WEKU, the public radio service of Eastern Kentucky University, has announced some significant programming changes, effective Aug. 1.

One notable addition to the station’s schedule is the popular A Prairie Home Companion series, which will air at 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Sundays. “Many of our listeners have asked for this show,” said Roger Duvall, station manager.

Following Prairie Home Companion on Saturdays at 8 p.m. will be the Lexington-based national radio show, WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour. In addition to airing the program, WEKU “is proud to be the new sponsor” of WoodSongs.

Other additions to the station’s lineup include Splendid Table on Sundays at noon, the BBC’s Newshour weekdays at 9 a.m. and Fresh Air with Terry Gross weekdays at 3 p.m.

Because of the addition of Prairie Home Companion and WoodSongs, WEKU will no longer carry EKU football and basketball games. The station will make its web site (weku.fm) available to stream the games and assist EKU athletics and the University in other ways, according to Duvall.

EKU games will continue to be broadcast on WCYO (100.7 FM) in Richmond and streamed at that station’s web site, www.wcyofm.com.

“We do not enter into these changes lightly,” Duvall said. “Our new schedule reflects in-depth research about our audience’s preferences and listening patterns over the past four years.”

For a complete schedule of over-the-air programming, including the changes effective in August, visit www.weku.fm/schedule.htm.

In addition to its over-the-air signal, the station is adding a secondary audio stream of all classical music on its web site. “Within the coming year, we are hoping to bring this online audio stream to the air using HD radio technology,” Duvall said.

For a complete schedule of web-only all-classical channel, effective Aug. 1, visit www.weku.fm/schedule2.htm.

The station broadcasts classical music and news to more than 50,000 listeners in central and southeastern Kentucky on WEKU (88.9FM in Richmond-Lexington), WEKH (90.9FM in Hazard) and WEKF (88.5FM in Corbin), along with 96.9 in Barbourville and 95.1 in Pikeville.

With studios in the Perkins Building on EKU’s Richmond campus, WEKU airs programs produced by its staff, as well as nationally syndicated shows from National Public Radio, Public Radio International and other producers. Its news department has a long tradition of covering important issues affecting central and southeastern Kentucky, and the team has also garnered recognition from the Associated Press, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Public Radio News Directors Inc. and the American Psychiatric Association for its in-depth reports on a wide range of subjects, including mental illness, disability issues, child sexual abuse, special education, and youth smoking.

Financial support for WEKU programming comes from listeners, businesses and organizations in its coverage area; from Eastern Kentucky University; and from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.