A whole bunch of Texans are going to learn what we’ve known for some time: Krys Boyd gives great interview. Here’s the important thing for North Texans: Think will now broadcast statewide from 1 to 2. But the noon to 1 hour will still be local. Remember when think got outgoing DISD superintendent Mike Miles the day after he announced he was leaving? That sort of local content isn’t going to change. On Fridays, we’ll still get Anything You Ever Wanted to Know from noon to 1. Then we’ll get a new bonus Think (the statewide version) from 1 to 2.
I asked Krys to share her thoughts on this big news in haiku form. She writes:
Folks across Texas
DO care about big ideas.
Lines are open now.
Here’s the full press release:
KERA’S AWARD-WINNING THINK TO BROADCAST ACROSS TEXAS
Locally produced radio program expands to Houston, Austin, San Antonio and beyond; Think is among most-downloaded local podcasts in public radio
BBC’s Newshour broadcasts expanded for daily global news
DALLAS/FORT WORTH — In January 2017, KERA’s award-winning radio program Think will more than double its broadcast reach by expanding to Texas’ largest metropolitan areas, including Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Hosted by acclaimed journalist Krys Boyd, Think sparks the most interesting conversations in Texas through intimate, thought-provoking interviews with leaders from an array of subjects.
The program, which has earned awards for “Best Radio Talk Show” and “Best Broadcaster” from numerous publications, features hourlong interviews with local, national and international newsmakers, including authors, politicians, actors, scientists, artists, innovators and more. Through her exhaustive research process and signature ability to find new and enlightening questions, Boyd has earned a reputation as one of the most thoughtful and skilled radio hosts in the country.
“Over the past 10 years, Think has become one of the most highly regarded local programs in all of public radio,” said Mary Anne Alhadeff, president and CEO of KERA. “Texans across the state will soon discover what KERA listeners know: Krys Boyd’s interviews are not to be missed.”
In North Texas, Think will continue to air Monday through Thursday from noon to 2 p.m., with an additional hour added on Fridays from 1 to 2 p.m., which gives listeners the chance to tune in five days a week for a statewide conversation. For all participating markets outside of North Texas, Think will air Monday through Friday from 1 to 2 p.m. beginning Jan. 2. Participating stations include Houston Public Media, KUT in Austin, Texas Public Radio in San Antonio and KWBU in Waco. Additional Texas stations are expected to begin broadcasting Think later in 2017. As the program reaches more listeners, the important conversations that begin in North Texas will start a dialogue across the state.
“My favorite conversations are the ones that raise more questions than they answer,” Boyd said. “By presenting Think to new audiences, we’ll hear more insights and perspectives — not only about what’s dominating the headlines, but about all the ideas that brought us here: history, science, art, culture and philosophy.”
KERA FM also will expand its broadcasts of BBC World Service’s Newshour program. Beginning Jan. 2, Newshour, which offers a global perspective on the most important stories of the day, will air live Monday through Friday from 9 to 10 a.m., in addition to weekends at 3 p.m. The award-winning flagship program is carried on 280 stations across the U.S., reaching more than 2.9 million listeners each week in each of the top 10 U.S. markets. BBC World Service is the world’s largest newsgathering organization, and Newshour offers clear, rigorous reporting from around the globe alongside stories of local and national interest.
ABOUT THINK
Since launching in February 2006, Think and host Krys Boyd have earned more than a dozen local, regional and national awards, including the 2012 Public Radio News Directors Inc. first place award for best call-in show, the 2016 Texas AP Broadcasters 2nd place award for local talk show, the 2013 Regional Edward R. Murrow award for breaking news coverage and more. In addition to airing on KERA FM, Think also is among the most-downloaded local podcasts in the public radio system, receiving about 200,000 downloads each month – more than half of which come from listeners outside the state. In each of the past two years, Think has been invited to broadcast live from the NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Think led a national conversation after five Dallas police officers were gunned down on July 7, 2016. On the day after the shootings, Boyd hosted a two-hour special episode of Think that offered a thoughtful reflection on the tragedy and its aftermath. Public radio stations across the country broadcast the special episode, which featured insights from U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson and other local leaders. In all, eight hours of Think were broadcast on stations across the country in the two weeks after the shootings.
During each episode of Think, listeners have the opportunity to call, email or tweet with questions or comments for the show’s guest. In expanding to new markets in Texas, Think will give hundreds of thousands more listeners the opportunity to join conversations with prominent figures from a wide variety of subjects. Previous guests include Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jane Goodall, Sen. John Cornyn, artist Frank Stella, author Malcolm Gladwell, actor Bryan Cranston and filmmaker Werner Herzog.
The expansion of Think represents an extension of the ongoing Texas Station Collaborative, a Corporation for Public Broadcasting-supported initiative that connects the newsrooms of the state’s four largest public radio stations: KERA in North Texas, KUT in Austin, Texas Public Radio in San Antonio and Houston Public Media. The collaborating stations worked together to launch Texas Standard in 2015. The daily newsmagazine, which airs Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. on KERA FM, provides a unique opportunity for participating stations to enhance coverage of Texas news and share local stories with audiences across the state. With the expansion of Think, more Texans will have access to compelling, in-depth interviews, in addition to the diverse collection of daily news stories provided by Texas Standard.
Think is available via podcast on iTunes and kera.org/podcasts. For information about Think and for the complete KERA FM schedule, visit kera.org.
ABOUT KRYS BOYD
Krys Boyd has been host and managing editor of KERA FM’s flagship midday talk show Think since 2006, and hosted the weekly television program of the same name from 2007 until 2011. A graduate of TCU’s Bob Schieffer College of Communication, Krys began her career as a journalist along the U.S./Mexico border and returned to North Texas in 1999 to serve as News Director for Broadcast.com, and later Senior Producer of Broadcast News at Yahoo. Krys joined KERA in 2001, hosting the nightly radio talk show Conversations. Later, she wrote and produced documentary and educational television programs, including the critically-acclaimed, nationally broadcast JFK: Breaking the News in 2003, and served as producer and co-host of the Emmy Award-winning public affairs program On The Record. Think has been called the best radio talk show in Dallas numerous times by D Magazine and by the Dallas Observer and has earned honors as PRNDI’s best call-in program. Krys and her husband, Matt, live in Dallas and have four children.
ABOUT KERA
KERA is a not-for-profit public media organization serving North Texas through KERA TV, KERA Create, KERA 90.1 and the Triple-A music station KXT 91.7 FM. For over 50 years, North Texans have turned to KERA as a vibrant destination for community engagement and lifelong learning. KERA produces original multimedia content, carries the best in national and international public television and radio programs, and provides online resources at www.kera.org.
