3 (Wooster), WKRJ 91.5 (Dover/New Philadelphia), WKSV 89.1 (Thompson), WNRK 90.7 (Norwalk) and W239AZ 95.7 (Ashland). The station adds WKSU-2 Folk Alley, WKSU-3 The Classical Channel and WKSU-4 The News Channel over HD Radio and as streaming audio online at www.wksu.org.

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Ann VerWiebe, verwiebe@wksu.org, 330-672-9153