Your week at a glance: December 13-19

Here are the latest updates for upcoming programs. PLEASE NOTE: All details are subject to change. Additional details will be shared via ContentDepot as they become available.

Use the links below to visit our dedicated program pages, where you’ll find show logos, digital assets and more.


News

Marketplace

Week of December 13

Marketplace (PM)

  • As part of our series Temporarily Unavailable, Kai talks with David Erlanger, President and CEO of Erlanger Distribution Center, at his main warehouse. 

Marketplace Tech

  • Kimberly Adams hosts through the month of December.
  • Marketplace Tech features an interview with Josué Cardona, founder of Geek Therapy, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the use of video games and other popular media. 
  • We speak with Timnit Gebru, formerly of Google, who has founded a new research center, Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research (DAIR). 

On Point

  • December 13: Schools across the country are struggling with staff shortages. While teacher shortages have been a major issue, this time, we’ll look at everyone else who helps schools operate the way they do: the school bus drivers, substitute teachers, custodians, food service assistants and more. How are school administrators plugging these gaps? What are the consequences for children and their education? 
  • December 14: We explore the role that fetal viability has played in the abortion debate. The issue has become more complicated because medical science continues to push the viability threshold downward. An Alabama boy who was born after his mother went into labor at just 21 weeks was recently declared the world’s most premature baby to survive. His mother tells us about their journey. 
  • December 15: The metaverse – the virtual reality universe that mirrors our own — is growing fast. Musicians like Justin Bieber are putting on live concerts in the metaverse and a metaverse real estate company has been valued in the millions of dollars. Technology experts predict it will become increasingly integrated into our lives and there will be a time when we live in reality and virtually at the same time. What’s to stop technology progressing to the point that we can’t tell them apart? 

Classical

Performance Today

  • Christmas music starts to ramp up on Performance Today throughout the month of December. 
  • December 16: An interview with Afghan pianist Elham Fanous on the incredible evacuation of 272 students or faculty of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music

Arts and Culture

Time Machine from The Current

December 17 – 2009

  • The year we first learned of Florence and the Machine, who released their debut. The French band Phoenix issued one of the most buzzed about albums of the year, it was a banner year for Indie-rock with big albums from Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear and Dirty Projectors and The Avett Brothers released their most popular album of their career. Rosanne Cash made a wonderful album of covers her late father, Johnny Cash, suggested she should learn, and Jay Z dropped his 11th album Blueprint III, which debuted at #1 and later won several Grammys. 
  • Outside the world of music, The New York Yankees won their 27th World Series. A U.S. Airways plane with 155 on board ditched into the Hudson River, after a bird strike at New York’s LaGuardia Airport – all survived what became known as “the Miracle on the Hudson,” and pilot Sully Sullenberger became a national hero. Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States. 

The Splendid Table

NEW episode – December 17:

  • This year, we are digging into the holiday traditions of Puerto Rico with Von Diaz, author of Coconuts & Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South
  • Vallery Lomas, author of Life is What You Bake It joins us to talk celebratory eating and traditions. 

Timely Selections

Digital / Marketing tool from the BBC World Service

All BBC affiliated stations have access to rights-cleared videos produced by the BBC. Use these shareable videos to bolster your social platforms. Set up your account to access the BBC Media Partner Centre and follow the link below to explore the library of videos!

VIEW VIDEOS HERE

Questions? Reach out to your Station Relations Representative.

2021 Remembered From The Current

Broadcast Window: December 13, 2021 – January 9, 2022

Length: One hour

Join The Current in honoring the life, music, and legacy of artists we lost this year with 2021 Remembered from The Current. This hour-long musical tribute is a celebration of all sounds – from indie to influential – and the perfect way for music lovers to unite in paying homage to the artists who have shaped music history.

From musicians and producers to industry icons, the playlist will feature legends like Charlie Watts, Don Everly, Nanci Griffith, Bunny Wailer, Biz Markie, and many more. Host Jill Riley will highlight milestones in each artist’s life and career, explore their lasting impact on the music world, and spin their most beloved songs.

Questions? Please contact your Station Representative.