Smart Talk moves to noon

Smart Talk is moving to new and returning to an hour-long program, five days a week.

• Fred Vigeant
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  Fred Vigeant is WITF's Director of Programming and Promotions for TV and Radio. Fred manages the schedules for our radio and television platforms. He also analyzes audience research and manages the public affairs program Smart Talk. Previously, Fred was at WRVO in Oswego, NY for 12 years serving in various roles including Program Director and before that Operations Manager. Fred graduated from the State University of New York College at Oswego with a B.A. in Mass Communications and Broadcasting.

Smart Talk is moving to a new time and returning to an hour-long program that airs five days a week. 

Smart Talk is being redesigned to prioritize what is happening in the community, educating ourselves about something new and finding subjects to unwind and lessen everyday stress.  

Smart Talk will still focus on news, providing thoughtful discussion as news-worthy events unfold. We will continue to focus on relevant and timely discussions, but will also allocate more time to focus on the stories of Central Pennsylvania and break from the news cycle for more human-interest and arts & culture coverage. 

This evolution of Smart Talk comes as we also adapt to the growing podcast listening audience. Smart Talk will develop segments for use on digital platforms (on-demand video, podcasting, etc.). The result on-air will be a magazine format over the hour, with two to three segments, and additional content found in podcast form and through other digital platforms. 

This new design is built on the solid foundation of civil and thoughtful conversations Smart Talk has provided on WITF for more than a decade. Smart Talk is a critical part of our schedule and we don’t make changes to it lightly. We are carefully aligning efforts to continue to appeal to our existing audience while welcoming the next generation of Smart Talk listeners.  

WITF is also excited to announce that Aniya Thomas will be joining Scott LaMar as a co-host and producer of the show.  Aniya has been recently hosting All Things Considered on WITF and will be shifting gears to Smart Talk.

Through all these changes, we are planning to retire the name of the show to craft a new name that encompasses the changes to the sound and feel of this daily program. The new name and theme music will be unveiled this October. 

Learn more about all of our schedule changes beginning July 5.

Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, host Tim Lambert will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.

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