'The Takeaway' Debuts

Listen to an exclusive preview of a brand new morning drive news program from PRI and WNYC -- debuts on April 28.

Designed to expand and enrich the American dialogue on key local, national and global issues, "The Takeaway" with John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

The show will be live, delivering national and international news and cultural stories through a conversational and unprecedented personality-driven format. The anchor’s chair will serve as the hub or “the watercooler,” where Hockenberry and Udoji convene critical conversations, take live reports from the field, provide a platform for commentary and analysis, and where listeners get involved in the discussion. The vast newsgathering resources of the editorial partners and contributors will allow for deep access to local intelligence, authentic voices, and a range of perspectives.

"Our goal is to create a show that stays true to public radio's mission of helping listeners make sense of their world and put the day's news in context," said PRI CEO Alisa Miller, "but that also sounds the way people really communicate with each other: conversational, unscripted, sometimes opinionated. People are looking for both companionship and current news in the morning. Pairing a conversational tone with public radio's stellar journalism will do both."

The show marks John Hockenberry's return to his roots in public radio — where he was one of the medium's original innovators — after 15 years in network and cable television. For his work at ABC and NBC, he has earned four Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards, an Edward R. Murrow Award and a Casey Medal. Hockenberry is known for his pioneering online content, and currently sits as a Distinguished Fellow at the prestigious MIT Media Lab.

Adaora Udoji comes to the show from Court TV, where she serves as an anchor and trial correspondent. Previously, as a correspondent with ABC News and CNN, Udoji covered some of the most critical domestic and international stories of the past decade, including the 2004 presidential election, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Udoji was part of the CNN team that earned a Peabody Award for its heralded coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

"The Takeaway" debuts on WNYC in New York, WGBH in Boston, WEAA in Baltimore, and on www.TheTakeaway.org, and will launch on WCAI on Cape Cod and the Islands on May 12. It will roll out in other markets throughout the spring and summer.

Liberty Mutual is the exclusive corporate broadcast sponsor of "The Takeaway," as part of its Responsibility Project, which is a catalyst for examining the decisions that confront people trying to "do the right thing."