NPR FM Berlin Shuffles the Program Schedule

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. Turn and face the strange..." These David Bowie lyrics encapsulate the dynamic nature of how radio programs sometimes ebb and flow through the broadcast pipeline according to unpredictable tides.

NPR FM Berlin 104,1 is part of this ocean of change, quite often at the mercy of some uncontrollable currents. In March, 2009, here's a typical comment that crossed my desk after the 7 pm program Day To Day permanently ended production/distribution...

"As a loyal NPR listener I was rather chagrined to discover today that WBUR's On Point has been moved on the NPR schedule in Berlin to 7 to 8 pm CET to replace the defunct Day to Day. NPR now carries two hours of The Diane Rehm Show. I don't think the program is nearly as good as On Point, and to have it on for two hours is simply incomprehensible." Thomas Marzahl.

We fast forward to February 1, 2010:

"My husband, John Kornblum, and I are fanatical fans of NPR Berlin. I am one of those classic listeners who will not get out of her car to hear the end of a report and hardly a day goes by that I don't recommend the station to another Berliner."

"I am highly irritated by the very recent and seemingly arbitrary scheduling changes, namely the extra hour of Morning Edition, the loss of an hour of Diane Rehm and the rescheduling of Tell Me More. Could you please restore the old schedule?" Thank you, Helen Kornblum.

Thanks for your concern Helen & Thomas about past and present changes. NPR has a finite number of programs in the distribution chain. NPR FM Berlin is challenged to maintain the currency of a 24 hour weekly schedule when programs come and go - beyond our control.

Here's the official reason, according to Ellen McDonnell, NPR's Executive Director of News Programming, and Teshima Walker, Tell Me More Senior Supervising Producer, for Tell Me More's current Monday - Friday 5 pm live Berlin broadcast:

"We have determined that moving the feed back two hours will make Tell Me More a stronger program. A later feed will enable us to better craft and produce same day interviews" (with more timely guests).

Whenever a program change is made, you may or may not like it, because a predictable element in the NPR FM Berlin schedule gets moved, replaced, or cancelled.

You obviously want our programs broadcast via the radio at times that are convenient to your lifestyle. If only this was possible for everyone!

On demand listening to (and podcasting) programs via nprberlin.de and npr.org is one way to help mitigate changes you are unhappy with.

Please leave all of your comments about this change, or any others. I look forward to reading your thoughts.