''The Connection'' was a public radio call-in program from
WBUR that ran from 1994 to 2005. Originally hosted by
Christopher Lydon (1994–2001), and (after a series of short-term fill-in hosts) followed by Canadian
Dick Gordon (2001–2005), it was syndicated to as many as 66
public radio stations in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
In March 2001, Lydon was dismissed after negotiations for renewal of his contract broke down. Lydon now hosts WBUR's ''
Open Source
Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use and view the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open source model is a decentrali ...
''.
Dick Gordon became the show's host just after the
September 11, 2001 attacks. He eventually took the program to Baghdad for 10 days in April 2003.
''The Connection'' was abruptly canceled after the August 5, 2005 broadcast, and Gordon laid off. Gordon says that the circumstances surrounding his termination were not explained well, though it is believed that WBUR was presumably not able to continue carrying the show.
WBUR filled ''The Connection''
's 10 a.m. to noon timeslot with ''
On Point'', a similar program previously aired in the 7-9 p.m. timeslot. Gordon now hosts ''
The Story with Dick Gordon'' at
North Carolina Public Radio.
''The Connection''
's theme song was the jazz tune "
Cantaloupe Island" by
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...
, performed by
Us3 in their rendition titled "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)".
References
External links
''The Connection'' website with streamable show archives from 2000 to 2005
American talk radio programs
NPR programs
1994 radio programme debuts
2005 radio programme endings
{{US-radio-show-stub