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'Takeaway' gets its last shot as a midday show

U

uncamark

"The Takeaway," the spectacularly unsuccessful attempt by PRI to provide a young demo alternative to "Morning Edition," as of Labor Day is getting out of morning drive, with the show being shortened to an hour, with a first feed at 9 a.m. ET and a refeed at noon ET, which seems to put it in competition with PRI's own "Here and Now":

http://www.current.org/radio/radio1213takeaway.html

So far in its four-year run, the show has only been able to get on 55 primary stations, has not made it on the air in Chicago, LA, Washington and San Francisco, among other markets and was moved by home station WNYC to the AM station permanently after complaints from the diehard NPR audience that included the words "dumbing down." (Co-producer WGBH must've known something, since they now air the show at 11 a.m. in the hour format.) In addition, an attempt by the National Federation of Community Broadcasters to get their members to carry the show has been met with disdain by the anti-national programming (unless it's "Democracy Now!" or "Free Speech Radio News") stations. There seemed to be some success with stations owned by historically-black colleges, but one of those stations in Baltimore has dropped the show.

It's safe to say that if the show doesn't take off as a midday show, it's going to be gone soon--but how long will PRI hold out before pulling the plug?
 
I think their problem is that while they were trying to appeal to a younger demo, did anyone in that demo even know of the existence of the show? For something like that to be successful, they need to have some publicity that reaches the desired audience.
 
Never heard of the show but I click on their website and it's a middle-aged guy with a bad toupee and 1980's-style eye glasses, and a woman with crow's feet and severe forehead wrinkles.

How is this supposed to evoke "young and hip?"
 
FM 100 Means Music said:
Never heard of the show but I click on their website and it's a middle-aged guy with a bad toupee and 1980's-style eye glasses, and a woman with crow's feet and severe forehead wrinkles.

How is this supposed to evoke "young and hip?"
Click to expand...

That really is an awful rug.
 
FM 100 Means Music said:
Never heard of the show but I click on their website and it's a middle-aged guy with a bad toupee and 1980's-style eye glasses, and a woman with crow's feet and severe forehead wrinkles.

How is this supposed to evoke "young and hip?"
Click to expand...

The magic of radio. :) Not to mention having the equivalent of a cable news "swoosh" separating most program elements, if they're still doing that.
 
Mark Jeffries said:
"The Takeaway," the spectacularly unsuccessful attempt by PRI to provide a young demo alternative to "Morning Edition," as of Labor Day is getting out of morning drive, with the show being shortened to an hour, with a first feed at 9 a.m. ET and a refeed at noon ET, which seems to put it in competition with PRI's own "Here and Now":
Click to expand...

Also competing with "On Point" and the "Diane Rehm Show", from which many stations choose to air just one hour.

Will be interesting to see what programming replaces "Takeaway" in the early morning.
 
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