IPR is excited to announce a new program from NPR that can be heard Sundays on our News and News Studio One stations.
If you are exhausted by the news, but can't seem to focus on anything else, this new weekly show with former NPR political reporter Sam Sanders will help. It's Been a Minute is an irreverent, casual space to process the pace of current events and get introduced to new favorites in music, TV and more. It's a wrap of the week paired with deep dive interviews with musicians, actors and newsmakers. Listeners around the country also tell us about what's making news in their lives. As Sam says, "The world is complicated, let's talk it out." Hear It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders Sundays at 9am on IPR. And check out what Sam has to say about his hopes for the show below.
News Listeners may also have noticed a few other programs new to the IPR News lineup for Fall.
Flyover from MPR News with host Kerri Miller is a live, national call-in show from between the coasts focusing on issues of American identity and the changing American dream as they are lived and experienced in the cities, towns and rural areas beyond New York and L.A. You're invited to join the conversation Sunday afternoons at 3pm to share your perspective. Call in at 1-83-FLYOVER-1, or tweet using #flyoverradio.
And, through October IPR is airing a special spinoff series from Radiolab called More Perfect produced by WNYC Studios.
How does an elite group of nine people shape everything from marriage and money, to safety and sex for an entire nation? More Perfect, dives into the rarefied world of the Supreme Court to explain how cases deliberated inside hallowed halls affect lives far away from the bench. The series runs Sundays at 2pm through October 29th on IPR News.
FAQ on Fall 2017 program changes
Q: Why did you decide to add an additional hour of WESUN in July, and now you're replacing it with a new show? We knew that NPR was going to be unveiling new shows for the fall back in the summer when we added the hour of WESUN. We had a feeling we were going to be excited about at least one of the new offerings, but we weren't sure where we could find room in our schedule. We didn't want to add a new show in the summer that we would replace again in the fall, so we made the decision to extend WESUN for a few months until we knew what NPR program we wanted to add to the schedule. Sam is a rising star at NPR, and we have high hopes for this show over the next few years. It has evolved a lot since its launch earlier this year as a podcast, and we're sure it will continue to improve and evolve over the next several months.
Q: What happened to The Splendid Table? The Splendid Table can still be heard on IPR's News stations at 2pm Saturdays. When More Perfect ends in October, Radiolab will move to the 2pm Sunday slot.
Q: Is Flyover a permanent part of the schedule? No. Flyover is being offered as a limited series for now. A nationally-distributed show based in the Midwest has long been a dream, of many public radio stations in the system. Whether that turns out to be Flyover or not is anyone's best guess. But the plan is for the program to wrap up November 19th. We'll be announcing Flyover's replacement (which we're very excited about) in the near future.
Q: What happened to Java Blend? Java Blend is being replaced by our local and regional artist showcase Gas Money. Iowa Public Radio’s Studio One team will continue to host live music events from the Java House in downtown Iowa City. We’ll be doing them less frequently, but we hope in this way to improve the caliber of the acts we present.
Q: What is Gas Money? IPR’s spotlight on local and regional bands and artists is moving to IPR's News and Studio One stations! If you’ve been listening to IPR’s Studio One web stream you’re already familiar with the show. Gas Money has been featuring new and classic releases from Iowa artists on the stream for many months now. The show will continue to be heard on the web Monday through Saturday at noon and Monday through Friday at 6pm. Now you’ll also be able to hear the show on-air Saturdays at 1pm. The Saturday Gas Money program will feature artists like, SIRES, Holy White Hounds, Middle Western and more, and will also feature exclusive recordings of Iowa bands and artists recorded in our studios and at venues throughout the state. Performances recorded at the Java House and other venues in Iowa City will be part of Gas Money.
As always, we welcome your feedback on these changes. You can email Katherine Perkins at kperkins@iowapublicradio.org. We know it's difficult when favorite programs move around or go away. But, this is such an exciting time in public media! There are wonderful new programs being produced, and we want to make sure we're offering the very best to our listeners.
