TED Radio Hour

US radio program
TED Radio Hour
Home stationNational Public Radio
Hosted byAlison Stewart (2012)
Guy Raz (2013-19)
Manoush Zomorodi[1] (2020-present)
Original releaseApril 27, 2012 (2012-04-27)
Websitewww.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour

TED Radio Hour is a weekly, hour-long radio program and podcast, produced as a co-production between TED (conference) and National Public Radio. It is broadcast on 600+ public radio stations in the United States and internationally, and is also available as a free weekly podcast.[2] The first episode aired on April 27, 2012, with host Alison Stewart.[3][4] Beginning with Season 2, the series was hosted by Guy Raz.[5] In November 2019, Manoush Zomorodi was named the show’s new host.[6]

Each episode of the TED Radio Hour is one hour long, and explores a theme — such as happiness, crowd-sourcing innovation or power shifts — through three to four related TED Talks. The talks (all of which have been previously recorded and released by TED) are supplemented by follow-up interviews with the speaker, original reporting and other segments that bring the ideas to life.

Each TED Radio Hour episode is elaborately stylized, layering original sound design under each TED Talk and conversation.

History

The idea of a TED radio show was first proposed in 2011 by TED's head of content distribution Deron Triff to NPR Interim President and CEO Joyce Slocum.[7] When the series premiered in April 2012, it was carried by 76 of NPR's member stations, including WHYY Philadelphia, KUOW Seattle and KOPB Portland. By the end of Season 1, it was carried by 250+ member stations[5] including WNYC.[4] By the premiere of Season 2, it was carried by 300+ member stations.[8] TED Radio Hour now airs on 600+ radio stations across the U.S. and internationally.[2]

Between Season 1 and Season 2, the show's team, led by NPR's VP of Programming Eric Nuzum, Deron Triff and Series Producer Jeff Rogers, overhauled the show.[9] It expanded to a weekly schedule, and the format was revised, to emphasize stylized sound design. Guy Raz, formerly of Weekend All Things Considered, was selected as the new host. In November 2019, Manoush Zomorodi, previously host of the WNYC podcast Note to Self, was named the show’s new host.

Credits

According to the show credits,[10] in Season 1, TED Radio Hour was produced by Jeff Rogers, Sam Greenspan and Meghan Keane with help from NPR's Eric Nuzum, and TED's Chris Anderson, June Cohen, Deron Triff, Emily McManus and Janet Lee. In Season 2, TED Radio Hour was produced by Jeff Rogers, Brent Baughman, Meghan Keane, Neva Grant and Sanaz Meshkinpour with help from NPR's Portia Robertson Migas and Eric Nuzum, and TED's Chris Anderson, June Cohen, Deron Triff and Janet Lee.

Episodes

Season 1
No. in Season Title Guests Airdate
1 "Our Buggy Brain" Dan Ariely, Dan Gilbert, Paul Bloom April 27, 2012
2 "The Pursuit of Happiness" Malcolm Gladwell, Barry Schwartz, Kathryn Schulz May 4, 2012
3 "Food Matters" Dan Barber, Carolyn Steel, Cary Fowler, Ann Cooper May 11, 2012
4 "The Power of Crowds" Clay Shirky, Charlie Todd, Casey Pugh, Marcin Jakubowski, Eric Whitacre May 18, 2012
5 "Fixing Our Broken Systems" Barry Schwartz, Jane McGonigal, Philip K Howard May 25, 2012
6 "The Creative Process" Elizabeth Gilbert, Abigail Washburn, Billy Collins June 1, 2012
7 "Where Ideas Come From" Steven Johnson, Matt Ridley, Susan Cain June 8, 2012
8 "The Future of Cities" Stewart Brand, Robert Neuwirth, Geoffrey West, Ellen Dunham-Jones June 15, 2012
9 "Building a Better Classroom" Sir Ken Robinson, Salman Kahn, John Hunter June 22, 2012
10 "Africa: The Next Chapter" Emeka Okafor, Andrew Mwenda, Patrick Awuah, Ory Okolloh, Chimamanda Adichie, Eleni Gabre-Madhin June 29, 2012

Reception and awards

TED Radio Hour is carried by 600+ public radio stations.[2] As of January 2023, TED Radio Hour has earned 6 industry honors, including 2 wins,[11] including the 2018 Webby Award for Best Science and Education Podcast[12] and the 2023 Ambie Award for Best knowledge, Science or Technology Podcast.[13] TED Radio Hour was also named "Best New Audio Podcast of 2012" by iTunes.

References

  1. ^ "Manoush Zomorodi Will Be The New Host Of TED Radio Hour". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  2. ^ a b c Falk, Tyler (November 5, 2019). "NPR names next 'TED Radio Hour' host". Current: News for People in Public Media. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  3. ^ "TED Radio Hour Brings Great Ideas to NPR Stations". TED Blog. April 16, 2012. Retrieved Dec 31, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Jensen, Elizabeth (April 15, 2012). "TED Teams with NPR". The New York Times. Retrieved Dec 31, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "NPR Expanding TED Radio Hour". NPR Website. Nov 30, 2012. Retrieved Dec 31, 2018.
  6. ^ Falk, Tyler (November 5, 2019). "NPR names next 'TED Radio Hour' host". Current: News for people in public media. Retrieved Jan 25, 2020.
  7. ^ Slocum, Joyce (March 10, 2016). "A Message From Our President". Texas Public Radio. Retrieved Dec 31, 2018.
  8. ^ "TED Radio Hour is Public Radio's Latest Hit Program". NPR. March 15, 2013. Retrieved Dec 31, 2018.
  9. ^ "NPR Expanding 'TED Radio Hour' to Weekly Show, Hosted by Guy Raz". NPR. Archived from the original on Dec 1, 2012. Retrieved Feb 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "TED Radio Hour". Retrieved Dec 31, 2018.
  11. ^ "TED Radio Hour entry on IMDB". Internet Movie Database. January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  12. ^ "NEW Webby Gallery + Index". NEW Webby Gallery + Index. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  13. ^ Spangler, Todd (2023-03-08). "The 2023 Ambies Podcast Award Winners Announced (Full List)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-11.