Popular Seattle Broadcaster Joins Barbara Bogaev for New Weekend Magazine in
Late July
LOS ANGELES, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Radke, a veteran writer,
journalist and humorist who says his biggest problem is that he thinks too
much, has been named co-host and senior editor of American Public Media's
Public Radio Weekend (PRW), the new weekend radio magazine that will launch
nationwide this fall.
Radke will join Barbara Bogaev as a co-host for PRW, a two-hour program
that presents news and analysis, interviews, features, music and commentaries
with a fun and engaging style that appeals to weekend listeners. He will join
the production team in Los Angeles and begin his permanent on-air duties in
August. Radke, who has co-hosted several PRW pilots broadcast in select radio
markets, will also develop stories and serve as a senior editor.
Radke is the creator, writer and host of Rewind, a weekly news satire
program broadcast by KUOW FM in Seattle. A winner of the Seattle
International Stand-Up Comedy Competition, he also writes a weekly news and
humor column for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In 2003 Radke added author
to his accomplishments with his first book, Seattle from Sasquatch Books.
"Bill Radke is a talented writer, journalist and radio broadcaster," said
PRW Executive Producer Jim Russell, senior vice president and General Manager
for American Public Media - Los Angeles, a division of Minnesota Public Radio.
"Audiences and program directors agree there is a high degree of chemistry
with Barbara and they work well together and are having fun. These are people
listeners will want to spend time with during the weekend."
Radke was chosen after PRW conducted audience research, consulted more
than 50 public radio program directors and several dozen successful producers,
auditioned and considered more than 100 candidates and talked with listeners
about the finalists. Barbara Bogaev, a veteran host and interviewer who
filled in for Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air, was named PRW host last
December.
Radke describes his personality this way: "I think too much. I'm in my
head, and I love the logic of stories. What would you think would happen
next, and what actually happened? How would you think someone would react and
how did they actually react? The gaps in my expectation -- for me, that's
what's interesting, or shocking or ironic or funny."
"This is the best job in public radio today," said Radke. "PRW is a new
way for listeners to catch up on the news as well as the fun, interesting
stories of the week. It will also provide fresh and timely content. It's a
great balance for weekend listeners."
Radke explains why he got into radio, saying "I am the middle child of
nine children. A radio studio is a place I could finally talk without being
interrupted!" Radke began his radio career at KUOW in 1986, while he was a
student at the University of Washington. After graduating, he hosted a
newsmagazine on Orlando station WMFE FM, then drove a creaky LeMans around the
country performing as a stand-up comedian in comedy clubs. "But around the
country, it gets cold, and snowy, and also hot," he says. "And there are
tornadoes. And I missed doing radio."
Radke returned to KUOW in 1992, serving as Morning Edition host, news
director and reporter before creating Rewind.
Public Radio Weekend is supported by major grants from the Corporation for
Public Broadcasting and Minnesota Public Radio. It is produced and
distributed by American Public Media, in association with its station partners
WBUR, Boston; WCPN, Cleveland; KPCC, Los Angeles; WMFE, Orlando; KUOW, Seattle
and KNOW, St. Paul, MN.
To learn more about PRW or listen to pilots, visit
http://www.publicradioweekend.org .
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