The Connection

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the public radio program. For other uses, see The Connection (disambiguation).

The Connection was a public radio call-in program from WBUR that ran from 1994 to 2005. Originally hosted by Christopher Lydon (1994–2001), and (after a series of short-term fill-in hosts) followed by Dick Gordon (2001–2005), it was syndicated to as many as 66 public radio stations in the United States.

In March 2001, Lydon was dismissed after negotiations for renewal of his contract broke down. Lydon subsequently hosted the PRI radio show Open Source until 2007.

Dick Gordon became the show's host just after the September 11, 2001 attacks. He eventually took the program to Baghdad for 10 days in April 2003.^[1]

The Connection was abruptly canceled after the August 5, 2005 broadcast, and Gordon laid off. Gordon says that the circumstances surrounding his termination were not explained well, though it is believed that WBUR was presumably not able to continue carrying the show. ^[2]

WBUR filled The Connection's 10 a.m. to noon timeslot with On Point, a similar program previously aired in the 7-9 p.m. timeslot. Gordon now hosts The Story with Dick Gordon at North Carolina Public Radio.

The Connection's theme song was the jazz tune "Cantaloupe Island" by Herbie Hancock.