From Station Manager Bill Drake:
I have been working in public radio, in some way, since the mid-1980s. Since that time, I have never known public radio without “Car Talk.” But, alas, all good things must come to an end. As of October, "The Best of Car Talk" will leave the WRVO schedule.
For decades, you and I -- along with hundreds of thousands of public radio listeners nationwide -- have tuned in on Saturday mornings to hear the unmistakable laughter and banter of brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi. Their antics and questionable car advice became a part of our weekend routine, and we knew something was missing from our lives when we missed an episode of "Car Talk." Since the death of Tom Magliozzi a few years ago, I’ve been asked by a few listeners why WRVO continued to keep "Car Talk" on the schedule, especially since the show has been in repeats in recent years. The simple answer is "Car Talk" worked for WRVO listeners. For most of the time it was on the air -- in repeats or not -- "Car Talk" was the most listened-to hour across the entire WRVO weekly schedule. To those of us who are fans of the show, that comes as no surprise.
Now it’s time to celebrate 30 great years and welcome something new. We will say goodbye to "Car Talk" on WRVO at the end of September. Then, in October, we welcome "Hidden Brain," with host Shankar Vedantam, to Saturday mornings at 10. You’ve heard the "Hidden Brain" segments on "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered:" using science and storytelling, Shankar talks with the shows’ hosts about how we understand the world. We’ve received very positive listener response to these segments, and starting next month, we’ll have a full hour each weekend to dive deeper into these discussions of human behavior and the hidden patterns that drive our decisions. Give the show a chance; we think you’ll like what you hear.
At the same time, we know you’ll join us in thanking Tom, Ray and the rest of the Car Talk staff for 30 years of great radio. You’ll find an open letter from Ray Magliozzi below and you’ll still be able to listen to the Car Talk podcasts online. Everyone at WRVO thanks you for your support of Car Talk through the years. Please join us in welcoming "Hidden Brain," which debuts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 7.
Sincerely,
An open letter from Ray Magliozzi by lplandry on Scribd
