We met last week with some public radio station news directors who will tell us how they feel about Bob Edwards Weekend. The word continues to be very positive. WRKF in Baton Rouge, which runs the program at 1pm on Saturday, will now be airing it a second time at 6pm on Sunday. KCPW in Salt Lake City now carries both hours of the show. We’re now heard on 105 stations nationwide and we expect to be adding to that number soon.
Producer Andy Danyo and I were in her native Atlanta this weekend to record some interviews. While we were there, I addressed the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, which handed out its annual Green Eyeshade Awards. Andy is the one with the most exciting news. She and her new husband are moving to Paris next month, though she’ll remain on our staff.
As for me, I have taken no vacation since I joined XM four years ago because I’ve been having too much fun to go do anything else. I will, however, stay home during the month of August and finish the last chapters of my autobiography. I guess it’s actually a memoir since I have no footnotes. BUT, we will keep you informed and entertained in my (sort of) absence. During one of those weeks, you’ll get to hear all of our award-winning documentaries. There’ll probably be a week of fabulous music interviews. Executive producer Steve Lickteig asked me to pick five of my favorite programs to fill another week. Tell me what you think of my choices:
Writer Henry Miller and Big Sur (12/6/05)—–because Big Sur just had a terrible wildfire
Stewart Udall (1/19/06), Interior Secretary for JFK & LBJ—when we really cared about the environment
Bruce Dern (5/9/07)—gifted actor and nutcase whose stories made me laugh—a lot!
Farmer John Peterson (7/6/07)—fascinating guy and a pioneer of Community Supported Agriculture
Paul Thorn (3/17/08)–a Tupelo singer/songwriter who made me laugh even more than Bruce Dern did
We also have a lot of original interviews we’ll be running in the coming weeks—-featuring New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse, the 50th anniversary of NASA, and music interviews with Bruce Hornsby, Emil du Cou and Jim Dickinson. Bob Dylan said if you had Jim Dickinson on the session, you didn’t need anybody else. We’ll get back to you with more details about all of this.
Hope you’re enjoying your summer. My blood family and my radio family are all in good health, so I’m a happy guy.
Bob
I vote for the interview with Stephen Wax ("Kafka Comes to America"). A very fine piece — equal parts fascinating and scary — and one that those who wish to become part of the next administration should hear.
While you certainly deserve the time away, and I’ve been one pushing you to write that autobiography (volume one of a multi-volume series, of course, since there’s a whole lot more to come), it still made me a bit nervous for a second or two remembering what happened the last time you took August off… 😉
Great choices. Paul Thorn has become my favorite artist and he makes me laugh more than Bruce Dern as well :).