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Get to know Oake and Riley in the Morning

Oake & Riley in the Morning
Oake & Riley in the MorningMPR graphic/Sladjana Dirakovic
  Play Now [1:24:04]

March 08, 2016

If you've been a fan of The Current's Morning Show since 2009, you'll likely appreciate what's old and what's new when Oake and Riley in the Morning launches on Monday, March 7, 2016.

Hosts Brian Oake and Jill Riley will be behind the microphones, and Anna Reed is the show's producer. New segments will appear, and, as Riley explains, "We've been working on ways to shine up some of the old favorites."

Enter for your chance to win a VIP Bonnaroo experience below!

Returning Favorites


For those familiar with The Current's morning programming, the week begins with "The Sporting Life" with Michael Rand, Mondays at 8:30 a.m. A familiar voice, Sean McPherson, will be on air every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. with Trivia Mafia, while John Moe brings his weekly segment to Wednesday mornings at 7:30. Movie fans can expect Movie Maven or Movie Mister — that's Stephanie Curtis or Euan Kerr — to continue the Friday-morning film reviews.

The daily 6:30 feature, Random Vinyl, will continue, but possibly under a new name because each day's record, truth be told, is thoughtfully selected rather than chosen purely at random. And the 9:30 Coffee Break, the popular listener-participation feature, will continue to be a daily staple of the show.

The lifestyle programming is shifting slightly. "We have moved the Eating and Drinking and the Weekend Arts Roundup," Jill says. "We're going to be putting that all into one lifestyle feature on Thursday mornings."

In addition to the food and beverage segments and Marianne Combs's features on the arts, Thursdays will also include features about books and about health and fitness.

New Features


Fridays will include a new feature that gets the audience involved. Based loosely on the card game, "War," Brian and Jill will each come prepared with a 20-second music clip. "For example, I could bring the opening strains of 'Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'' from Oklahoma!, and Jill might bring Madonna's 'Borderline'," Brian says. "We're going to use social media — probably Twitter — to have our listeners vote on which one they'd like to hear in its entirety."

Another new feature embraces music's medicinal properties in a segment called Rx Radio. This "prescription radio" allows listeners to write in to describe a life event they're experiencing — be it a negative, positive or neutral experience — and Brian and Jill will prescribe just the right song to accompany that life event. "End of a relationship, baby being born, getting ready for finals, re-entering the workforce after being away — we'll devote a little time to that one every week," Brian says.

"Brian and Jill have a love of making mix tapes for people and they love programming music," producer Reed says. "I think with their knowledge of music, they'll be able to pick really perfect songs for people and be able to connect with listeners."

At its heart, the new morning show will be about music. "There's no radical reinventions, just a couple new things we're adding to it," Brian says. "It'll still be, obviously, largely music focused, and we'll still have bands on and the big interviews whenever we get the chance."

To celebrate the launch of Oake and Riley in the Morning, The Current is giving you the chance to win a VIP Bonnaroo Festival experience in Manchester, Tenn. "When you show up at Bonnaroo, you live there for four days," Jill says. "You set up your camp and it's just like you're in this new community, and that's what I love about it." Enter for your chance to win below!

The Current's Bonnaroo VIP Giveaway

Use this form to enter The Current's Bonnaroo VIP giveaway between 6 a.m. CDT on Monday, March 7 and 8 a.m. CDT on Friday, March 11, 2016.

One (1) winner will be drawn from 18 qualifying entries. There are two ways to qualify between 6 a.m. CT on Monday, March 7 and 8 a.m. CT on Friday, March 11, 2016:

  • By filling out the online form below

  • By being the 10th caller during Oake and Riley in the Morning when prompted on-air

Winner will receive two (2) guest passes with access to all four days of Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. June 9-12, 2016 including premium seating a viewing areas, plus four (4) nights of premium camping accommodations. Winner must provide a signed prize acceptance and a W-9 before receiving prize. Three (3) back up names will be drawn.

Prize retail value: $3,099

We will contact the winner on Friday, March 11, 2016. Winner must accept by 10 a.m. CT on Monday, March 14, 2016.

You must be 13 or older to submit any information to American Public Media. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about things like our programs, products, and services. See Minnesota Public Radio's Terms of Use and Privacy Statement.

This giveaway is subject to Minnesota Public Radio's 2016 Official Giveaway Rules.