After 25 Years, Host David Dye Announces A Changing Role With World Cafe Radio Show

David Dye

TODAY (11/14) DAVID DYE announced to listeners of UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Triple A WXPN/PHILADELPHIA his decision to step back from his full-time role as WORLD CAFE host and producer after FRIDAY, MARCH 31st, 2017.  DYE will continue in a part-time capacity as a regular contributor to the nationally distributed music program.

WXPN, which produces WORLD CAFE, will pay tribute to DYE with two celebratory 25th anniversary concerts, scheduled for March 3rd and 4th, 2017 at WORLD CAFE LIVE in PHILADELPHIA. An invitation-only donor event in his honor will also take place at LA PEG BRASSERIE at FRINGEARTS in PHILADELPHIA on MARCH 1st.

DYE has been host of WORLD CAFE since its launch on OCTOBER 14th, 1991. It is distributed by NPR to more than 200 U.S. radio stations and heard by nearly 600,000 listeners each week.  The two-hour daily program features a signature mix of artist interviews with in-studio performances by both established and emerging artists, and a curated music selection that encompasses singer-songwriters, classic rock, indie rock, Americana, alt-country, blues, world music, R&B and soul.  It is the nation’s most listened-to public radio music program.

“On one hand, it is extremely hard to picture my life without hosting the WORLD CAFE on a daily basis.  It is the best job in radio, working with the most talented people,” said DYE.  “For years I have had the opportunity to sit in the same room talking with the likes of LEONARD COHEN, JONI MITCHELL, HERBIE HANCOCK and thousands of others. Our 25th anniversary seems like the perfect juncture to get off the treadmill of daily radio and see what is next.”

GM ROGER Lamay said, “It’s impossible to measure the impact that DAVID DYE has had on artists and audiences with WORLD CAFE. The show’s tremendous success and high acclaim is due mainly to his efforts. We look forward to honoring him with some one-of-a-kind musical tributes and by making sure that his program has a long future of national musical discovery.”

“Across hundreds of public radio stations, DAVID DYE has become a beloved national guide to great music and the creative artists who power our culture. He has built an important platform for music that will continue to benefit from his original and abiding vision,” said ANYA GRUNDMANN, NPR’s VP/Programming and Audience Development.

In addition, WXPN will raise funds to build upon some of the elements that have made it successful, and to evolve and expand it to stay relevant and significant for years to come. The WORLD CAFE NEXT FUND is intended to bring a wider array of voices and perspectives to World Cafe, and provide the means for it to impact a new generation of listeners.

A couple of recent initiatives are already helping to enable this effort: In OCTOBER, radio and TV journalist, producer and host TALIA SCHLANGER joined WORLD CAFE as contributing host and producer, bringing her enthusiasm, expertise and fresh perspective to the program; also in OCTOBER, a new NASHVILLE hub for WORLD CAFE was established in partnership with NPR Music, allowing for the deeper exploration of music emanating from that music hotbed and the surrounding Southern U.S. region.

DYE also stated that he will continue to host the weekly WXPN Funky FRIDAY program, and revealed plans to launch a new local weekend music show, with more details to come.

More announcements will be made about the MARCH tribute events for DYE and the 25th anniversary of WORLD CAFE.  For more information, visit http://www.xpn.org/world-cafe

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