Prairie Home Companion officially dead?

[Dr H]

As many did, I listened with great interest to Chris Thile's debut as host of A Prairie Home Companion, last October 15th. I thought he did a great job. He's not Garrison Keillor, of course, but I think he kept the flavor of the show, and the musical content has, if anything, gotten even better.

I was a little disconcerted that our local station (Oregon Public Broadcasting) moved the program out of its traditional 3-5PM Saturday timeslot, to a 6-8PM Saturday slot. I know a lot of people who used to listen to that afternoon slot while going about their Saturday errands, as I did. By 6PM on Saturday, though, a lot of people are going out for the evening. Seems like an unnecessary burden for the station to have heaped on the new host of an iconic show, during a critical time of transition.

That aside, it seems like Thile made six or seven new shows -- from mid-October to mid-December, and then stopped. All I've heard since just after last Christmas have been reruns of the handful of shows made between October and December. I've heard each of them at least three times by now; it's mid-April, and no new shows seem to be coming out.

Did the show get cancelled?

And, if we're now in permanent reruns, why don't they pick a few from the 40 years of programs the Keillor recorded, instead of just beating the 2-months Thile recorded to death?

If the show hasn't been cancelled, it almost seems like someone at the station has it in for Thile, what with moving the program to a later time slot, and wearing people out with repeats.

[Chris Daniels]

Local station broadcast times notwithstanding, here's the official word from the PHC website:

Our 13-show pilot season with Chris Thile as host ended in February, but thanks to your enthusiasm and support, we’ve been renewed for a full, 26-episode season starting this October. We’ve also added two additional live broadcasts at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul in May.

C.

[catmandu2]

I heard it announced that they'll be back at the Fitzgerald Theatre in some months, IIRC. CT's a busy guy - probably has other stuff to do.. (like trio-ing with Meyer and Ma , me like very much )

[mandobassman]

I don't see why moving the show to 6 o'clock is that big of a deal. I've been listening to the show since the mid-80s at the same time from 6 to 8 PM. I'm sure it's broadcast at different times in different cities. I always found it to be great dinner time entertainment.

[Stevo75]

I have always listened to it on Sundays (going many years back). Not sure if they broadcast Saturday afternoon and then again on Sundays or if they have always broadcast PHC on Sundays only in Colorado (on Colorado Public Radio).

Either way, I'm glad they'll be making more!

[Chris Daniels]

I have always listened to it on Sundays (going many years back). Not sure if they broadcast Saturday afternoon and then again on Sundays or if they have always broadcast PHC on Sundays only in Colorado (on Colorado Public Radio).

Either way, I'm glad they'll be making more!

For as far back as I can recall, the live show has always started at 5 PM Central on Saturdays (which means OPs Oregon station will likely return to 3:00 for the new season) with a Sunday re-broadcast at whatever time is convenient for the local station. Round these parts that's high noon Eastern.

I really liked the new format and am excited/interested to see if they can keep it going long term. Is there room in today's hectic world for a new(-ish) music-focused variety radio show?

C.

[jefflester]

That aside, it seems like Thile made six or seven new shows -- from mid-October to mid-December, and then stopped. All I've heard since just after last Christmas have been reruns of the handful of shows made between October and December. I've heard each of them at least three times by now; it's mid-April, and no new shows seem to be coming out.

Looking at the PHC website there appears to be a number of new shows in Jan and Feb that you apparently didn't get?
https://www.prairiehome.org/shows/page/3
January 7, 2017 broadcast with The Shins and Regina Spektor
January 14, 2017 broadcast with Andrew Bird, Laura Marling, and Beth Stelling
January 21, 2017 broadcast with Ryan Adams, Kacey Musgraves, and Kevin Nealon
January 28, 2017 REPEAT October 15, 2016 rebroadcast with Jack White, Lake Street Dive, and Maeve Higgins
February 4, 2017 broadcast with Amos Lee, Jenny Lewis, and Nate Bargatze

https://www.prairiehome.org/shows/page/2
February 11, 2017 broadcast with Lucius, Brad Mehldau, and Tom Papa
February 18, 2017 broadcast with The Avett Brothers, Jesca Hoop, and Jen Kirkman

[Russ Donahue]

Here on the East Coast I can remember listening to it at 6:00pm on Saturday evenings. Started listening in the early 80's and been with it ever since. They can move the time and I will find it...

[Spruce]

Is there room in today's hectic world for a new(-ish) music-focused variety radio show?

Yes...
...and PHC really blew their chance to do so with this changeover...

[Dr H]

Local station broadcast times notwithstanding, here's the official word from the PHC website:

Our 13-show pilot season with Chris Thile as host ended in February, but thanks to your enthusiasm and support, we’ve been renewed for a full, 26-episode season starting this October. We’ve also added two additional live broadcasts at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul in May.

C.

Wow, if he even made 13 shows, somehow I've missed about half of them.
Must be the time slot. When PHC was on Saturday afternoon, I usually caught most of it while driving around running errands.

Never knew that radio had "seasons", either.

[Jeff Hildreth]

I would not be surprised if the end was a reality.

[Pittsburgh Bill]

I believe it was stated that he contracted for 13 shows in his first season. The season begins in October. We still have a few more of those 13 shows to hear before the season ends.
I recently heard he contracted for 26 shows in his second season.
It has always been on a 6- 8 time slot in the Burgh. Not bad, for us. We just planned Saturday evenings out after the show aired. We spend winters in South Florida. There they have a Saturday 6-8 time slot AND a Sunday 12-2 time slot.
I miss the Garrison format but if Thilie ended and Garrison returned, I would also miss Chris's format.

My mother always told me I can't always have my cake and eat it too.

[Roger Moss]

The show ended for me when GK left anyway.

[Bob Clark]

I'd actually given up on the show a few years ago. To me, with GK, it was too many years of the same thing. Been listening in a bit more since CT took over. I'm enjoying it again. I wish him well in this venture.

[stevedenver]

I am a PHC fan, hosted by GK, or CT.

Imho, the show is better than ever. CT lines up incredible music, and, the show is more music centered.
I enjoy his ebullience and energy, and, his fellowship with his performing guests.

I have heard some amazing performances, including his and Aeoiffe's ad hoc song requested from the audience.

Haters gonna hate....

[Spruce]

I would not be surprised if the end was a reality.

[narfboy48]

Yup. I was dubious about the change over, but the musical lineup has been adventurous, the interchange between musicians just electric and can O'Donovan sing just about anything?. Give him another season to figure out where the sketch comedy needs to settle...

[Mandolin Cafe]

Gadfly, indeed.

There's so much misinformation in this thread it's hilarious.

Carry on. Fine job.

[Ryk Loske]

From my time on the CAB at VPR .... Relative to the timing of the show it was part of the "contract" with PHC that the show be aired live when it was broadcast (5pm Central) on Saturdays and that the station had the option to air it one more time during the week. The change mentioned in the OP's post may have been the result of the station finally being caught in violation of that agreement.

I loved PHC until it morphed into the Garrison Keillor show. All Gary all the time. Listened to Chris' take and enjoyed it and look forward to his new season. I'm with Spruce's comment in post #9.

Ryk

[mandroid]

Yea their Broadcast season is only half the year. so the other half is where they go on tour on their own
or within other touring groups. Or spend time with their families...

26 out of 52..

[stevedenver]

Gadfly, indeed.

There's so much misinformation in this thread it's hilarious.

Carry on. Fine job.

What, pray tell, precisely, is the mis-information?

[BradKlein]

What, pray tell, precisely, is the mis-information?

Well the title of the thread for one thing. PHC is not even rumored to be anything but doing fine. ANY major transition in public radio is EXTREMELY hard to succeed at. It's a very conservative medium, traditionally, in terms of listening habits and audience. Which is why there is so much less change and so much slower than in commercial radio or television.

It's never been easier to start up a new show in public radio - podcasting presents an unprecedented new 'on ramp', and thousands of start ups are in the works. Very few will have the legs of the familiar national broadcast shows, but some winners will emerge. Feel free to enter the race if you have a great idea.

I totally get that one will either like or dislike Garrison, and the same goes for Thile - but it's been a very smooth transition - all things considered ;-) . I know that some stations took this opportunity to drop the show, and they were probably ones where the programmers had wanted to ditch PHC for years but, see above: conservative, listening habits, et c. Those decisions had little or nothing to do with Thile.

As for Thile's long term direction, we won't know that until Garrison retires as owner and exec producer of the program. And I don't expect he'll do that while he's standing. Hoping that the show succeeds and flourishes in the mean while. It is providing crucial economic support to many of my favorite musicians!

[Don Grieser]

I made a point to tune in on the internet to catch the live video feeds once Chris started hosting. Those are so cool. Never did that when Garrison hosted.

His musician's birthdays of the week segment and the song request thing really shows what a musical monster Chris is.

I look forward to the new season and many more seasons of Chris hosting the show.

[GDAE]

Gadfly, indeed.

There's so much misinformation in this thread it's hilarious.

If you know there is misinformation, why not share the correct information?

[JeffD]

Hoping that the show succeeds and flourishes in the mean while!

I have never heard or seen anything to think otherwise.

I can't always listen to it when it is broadcast, but I do listen a lot. More important is that my personal tastes are not representative, they are irrelevant, and I have no idea what most people are doing, so I have approximately 0.00 information that anything is amiss. In the absence of info there is every reason to be positive and hope for the best, even if its for my long term entertainment.