Big Changes, World Cafe Part of the New KPFT Schedule
KPFT 90.1 FM in Houston will undergo its biggest makeover in nearly a decade when the listener-sponsored radio station launches its new weekday program schedule on Wednesday, July 22, 2009.
The new weekday program schedule signals a major focus shift for KPFT, which, like all local nonprofits, is grappling with an economic downturn as well as feedback from the community to enhance its programming to reflect the evolving media landscape.
Among the changes KPFT listeners will hear:
- KPFT’s programming format will be streamlined to how Houstonians use radio, with news/talk in morning and afternoon drive time, with music highlighting its daytime schedule.
- Internationally recognized programs BBC Newshour and Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman enter the heart of morning drive, 7 and 8 a.m. respectively. An evening rebroadcast of Democracy Now! airs at 5 p.m.
- Popular Houston DJ Roark Smith helms a morning music block based on the best Texas music, including roots, Americana, blues and folk, from 10 a.m. to noon.
- World Cafe hosted by David Dye returns to KPFT, noon to 1 p.m.
- Award-winning talk/call-in programs the New Capital Show with Leo Gold, Connect the Dots with Robert Muhammad, Partisan Gridlock with Geoff Berg and others will anchor afternoon drive time starting at 3 p.m.
KPFT General Manager Duane Bradley says the evolution of KPFT was a multiyear process and is aimed at pleasing listeners. Virtually all of the KPFT DJs and show hosts are volunteers and almost 90 percent of the station’s budget is funded by contributions from its listeners.
“A revolution in media is underway right now, and our desire, as a non-profit, educational radio station, is to be a part of that change by presenting the vibrancy of our diverse communities through programming that brings people together.” Bradley remarks. “KPFT’s new schedule reflects the way weekday listeners use radio, and we are reorganizing to keep relevant for years to come.”
KPFT has provided alternative community-based music, news and talk shows to the Upper Texas Gulf Coast region since 1970. KPFT bears the unique distinction as the only radio station in the United States that was bombed off the air, twice, by the Ku Klux Klan. KPFT is part of the Pacifica Radio network, with five other stations located in Los Angeles, Berkeley, New York City and Washington, D.C.
you lost us as listeners. we listened EVERY morning from 640 to 7 and different times during the day… actually when we were in our car. the writer’s almanac was our way of food for that particular day.
sorry….
we listen to walt and johnson again.
JL Enders
24 July 2009 at 11:40 am
I’m as happy as anyone that “World Cafe” has returned; however, I remember it being ceremoniously dropped (in the first place) due to it’s underwriting by Lockheed-Martin(?) or some such weapons contractor, as that was considered antithetical-Duane’s word- to the mission statements of Pacifica & KPFT. I’ve since wondered, was that a Pacifica-wide decision, or “KPFT specific,” and have Pacifica and/or Duane come to some sort of reconciliation with that conflict (if it still exists, of course)? Questions aside, I appreciate and try to understand the difficult positions in which Duane, Ernesto and all the programmers have found themselves; you’ll need to do much worse to keep KPFT from remaining Houston’s premier radio station.
Kim Chalupa
25 July 2009 at 3:03 pm
@JL: Good luck with Walton and Johnson. You have a far stronger stomach than I.
Kidding. Appreciate the feedback, though!
@Kim: Spoke with Duane about this. Some of the history of this today resulted in changing of World Café rules on underwriting. They no longer put these kinds of announcements into the program, thankfully. The original decision was KPFT-specific, but turned into positive changes for the program.
Ernesto Aguilar
26 July 2009 at 4:54 pm