Lois Reitzes, Rose Scott, Denis O'Hayer describe new WABE shows starting January 12

But in a move to help soften the blow for classical music fans, legendary host Lois Reitzes will be leading two hours of arts-focused talk and news programming from 10 a.m. to noon called "City Lights."

She will be followed by a two-hour news-oriented talk show "A Closer Look" hosted by veteran journalists Denis O'Hayer and Rose Scott

For decades, classical music has filled WABE's 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. hours, but pressure from fans demanding all news/talk during the day finally won out. WABE is also adding an extra hour of "Morning Edition" at 9 a.m. and a BBC show called "Outlook" at 2 p.m.

John Lemley, who has hosted the noon classical music show City Cafe the past six years which featured some arts features, is leaving the station though he has not said what his next move will be.

WABE chief operating officer John Weatherford said these changes have been in the works for several years. He added that the surprise move by Georgia Public Broadcasting to create a rival public radio channel on the FM dial at 88.5/WRAS-FM last summer was a factor but not the primary factor that led to this shift. The station is adding six or seven more news personnel to handle the increased programming, upping its news operations to about 20.

From a ratings standpoint, this move makes sense. Listening audience for WABE's news/talk programming in the mornings and afternoons often tripled that of the classical hours.

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

But the presence of Reitzes may have been a crucial element in keeping classical music over the years. Reitzes, 61, has been with WABE since 1979 and is the longest-running radio host at the same station in Atlanta.

She has deep ties with the arts organizations in town built up over many years. She not only plans to talk to the local arts leaders and performers such as Susan Booth of Alliance Theater but also catch up with out-of-town authors, singers, dancers, actors and comedians. "I'd love to talk to playwright Pearl Cleage," she said.

She hopes her show will exemplify that of Terry Gross' program "Fresh Air," minus political issues. She would also love to emulate Susan Stamberg's "Morning Edition" pieces. "I loved her beats," she said. "She would cover the Cartier-Bresson exhibition in Paris. Or she's take you to the Phillips Collection in D.C. She'd have a conversation with Mel Brooks."

Her workload is significantly higher now because she is also taping a five-hour classical show for the HD2 channel, available online or people with HD radios. That's two hours more than her Second Cup show had been on the FM dial. The upside to that show is she'll be able to air longer pieces without the constraints of running NPR news breaks every 30 minutes. "I'm able to revisit works I haven't played in years or in some cases, ever," she said.

At the same time, taping in advance is a challenge. "I think my trademark has been my spontaneity," she said. "I hope I can convey the excitement I have for the music while recording the HD channel show."

"I am so stoked," she added in her distinctive, deep voice. "I feel like this is a job of a lifetime to be able to have five hours of music and engage the arts community. It's a dream come true."

While Reitzes will be focused almost exclusively on arts and lifestyle, Scott, a WABE producer and reporter since 2008 who has specialized in issues such as sex trafficking, sports and education, and O'Hayer, a former TV reporter with 37 years of journalism under his belt, are going to tackle harder news.

They said they are excited and nervous about filling 10 hours of airtime every week. "I'll take a lot of my cues from Dennis," Scott said. "For me, it's an opportunity to expand into longer-format features. Normally, a news report might last one or two minutes. Now, we can really dig deep. We want to go beyond soundbites, clips and headlines."

She said, "We're not re-creating the wheel. We want to give you a better wheel than what's out there."

O'Hayer said they are both "improvisational." He believes their show won't be as tightly formatted as "All Things Considered." "We want to make this fun," he said.

Some of the issues they plan to address include the interstate water wars and relationships between the police and minority communities. And they hope their chemistry works, too. O'Hayer joked that they'll be like the two curmudgeons Statler & Waldorf on "The Muppet Show."

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Rival GPB's WRAS-FM daytime weekday programming is primarily national shows with the exception of Celeste Headlee's daily hour show at 9 a.m. "On Second Thought," which debuted in the fall.

"I don't worry about what anyone else is doing," O'Hayer said.

Here's the new daily schedule for WABE now from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting January 12:

6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Morning Edition (added: 9 a.m. hour)

10 a.m. to noon: Lois Reitzes arts news/talk show "City Lights"

noon to 2 p.m.: Rose Scott and Denis O'Hayer news/talk show "A Closer Look"

2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Outlook (BBC)

3 p.m. to 4 p.m. BBC Newshour

4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. All Things Considered

6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Marketplace