The State of Things

The State of Things was a radio talk show produced by North Carolina Public Radio. The show aired live at 12 noon Eastern time Monday through Friday, and was rebroadcast Monday through Thursday at 8 PM. Linda Belans founded and hosted the program from 1996 - 1999, Frank Stasio hosted from June 2006 through his retirement in November 2020, and Anita Rao hosted through the show's finale in December 2020. The show concentrated on topics of interest in North Carolina. Format The program was divided into three segments spanning the show's hour-long timeslot. While segments generally focus on different topics, some shows may devote two or more segments to a single topic. Segment A This portion of the show ran for 12 minutes and typically deals with a recent news item of particular importance to the state. Some examples include: The start of a NOAA research expedition to explore sunken German U-boats off the North Carolina coast. ("Preserving the Graveyard of the Atlantic") An announcement by Wake Forest University that applicants will no longer be required to submit SAT or ACT scores. ("Wake drops SAT, ACT") The launch of an ad campaign calling attention to alleged abusive labor practices at Smithfield Foods. ("Smithfield Justice Ad Campaign")