When KUER-FM's long-running “RadioWest” went on hiatus in May, host Doug Fabrizio told listeners not to expect any big changes upon its return. As promised, it will return to the air on Sept. 13 — but there will be a lot less of it.
When it returns, it will air once a week, Fridays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The show aired five days a week before the 3½-month hiatus, Mondays-Fridays from 9-10 a.m.
“This is a new chapter for ‘RadioWest,’" said KUER program director Joel Meyer. “They really thought about what is important to ‘RadioWest’ listeners."
In a statement to those listeners, Fabrizio said that, while taking the summer off, he and his staff decided to “focus on the things you told us you loved most about the show — in-depth explorations, eclectic ideas and storytelling. We knew we could do those things better as a weekly program.”
Producing five shows a week “require[s] a level of energy and preparation that leaves little room to make every episode feel as meaningful and surprising to listeners as possible.”
According to Fabrizio, the revamped “RadioWest” will cover “local issues, culture and breaking news, followed by a deep-dive conversation about how our world works.”
In addition to the live broadcast, an hourlong version of each episode will be repeated Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m. on KUER-FM 90.1. “RadioWest” will also be available in podcast form at RadioWest.org and on the KUER app.
According Fabrizio, “RadioWest” began as a weekly show, “evolving out of first magazine-format show,” titled “Friday Edition.” It launched five days a week — Mondays-Fridays at 11 a.m. — in May 2001, and moved to weekdays at 9 a.m. in January 2017.
The first hour of the weekly “RadioWest” will “generally be live and focus on local content,” Meyer said. The second hour will be an in-depth interview with an author or newsmaker — and it’s that second hour that will be repeated Friday nights and Saturday mornings.
Fabrizio said he is “excited and recharged — and hopeful that [listeners will] give this new chapter of the show a chance.”
When “RadioWest” returns, “Science Friday” will move to 1-3 p.m. (“The World” will not air on KUER on Fridays.)
