KUER Names Caroline Ballard Local Host of ‘All Things Considered’
Host and podcaster from Wyoming Public Radio joins staff of NPR Utah
Effective this week, public radio listeners in Utah will hear a new voice during afternoon drive. KUER NPR Utah announced today that Caroline Ballard is the station’s new local host of the popular afternoon program “All Things Considered,” which airs weekdays from 4 to 7 p.m.
“I’ve watched and admired how KUER has grown into a creative force in public radio, and I feel honored to be a part of that future,” Ballard said. “Utah is a dynamic place in the midst of lots of change, and that makes it a special place to be a journalist. I’m looking forward to sharing that with listeners every evening.”
Ballard joins the Salt Lake City based NPR member station from Wyoming Public Radio, where she was the local host of “Morning Edition” for the past five years. She also served as a newsroom editor who worked with reporters on feature pieces and statewide coverage.
“Caroline’s experience, background and journalism chops will help take our reporting in new directions and comes at a time of growth and exciting opportunities for KUER,” said Andrew Becker, KUER’s news director. “All Things Considered” is a space for fascinating conversations and storytelling, and Caroline is poised to help us tell these stories from around the state.”
During her time at Wyoming Public Radio, Ballard also hosted and co-created the podcast “HumaNature.” Billed as “telling real stories about human experiences in the natural world,” “HumaNature” received best podcast honors from Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI) and has aired on 100 stations around the country.
In her new role at KUER, Ballard will contribute interviews, feature reporting and other content on a regular basis to the station’s local broadcast of “All Things Considered.”
“The beauty of public radio is in its name — it’s for the public,” Ballard said. “Now is the perfect time to look at how one of the most popular shows on the air is serving KUER listeners, and how we at KUER can continue to improve that service.”
Ballard also hosted election night coverage and produced “Women Run the West,” a collaboration with Leadership Wyoming and NPR’s Story Lab that reported on the lack of women in politics in the western United States, including Utah.
Bob Nelson was KUER’s local anchor of “All Things Considered” for more than eight years. The longtime station staffer moved to the station’s midday shift in April, telling listeners that he was interested in a new set of hours and responsibilities. With Ballard’s arrival, interim host Roddy Nikpour moves to a new full-time role in production and operations.
Ballard is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and New York University, where she graduated magna cum laude following a year spent studying abroad in Paris. She is a native of Lynchburg, Virginia, and lives in Salt Lake with two other new Utahns, her husband Luke and their dog, Scrappy.
More about KUER
A charter member of NPR, KUER 90.1 broadcasts from the Eccles Broadcast Center at the University of Utah, providing a commercial-free mix of local and national news and storytelling to more than 175,000 weekly listeners across the state. KUER and its HD channels can be heard at 90.1 FM or streamed online at kuer.org and with KUER’s mobile app.