At last: KERA just sent word that its announced-in-June all-music radio station, now known as KKXT-FM (91.7), will officially makes its bow November 9 at 7 a.m. Also announced this morning were the nationally syndicated programs KXT, as it'll be known, will air: Acoustic Café, American Routes, Mountain Stage, Putumayo World Music Hour, Sound Opinions, The Thistle & Shamrock, UnderCurrents and World Café. But the local programming's still a mystery: The press release, available in full after the jump, offers only these scant, tantalizing details:
The KXT Morning, Afternoon and Evening shows will provide nine to eleven hours of weekday local programming. On Fridays, two hours of Texas Mix will be featured at midday. KXT Weekend will air on Saturdays and Sundays, and The Paul Slavens Show on Sunday evening will move from KERA 90.1 FM to KXT 91.7. Details about local hosts, program features and special live performances developed in celebration of the station's launch will be announced closer to the launch date.To which KERA veep of radio operations, Jeff Ramirez, adds, "The national public radio music programs selected for KXT complement the station's own local productions and enhance the public service mission of KXT, which is to introduce, discuss and explore music that otherwise may not be heard on free radio."
Also after the jump, the programming grid so far.
KERA ANNOUNCES NEW MUSIC STATION NAME, LAUNCH DATE AND PROGRAMMINGKxt Radio Logo Grid 8-09
DALLAS/FORT WORTH -- In June 2009, North Texas Public Broadcasting, Inc. (KERA) announced that it was acquiring the non-commercial radio license 91.7 FM to provide a new public radio music station with broadcast coverage throughout greater Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision allowing KERA to acquire the 91.7 FM license has now become final.
"We received a very enthusiastic response about the acquisition of 91.7 FM from North Texans who value public radio and the incredibly diverse music programming this new station will offer," said Mary Anne Alhadeff, KERA's President and CEO. "Approval from the FCC was a critical milestone in finalizing the transfer of the license. With the FCC's favorable decision, KERA now can announce the station's name, the launch date, and the local and national program lineup."
KERA secured new call letters, KKXT, for 91.7 FM. The station will be named KXT. "We tried to secure call letters that conveyed a sense of place, but everything with the combination of 'TX' was already licensed," said Alhadeff. "Yet, the reversal of the letters with KXT was different, and we liked that."
The new station's launch date and time is scheduled for Monday, November 9 at 7:00 a.m. The first program on the air will be the KXT Morning Show, broadcast from the KXT studio.
The KXT Morning, Afternoon and Evening shows will provide nine to eleven hours of weekday local programming. On Fridays, two hours of Texas Mix will be featured at midday. KXT Weekend will air on Saturdays and Sundays, and The Paul Slavens Show on Sunday evening will move from KERA 90.1 FM to KXT 91.7. Details about local hosts, program features and special live performances developed in celebration of the station's launch will be announced closer to the launch date.
KXT will have its own Web site, kxt.org. Playlists, live streaming, podcasts, program features, video and other interactive features will be just some of the offerings on the new site.
"The national public radio music programs selected for KXT complement the station's own local productions and enhance the public service mission of KXT, which is to introduce, discuss and explore music that otherwise may not be heard on free radio," said Jeff Ramirez, V.P., Radio. The national programs are: Acoustic Café, American Routes, Mountain Stage, Putumayo World Music Hour, Sound Opinions, The Thistle & Shamrock, UnderCurrents and World Café.
Acoustic Café with host Rob Reinhart is an international showcase for new and classic acoustic music. The playlist features exceptional songs from some of the best singer-songwriters in the business, live interviews and performances with newer talents. Acoustic Café is independently produced by RDR Radio, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
American Routes presents a broad range of American music -- blues and jazz, gospel and soul, old-time country and rockabilly, Cajun and zydeco, Tejano and Latin, roots rock and pop, avant-garde and classical. The show involves listeners in exploring the shared musical and cultural threads in these American styles and genres of music and how they are distinguished. The program is distributed by American Public Media. Texas ties: Nick Spitzer, the producer and host of American Routes, received a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Texas and worked as a DJ on the legendary progressive country station KOKE FM during the early boom days of the Austin music scene.
Mountain Stage with host Larry Groce is an exploration of the exciting and spontaneous sound of live performances, offering intelligent, contemporary music seasoned with traditional and roots artists. The program occasionally takes a road trip to bring music lovers rare and special events as they happen. Mountain Stage is produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and distributed by NPR. Texas ties: Larry Groce was born in Dallas in 1948 and attended Adamson High School in Oak Cliff.
Putumayo World Music Hour, with hosts Dan Storper and Rosalie Howarth, takes listeners on a journey through the music of many different cultures. PWMH playlists include well-known names along with exceptional, underexposed international artists. The one-hour program also features interviews with world-class music makers that have been influenced by world music. The program is independently produced.
Sound Opinions takes the latest music news, personal commentary, and exclusive interviews and performances, adds a huge pile of records old and new, and the result is the world's only rock and roll talk show. Hosted by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot, two of the finest and best-recognized pop music critics in the nation, Sound Opinions fires up smart and spirited discussions about a wide range of popular music, from cutting-edge underground rock and hip-hop, to classic rock, R&B, electronica, worldbeat and just about any other genre you can name. The show is a production of Chicago Public Radio and American Public Media.
The Thistle & Shamrock with Fiona Ritchie explores evolving music from Celtic roots in Europe and North America. From spirited reels and jigs, haunting ballads of days gone by, and exuberant rhythms of new music, The Thistle & Shamrock presents an impressive assembly of well-established luminaries as well as new and emerging artists. The program is distributed by NPR.
UnderCurrents provides a thoughtful, yet playful, freeform music mix: rock, folk, blues, reggae, dub, electronica, hip-hop, world and roots music, and an excellent selection of contemporary Native artists. Gregg McVicar hosts the show where "Old School meets Cool School." UnderCurrents is produced by Native Voice One.
World Café is hosted by David Dye who takes listeners on a unique journey of musical discovery through a mix of music from both new and legendary artists. Live performances and intimate interviews with Dye's musical guests highlight each show. World Café is produced by WXPN-Philadelphia and distributed by NPR.
