WBUR’s ‘Radio Boston’ Goes Daily, Gets New Host

By Paul A. La Camera
Mar 1, 2010, 4:54 PM
17 Comments

BOSTON — Updated with new date and time — Radio Boston, WBUR’s local public affairs program, is going daily.

WBUR's Meghna Chakrabarti

Beginning Monday, May 10, the program will air every weekday at 3 p.m. on 90.9 FM with a new host and a new format.

Meghna Chakrabarti will be the lead host of Radio Boston. Chakrabarti, since her beginnings in 2002 as a producer for On Point, has grown quickly and formidably as a radio force and voice in Boston, in recent days filling in as host on WBUR’s national, daily news program, Here & Now.

Chakrabarti’s role as lead host leaves room for many additional WBUR voices, including those of WBUR’s corps of reporters and young, emerging voices like those of Adam Ragusea and Andrew Phelps.

Iris Adler will serve as executive producer of Radio Boston, having served New England Cable News as both managing and executive editor for the past 18 years. Adler is one of the most experienced and accomplished broadcast news and public affairs executives in Boston.

Mark Navin will remain senior producer and director of the new iteration of the program. Navin has positioned Radio Boston for the major transition to a daily format.

Contributors Ragusea and Jessica Alpert will fill the respective roles of reporter/associate producer and assistant producer. Tim Skoog will remain the technical director.

Paul La Camera is the WBUR general manager.

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Mary Beaudry

Excellent! So looking forward to hearing you daily on Radio Boston, Meghna!
Dana G

This is great news! I have really wanted to like Radio Boston but find it to be a sleepy and rather thin program. I really hope this means some new life for the show.
John

I hope that On Point (best show on NPR), Fresh Air, and Talk of the Nation won’t be moved or cut.
Jennifer

What will happen with current Radio Boston co-host David Boeri?
Matt

Wow not at all what I thought you would look like! You look great!I Hope this isn’t to simple.
Anne Vanderweil

Please, please do not take away either hour of Talk of the Nation!
Carol Tasgal

Talk of the Nation and On Point with Neil Conant and Tom Ashbrook are the best shows on any media. Please, please don’t change anything about these shows. Neil and Tom are two of the most interesting and smart hosts I’ve ever heard.
Sel Sertole

Can WBUR finally get this Boston program right? Getting rid of Boeri is a start. Bringing in another LaCamera crony from TV-land to produce — who knows? But watch out, because WGBH is coming up behind you. (PS- Absolutely nothing could be duller than Talk of the Nation.)
Margaret Pierce

I second comments on not reducing any of On Point, TOTN hours for this show. I also worry about having a NECN producer, since so much of their news coverage is SO superficial. I will just try to hope that she is eager to dig into the details and less sensational aspects of what’s really important.
http://www.alicewolf.org alice wolf

Keep it local and repeat it at night.
Mark

I’m just happy that my tax dollars are supporting this wonderful programing.

Imagine if Rush was supported by grants and subsidies on a non-profit?
Gordon Martin

What time will Radio Boston air?
I trust David Boeri will have the opportunity to
continue his excellent reporting.
Cam

Terrific–she has a wonderful voice; it will be so pleasant to listen to more often. Looking forward to hearing more.
Karen

Please don’t take off TOTN and Science Friday for a superficial show like Radio Boston. It’s boring and far below NPR’s standards. Instead of hearing about national and new medical news, we get to hear about Boston. Not an equal trade!
http://www.pbln.org Andrew Tarsy

This is great news for a city that is changing rapidly (not a cliche-it really is) and where there is just not enough substantive discussion of public affairs issues. But it is more than news–I hope Radio Boston will make “visible” (audible?) the lesser known stories. Not running them as slice of life, under the radar bits – but really demonstrating that where the rubber meets the road in the region is not always in the obvious places. Good luck RadioBoston!
Richard D.

I look forward to this show. I’m hoping, though, that the recent HUGE expansion of local/regional pieces you place in the 2nd-half-hour slots during Morning Edition can be ratcheted back now, with many such pieces finding a place on Radio Boston instead. These morning pieces are mostly fine work, but I really listen to Morning Edition for the national and international content primarily. If this new arrangement continues, I think I’ll stick entirely to ‘GBH for Morning Edition. Thanks.
dana colley

Not sure eating processed meat is bad for you constitutes ground breaking journalism but thanks for the reminder.