[139] 'The Takeaway' Premieres On Middle Tennessee State University's WMOT-FM

Oct. 12, 2009
Contact: Gary Brown, Randy O’Brien at 615-898-2800

'THE TAKEAWAY' PREMIERES ON MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY’S WMOT-FM

Live morning-drive news show provides fresh alternative

MURFREESBORO—Public radio station WMOT announced plans to air "The Takeaway," a fresh new morning drive-time news program, which will air live on weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. beginning Oct. 19 on Middle Tennessee State University’s FM 89.5 radio.
Produced by WNYC/New York and Public Radio International in partnership with the BBC World Service, The New York Times and WGBH/Boston, "The Takeaway" provides world, national and regional news coverage that is unprecedented in public media. John Hockenberry and company convene critical conversations, take live reports from the field, provide a platform for commentary and analysis and invite listeners to join the discussion. Each edition also invites listener input and response in real time, generating lively exchanges on local, national and global issues.
Maximizing the digital expertise of each of the contributing partners, the program Web site, TheTakeaway.org, serves as a virtual public square, allowing listeners to respond immediately to news and participate in editorial decision-making, as well as build a significant online community around the content. The site features audio, video, opinion and frequent news updates, extending the American conversation throughout the day. Additional information on the new WMOT program lineup can be found at www.wmot.org.
“I am really pleased to offer 'The Takeaway' as part of our programming," says Manager Gary Brown. “Its unconventional, highly interactive style will bring in new listeners, who can then discover all that MTSU and WMOT have to offer."
Major support for "The Takeaway" is provided by Liberty Mutual, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with additional support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Skoll Foundation.
Locally, listener support makes it possible for WMOT to offer exciting new radio programming. Financial support is key to providing any service. Community support will allow WMOT to continue to provide the best jazz programming in the country.
WMOT is a 100,000 watt non-commercial FM radio station, a Public Radio International affiliate and a National Public Radio member station. The station is a service of the College of Mass Communication at Middle Tennessee State University.

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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.