WPR to launch The Lee Rayburn Show on July 6

Wisconsin Public Radio will debut a new midday call-in program July 6 after Larry Meiller’s retirement, with Lee Rayburn hosting Monday through Thursday and Jill Nadeau leading Garden Talk on Fridays. The shows will air on WPR News and stream live, on demand and as podcasts.

Why it matters: - WPR is keeping its longtime midday call-in format alive after Larry Meiller’s retirement, preserving a popular service for listeners across Wisconsin. - The schedule shift gives WPR a new lead host while maintaining Friday gardening programming with a familiar producer and host. - Both shows will continue to offer practical advice, expert guests and listener questions on topics that matter in daily life.

What happened: - Wisconsin Public Radio will launch “The Lee Rayburn Show” on July 6. - Lee Rayburn will host the program Monday through Thursday. - Jill Nadeau will host “Garden Talk” on Fridays. - Larry Meiller retired June 30, ending his run as host of WPR’s longtime midday call-in program.

The details: - “The Lee Rayburn Show” will feature expert guests, practical advice and conversations about the outdoors, technology, books, home improvement, consumer issues and more. - Rayburn will explore questions from callers and guests and focus on useful information for everyday life. - Nadeau, WPR’s longtime executive producer, will continue to host “Garden Talk,” the weekly program for Wisconsin gardeners. - Rayburn and Nadeau both worked alongside Meiller for years and have filled in as hosts while helping shape the program’s relationship with audiences statewide. - Rayburn said he is “excited and honored” to continue bringing experts and audiences together. - Rayburn began his radio career in Wisconsin after graduating from UW–Madison and spent more than two decades producing and hosting talk programs around the country before joining WPR in 2019. - Nadeau grew up on a farm, has gardened all her life and plans to bring in new guests while keeping the practical advice listeners expect. - Nadeau said she is always learning something new from gardening, listeners and guests. - “The Lee Rayburn Show” will air on WPR News from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. - “Garden Talk” will air from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays, with an encore broadcast Saturday mornings from 5-7 a.m. - Both programs will stream live and on demand at WPR.org, in the WPR app and as podcasts.

Between the lines: - WPR is signaling continuity, not a format reset, by pairing a new weekday host with a Friday show anchored by a veteran internal producer. - The station is leaning on familiar voices and established listener habits to bridge the transition from Meiller’s long tenure. - Keeping “Garden Talk” in place suggests WPR sees the gardening audience as a durable part of the midday lineup.

What's next: - Listeners will hear the new lineup begin July 6 on WPR News. - WPR will continue distributing both programs across broadcast, streaming and podcast platforms to extend reach beyond live radio. - Nadeau’s Friday show will likely test how much the audience responds to new guests alongside the established format.

The bottom line: - WPR is replacing a familiar midday voice without disrupting the core call-in formula that made the program a statewide staple.