On Sunday, October 2, New England Public Radio will add a new program to its offerings on the NEPR News Network. From 10-11 a.m. listeners can tune in for a dose of New England-based news and culture with NEXT – a weekly radio show and podcast hosted by John Dankosky, and based at WNPR in Hartford, Connecticut.
The show’s “laboratory” is all of New England — one of America’s oldest places — at a time of change.

According to the show’s producers, “NEXT is about how we power our society, how we move around, and how we adapt. It’s about trends that provide us challenges and present us with new opportunities. Through original reporting and interviews, we ask important questions about the issues we explore: where are we now? How did we get here? And what’s next?”

NEXT is a product of the New England News Collaborative (NENC) launched earlier this year. The collaborative, made up of eight public media stations from across New England, including NEPR produces multimedia coverage focusing on the region’s energy usage, climate, transportation infrastructure, and its people and immigration issues.

Some stories and features produced by NEPR’s newsroom will be featured on NEXT, along with reporting from the other NENC partners. The program also airs on WNPR, Connecticut, Vermont Public Radio and New Hampshire Public Radio.

“NEXT is an important addition to the NEPR schedule,” said John Voci, Executive Director for Programming and Content.  “As part of New England News Collaborative, it will allow our audience to hear stories about regional issues on topics important throughout the six New England states.  John Dankosky is an excellent host with extensive reporting experience and we’re excited to have NEXT as part of our line-up on the NEPR News Network.”

To accommodate NEXT on Sundays at 10:00 a.m., On the Media will shift to 11:00 a.m. and Freakonomics to noon.  NEPR will drop its third airing of Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me! from the Sunday line up on the NEPR News Network. Listeners can find the show Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. on the NEPR News Network and at noon on 88.5FM. For a complete program schedule for both networks, visit http://digital.nepr.net/daily.

One additional programming change on the NEPR News Network will begin the same week. On Monday October 3, a rebroadcast of PRI’s The World will replace Q weekdays at 7:00 p.m. A collaboration of BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston, The World brings one-of-a-kind international stories home to America. This change will extend the NEPR News Network’s international news coverage into the early evening.

The NEPR News Network, which caters to listeners who enjoy 24-hour news and talk programming, can be heard on seven stations throughout the region including 91.9FM in Hampden County, 89.3 FM in Hampshire County, 91.7 FM in Franklin County, 89.5 FM and 98.9 FM in Berkshire County, 88.5 FM HD-3 in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden Counties, and on AM 640 across western New England and into New York State. Listeners can also stream the station at  NEPR.net and through NEPR’s app.

For a full schedule of the NEPR News Network’s offerings, visit: http://digital.nepr.net/newsnetwork/