Talent On Tape

We're currently working with a select group of potential hosts on their sample tapes. Each ten-minute sample will be a mosaic of each person's particular strengths, such as one-on-one interviews, narratives in the field, Q & A phone sessions with listeners, or commentaries. Topics run the gamut from social justice to hard science to pop culture.

Over the next month, these sample tapes will be evaluated by our advisory board so that we can decide soon whom to feature in our three pilots. As we spend more time with our extraordinary hosts – attending lectures with them at Caltech, recording them at a Major League Baseball game, meeting for lunch or listening to their previously recorded work – we're realizing just how creative we can get with our selection process. For example, we think that two of our candidates might be great as co-hosts.

We are also finding ways to resolve some potential challenges, such as the remote location of one of our candidates and the time constraints of some of the others. Still, despite the challenges, all of our potential hosts remain deeply committed to the project. It is great to see everyone's dedication to creating substantive, entertaining, and innovative programming for public radio, especially from those who have never worked in the medium.