90.7 WMFE TO EXPAND INTERSECTION, CENTRAL FLORIDA'S IN-DEPTH NEWS PROGRAM
INTERSECTION WITH MATTHEW PEDDIE WILL DOUBLE FREQUENCY, MOVES TO NOON; FRESH AIR MOVES TO 3 P.M. & BBC MOVES TO 9 A.M.
September 2, 2019 – Public radio station 90.7 WMFE debuted a new weekday programming lineup on Monday, Sept. 2, that allows for more in-depth coverage of Central Florida issues and shuffles some of your favorite weekly programs to new time slots.
“Listeners have made it clear that expanding our award-winning coverage of Central Florida is a top priority,” said Stephen Yasko, interim president and general manager and director of content and audience development at 90.7 WMFE and sister station 89.5 WMFV. “We are excited to deliver on that by doubling the number of Intersection episodes every week by the end of the year.”
Shuffles, Comings & Goings
Intersection, the locally produced Central Florida news and in-depth conversation program hosted by Matthew Peddie, now airs at noon and will ramp up to four days a week in the coming months. This sets off a wave of strategic reshuffling throughout the weekday lineup, with Fresh Air at 3 p.m. to provide a break from the intensity of the daily news cycle. The BBC Newshour airs at 9 a.m. so listeners can hear important international news sooner.
And, we pull in some of our hipper programs focusing on investigative journalism from the weekend, with the 7 p.m. hour featuring Snap Judgment, Reveal, RadioLab, Hidden Brain and This American Life. A new kid on the block: As It Happens, a quirky Canadian interview show from CBC Radio, is at 8 p.m.
The Takeaway, Intersection and The Florida Roundup repeat at 9 p.m., another chance for our members and listeners to consume the community-driven content that is so important to them.
But in order to add, we must subtract. On Point has left the schedule, and will be followed by The Takeaway in the coming months.
“We’re excited to double down on our investment in locally produced journalism that reflects our community and streamlines our operations to enable us to plan for the long term,” Yasko said.
In July, we made some changes to our weekend programming. Learn more about that here.
Intersection’s Expansion
The Intersection expansion will happen over the course of a few months. Plans include hiring two producers and a planning phase where the show goes down to once a week (Thursdays) before ramping up to four times a week. Then, you’ll hear the show Monday through Thursday, with The Florida Roundup, the statewide show out of Miami and Jacksonville, rounding out the week.
Intersection will also reach a larger swath of Central Florida when it debuts on WMFE’s sister station, 89.5 WMFV, in The Villages and surrounding areas in September, along with additional NPR News and local programming. Read more about WMFV's new schedule here.
This expansion is years in the making, having been championed by former President and General Manager LaFontaine Oliver. In 2015, the show expanded to a full hour and two days a week, with the goal of further expansion included in WMFE’s strategic plan.
View the full new schedule here
Meet the New Program
As It Happens
8 p.m. weekdays
As It Happens is a Canadian interview show from CBC Radio. Night after night, host Carol Off brings you in-depth, conversations with the people near, or at, the center of the day's news.
About Community Communications Inc.:
Community Communications Inc. is a non-profit, member-supported, community-based public broadcasting company that operates 90.7 WMFE-FM, metro Orlando’s primary provider of NPR programming; 90.7-2 Classical; and 89.5 WMFV, public radio for The Villages, Leesburg and The Golden Triangle. Part of the community since 1980, Community Communications focuses on providing quality national and local news and programming. Visit wmfe.org and wmfv.org for more information.
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MEDIA INQUIRIES: Please contact Communications and Marketing Specialist Jenny Babcock at jbabcock@wmfe.org or 407-273-2300 ext. 112.