Twenty Years Of Sundays With You
Even after 20 years, host Liane Hansen says she's still not used to getting up early on a Sunday, but knowing you're there makes it all worthwhile. Hansen reflects on 20 years as host of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday.
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LIANE HANSEN, host:
Before I became the host of this program 20 years ago, I had had a lot of experience behind the microphone. But that did little to lessen my anxiety. After all, I was about to take the seat occupied by the first host of WEEKEND EDITION, a national treasure, Susan Stamberg, who was, and continues to be, a mentor.
How could I even think of filling her shoes? But she had confidence in me, which made me a little more confident. When I began in 1989, we had 200,000 listeners. Today, that number is close to three million. But numbers are not my measure of success.
Success, for me, is knowing that you've made the time all these years to listen to the show. Success for me is the willingness of our member stations to keep our program on the air.
But I also want you to know that I am not the one responsible for the success and longevity of this program. That belongs to the people whose voices you don't hear. Every editor, producer, director, engineer and reporter who has ever worked on this show, they are the ones who have made me sound so good for so long. And I'm profoundly grateful.
Even after 20 years, I'm still not used to getting up early on a Sunday morning, but knowing you are there has made it all worthwhile. Thank you.
This is NPR's WEEKEND EDITION.
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