Over the weekend I got a hint that there was going to be something new to discover when I woke up. Generally my morning routine includes a healthy dose of coffee, National Public Radio's “Morning Edition” via Chicago Public Radio WBEZ's air/website, and some oatmeal. However, this morning we were treated to something completely new and different, compliments of Public Radio International (PRI) and WNYC, New York's public radio behemoth.

“The Takeaway” features hosts John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji, and content from WNYC, BBC World Service, The New York Times Radio Service and WGBH Boston. Today's freshman entry aired 6-7am on 93.9 FM and 8-9am on AM 820 in New York City; online from PRI's website and the show's own website; and 15 other affiliates across the U.S. I had heard about the show online somewhere (I have no idea other than that), and so I tuned into the online stream. I predict that this show may end up on my permanent appointment list, although not necessarily as the first thing I listen to.

Morning radio is one of those curious animals in media that can be experimented with to a certain extent, and one rarely knows what the audience is going to “click” with until you are on the air for awhile. Arguably, though, experience in the news and information business trumps all that. Hockenberry and Udoji, both vets in the business, are the “tip of the spear” in giving smart people something new to listen to other than “Morning Edition.” In a tip-of-the-hat to “Morning Edition” in fact, “The Takeaway” opened with Hockenberry receiving a “3AM wakeup call” from none other than radio legend and now-retired M.E. host Bob Edwards. The punchline, was of course Hockenberry asking Edwards if he was “ready on day one,” to which Edwards gave him a fatherly “yes, you are ready.” A cute and snarky shot over the bow to say the least.

“The Takeaway” took off from there in a very rapid-fire and continuous news/feature mix that included domestic and international news items, very much in a conversational delivery style. The show is much faster-paced than M.E., and balances itself somewhere between PRI's long-successful show “Marketplace” and WBEZ's own “848” in content. Overall I would recommend it for “testing” in your morning podcast mix.

Longer-term we shall see how the online and on-air mix plays with the audience, and gets them to participate in the conversation. In a review of the comments on the show's website, there was a tremendous amount of ranting about NPR going the route of a “morning zoo” format. I suspect this is from a group of listeners who really wouldn't be inclined to have anything but the same old oatmeal, without even a hint of brown sugar or fruit, no matter where they were in the world that day. Time will tell how the show evolves based on comments from listeners and the inclusion of new content from its ambitious team of producers and contributors.

My recommendation? Take some time to try out “The Takeaway” even as a supplement to your morning routine. If anything, you're going to get an education in how a major show, in its infancy, works out its own bugs and develops its own rhythm, as it shoots like a meteor out of the gate.