WUNC ending ‘The State of Things’ show after two decades
WUNC’s “The State of Things” will stop broadcasting at the end of 2020, the public radio station announced Tuesday.
The hour-long show, which airs live at noon and repeats at 8 p.m., started in 1999 and focuses on North Carolina current events, newsmakers and people who make the state what it is.
“The show has done a wonderful job of examining what matters to our listeners through a grand variety of topics,” said WUNC President and General Manager Connie Walker, according to a statement on Twitter.
The announcement comes two months after longtime host Frank Stasio announced he will retire at the end of the year. Stasio became host in 2006.
In an interview with The News & Observer, Walker said Stasio’s retirement, along with examining audience trends, prompted the decision. There are also behind-the-scenes challenges, she said. The station is hiring a program director, and without that person in place, it would be hard to conduct a nationwide search for a new “State of Things” host.
“It’s time to rethink things,” Walker said. “That doesn’t mean we won’t start a different show down the road. It’s a possibility. For now, it seemed like the right thing to do.”
The station has struggled during the pandemic with fewer listeners, she said. Revenue is down, though the station is “doing better than expected.”
“Listeners are hanging in there,” she said.
The five staff members with “The State of Things” will remain at the station in other positions, Walker said.
Anita Rao, managing editor of “The State of Things,” had become a “State of Things” host and also has spun off a new podcast, “Embodied,” which will continue. WUNC also produces “Tested,” a podcast on facing challenges, and a politics podcast.
Stasio’s last live show will be Wednesday, Nov. 5. Rao will host new episodes through December.
Some of Stasio’s favorite “State of Things” conversations will be rebroadcast on Tuesdays and Thursdays in December.
After that, “The Takeaway” with host Tanzina Vega will be broadcast on weekdays at noon. The show, produced by WNYC in New York, currently airs at 9 p.m. on WUNC.
“The State of Things” also aired at 8 p.m. Walker said plans have not been made to fill that time slot yet.
Walker said she understands listeners’ loyalty to the show. When she joined the station in 2005, it became part of her life too.
“We appreciate listener support over the years,” Walker said. “Things evolve. That’s how public radio is moving these days.”
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 5:41 PM.