“Fresh Air” is coming back to mid-afternoons Monday on 90.1/WABE-FM, and Lois Reitzes’ classical music chops is returning to the FM dial.
In January, the station dropped classical music during the weekdays, adding five hours of news/talk programming. The lineup included a two-hour cultural arts show hosted by Reitzes and a two-hour news program with Rose Scott and Denis O’Hayer as hosts.
On Monday, Reitzes’ show “City Lights” will be scaled back to one hour, from 11 a.m. to noon. At the same time, she will debut a one-hour classical music show at 8 p.m. nightly called “Serenade,” replacing “Performance Today.”
“Our commitment to the arts is as strong as ever,” said news director John Haas. “I think ‘City Lights’ will work better as a tighter show.”
In addition, Terry Gross’ popular talk program “Fresh Air” will air at 2 p.m. with a second airing at 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. “Fresh Air” replaces”BBC Outlook.” But fans of BBC news don’t despair; at 10 a.m., WABE will air “BBC NewsHour.”
“It’s a real good lead-out after ‘Morning Edition,’ ” Haas said. “We’re an international city.”
On Fridays, WABE’s local weekday two-hour show”Closer Look” will be cut to one hour, from noon to 1 p.m. At 1, Haas picked up “Snap Judgment” hosted by Glynn Washington. “It’s really done well and picking up stations around the country,” said Haas.”I’d listen to it constantly when I lived in L.A. To me, it was appointment radio.”
At 2 p.m. Friday, “This American Life” with Ira Glass will air instead of “Fifth Floor.” “It’s one of the most respected public radio shows out there,” Haas said. “It was kind of a no brainer in a better slot and energizes our Friday line up.”
And at 7 p.m. Friday, WABE replaces “Ask Me Another” with “The Dinner Party Download” featuring hosts Rico Gagliano and Brendan Francis Newnam. Haas said it’s been a really popular podcast and incubated from the “Marketplace” offices, where he used to work as an editor.
For the complete schedule, go to www.wabe.org/schedule.
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