Waco NPR affiliate 103.3 KWBU is making several programmatic and staff changes as part of the station’s Five-Year Plan aimed at enhancing community service and support, while cutting repeat airings of shows and dialing in on local contributors.
Broadway on the Brazos, a new local show hosted by Beth Richards, will start airing as of September 6. New syndicated additions to the KWBU lineup include The Moth Radio Hour, Mountain Stage, Radio Lab, Freakonomics, On the Media, The New Yorker Radio Hour, and Marketplace Tech.
The talk program Think will now run five days a week, pushing Science Friday to a condensed one-hour slot at 2pm. Other shows like Snap Judgement, Ted Radio Hour, Travel with Rick Steves, Live Wire, and Beale Street Caravan will undergo time shifts to accommodate the new schedule.
Station Manager Brodie Bashaw noted that the station’s programming model, designed 25 years ago to include weekend rebroadcasts, is being updated to reflect the modern listener’s preference for podcasts and on-demand content.
KWBU is also expanding its staff with Molly-Jo Tilton joining as a full-time reporter. Tilton previously interned with Texas Standard. Tilton commented, “I am learning more about the area every day and am excited to bring the stories of this community to our listeners.”
It all comes down to modernizing the station in an effort to obtain more listener support. KWBU reports that only 5% of the signal’s current listenership contributes financially. Community Engagement Coordinator Rachel Velasco said, “The medium has changed with technology. There is a gap in funding with many younger listeners believing that just listening is supporting. But that is not how it works for public radio. It takes dollars. We are not funded by people simply listening – a mindset many of that younger generation seem to have.”
