Five years later: On Point's transformation

On Point has reached a milestone. It's hard to believe, but it was five years ago this month that our team made the shift from a two-hour, "news reactive" live call-in show — which emerged in response to 9/11 — to the show that we produce today. On October 5, 2020, On Point transformed into a single-hour show shaped around our host, Meghna Chakrabarti, and, as WBUR CEO Margaret Low put it at the time, "her magnificent mind and her relentless curiosity."

The team reimagined what On Point could be: We developed a format that gave Meghna the most freedom to explore, probe and ask unanswered questions. We combined highly produced original reporting with a real-time investigation of issues and ideas. We paired live conversation with rich sound gathered from across the country using our custom-built VoxPop app for fans.

I'm happy to report that On Point is thriving in 2025. The number of public radio stations that carry our beloved show has grown from 242 to nearly 350 stations. On top of that, On Point's podcast is in the midst of a remarkable upswing – downloads and listeners are reaching the highest numbers they've hit in over a year.

And the depth that On Point can bring, day after day, has been recognized by our peers with many journalism awards: five regional Murrows; two national Murrows; five Gracies; and recognition from the Association of Health Care Journalists for our series Smarter Health about the impact of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Behind every episode is an extraordinary team, driven by intellectual curiosity and the ability to deeply engage with a huge variety of topics. With Meghna's insightful hosting setting the tone, the team works with focus, creativity and an animated spirit of collaboration.

Over the past five years, On Point has only grown in ambition. We've made big, in-depth series a hallmark of our production calendar. Each one is crafted with rigorous reporting, thoughtful conversation and a focus on the human stories at the heart of big ideas. Our mission remains: to interrogate not only the most pressing issues of our time, but also the weird and wacky experiences that bring us the joy we all crave. And which brings us together.

Here's to the next five years!