To the Point
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| To the Point | |
| Genre | Public affairs |
|---|---|
| Running time | ca. 54 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Languages | English |
| Home station | KCRW-FM |
| Syndicates | PRI |
| Hosts | Warren Olney |
| Producers | Karen Radziner |
| Executive producers | Warren Olney |
| Recording studio | KCRW in Santa Monica, CA |
| Air dates | to present |
| Audio format | Stereophonic |
| Website MoreToThePoint.com |
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 PodcastKCRW Podcasts |
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To the Point is an hour-long public affairs radio program produced by KCRW in Santa Monica, CA, where it originates at 11 am Pacific Time. Award-winning journalist Warren Olney hosts the show; it is syndicated in 15 states and Washington DC by Public Radio International.[1] KCRW also podcasts the program.
[edit] Format
The program begins with its theme music, a clip from John Coltrane's A Love Supreme. Olney then introduces the topics for the day's program, followed by a break for carrier stations to play syndicated news headlines, typically provided by NPR.
In the opening segment, Olney discusses a recent or breaking news development with a guest, typically a newspaper journalist. The journalist joins Warren by phone, and the segment lasts about 10 minutes.
The following segment, which occupies most of the show, features a roundtable discussion of a topic of national or international interest, including issues of politics, policy, war, and science. Unlike most news programs, which tend to interview newsmakers, To the Point instead interviews "experts" – typically think tank members, professors in related fields, or observers from non-profit groups, who have comprehensive understandings of the events. Olney moderates the discussion, beginning with one guest and adding one every few minutes; typically, three commentators eventually join Olney during this main segment, all by phone. The segment is split in half by Miles Davis's "Blue in Green."
During the program's final segment, called "Reporter's Notebook," Olney interviews a newspaper or magazine journalist by phone about an ongoing story, allowing the reporter to give a thorough narrative of the events. This occupies the last eight to 10 minutes of the show.
The show closes with Olney crediting the show's rotating cast of producers and engineers, thanking the Coltrane family, and signing off with, "This has been To the Point from Public Radio International."
[edit] Show Format in breaking events
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
When major national or international events occur, the show will occasionally scrap its pre-scheduled main segment in favor of bringing in commentators on the breaking stories.
Interestingly, though the live program beams by satellite to carrier stations at 11 am, KCRW airs it taped at noon, following Morning Becomes Eclectic.
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