NPR Ending 'Talk Of The Nation'

NPR is ending "Talk of the Nation" after twenty-one years on the air.

The New York Times reported that NPR is replacing the show with "Here and Now," a news show produced by Boston University's WBUR, on July 1. "Talk of the Nation" will go off the air at the end of June. "Talk of the Nation" host Neal Conan, who has been at NPR for 35 years, will also “step away from the rigors of daily journalism,” according to a statement from the network.

NPR will partner with WBUR to expand "Here and Now," currently a one-hour program, into a two-hour show. Jeremy Hobson, who currently anchors "Marketplace Morning Report," will also co-host with Robin Young, the current host of the program.

The change, The New York Times reported, is a move towards less opinion and more news. The development of "Here and Now" also marks a unique partnership for NPR.

"A central part of our plan is to tap into a lot of the public radio stations across the country that are doing wonderful journalism that never gets heard outside of their markets," Charlie Kravetz, WBUR's general manager, told the Times.