Iowa Public Radio’s
News and Information Service
Premieres January 1, 2007

Iowa Public Radio was created to connect Iowans by sharing the best of each station with listeners across the state. A second, but equally important reason, was to ensure that the stations continue to be healthy community institutions by organizing in a more efficient manner.

Over the past year we've partnered with listeners and supporters to create a shared vision of the future for Iowa Public Radio. We've heard from Iowans from all parts of the state – community leaders, the general public, listeners and supporters alike. And they've told us what they expect from their public radio stations.

Listeners want all the choice in programming they currently enjoy from the three individual stations. They want local programming to be just as good as what they hear from NPR. They want our programming to be available on a range of media platforms. They want the stations to stay healthy by operating more efficiently. They want each station to remain unique and special. And, they want IPR to connect communities across the state with a unified service.

But mostly, they want us to do all this without changing a thing.

Of course, in order to not only survive, but thrive as a statewide public radio service, we need to make some changes.

Our long-term goal is to create three strong, distinct services: News and Information; Classical Music; and Alternative Music. Our first focus is on the News and Information Service.

On January 1, we will officially launch our new programming schedule on all IPR news and information stations. Changes to the schedule have been made with careful consideration after substantial feedback and thoughtful analysis. We hope that, after getting used to it, you'll agree that we’ve crafted a news and information schedule that combines the best of national programming with many of the local treasures produced by the IPR stations.

We hope you'll appreciate that as Iowa Public Radio we're able to bring you outstanding national programs like the Diane Rehm show. Or perhaps you'll be proud to know that our talented staff are making their statewide debut as their programs are picked up by other IPR stations. Maybe it's the fact that you'll hear your favorite on-air hosts in new roles, taking advantage of the expanding opportunities within Iowa Public Radio.

Of course, what isn't changing is that we're still your most trusted source for local news, information, and music. We're not moving – our studios, or where we are on the dial. Our talented staff will still be here in the community and very much a part of the IPR team, even if their roles have changed.

As you begin to explore the new service, we'd love to hear from you. Todd Mundt, Iowa Public Radio's director of content and new media, is posting regular updates on the new service on his blog. And, as always, we hope you'll contact us to let us know what you think.

We're proud of our work to connect Iowans, and we're grateful for your support and encouragement during our evolution from three great stations into one great statewide public radio service.