Fans of Waco public radio station KWBU-FM (103.3) will find evening opportunities to hear programs like cultural talk show “Fresh Air” and “Prairie Home Companion” while losing the classical music show “From The Top” and American music programs “American Routes” beginning this week.

The schedule changes set jazz music blocks on two nights, a move of “The Tavis Smiley Show” from Sunday to Friday nights and “KWBU Rewind,” a 3 p.m. Sunday recap of some of the station’s local program for the week.

“Fresh Air,” hosted by Terry Gross, will be rebroadcast at 7 p.m. weeknights in addition to its current 3 p.m. weekday slot. The change bumps “Music at Baylor” to 8 p.m. Monday, followed by “Classical Guitar Alive” at 9 p.m., a move from its former Wednesday time period.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be carried at 8 p.m. Tuesday and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at 8 p.m. Wednesdays. Thursday nights will feature a jazz block with “Riverwalk Jazz: Live From The Landing” at 8 p.m. and “Live From Lincoln Center” at 9 p.m. “Live From Lincoln Center” repeats at 8 p.m. Saturday with “Beale Street Caravan” at 9 p.m. for a second night of jazz and blues.

Dropping ‘From the Top’

The talk program “The Tavis Smiley Show” changes from Sunday nights to 8 p.m. Fridays. Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion” will get a third slot in KWBU’s schedule with a rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Sundays.

KWBU-FM Station Manager Brodie Bashaw said rising fees had caused the station to drop the youth classical music program “From The Top” after 10 years. KWBU-FM and Baylor University had hosted two performances of “From the Top” with program personality Christopher O’Riley in 2002 and last year. “From The Top’s” move in recent years to distribution by National Public Radio from Public Radio International had led to a doubling of the fee charged to KWBU, and the program did not have local underwriting to defray costs, Bashaw explained.

“American Routes” also was cut as a cost-saving move, she said. “We had to take a good, hard look at what makes budgetary sense,” she said.

A detailed station schedule is available on KWBU’s website at www.kwbu.org. The Waco station celebrates its 10th year on the air this month with NPR personality Carl Kasell speaking at a sold-out June 14 luncheon.

choover@wacotrib.com

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