Get 'Up First' on Saturday

Washington DC, USA—This Saturday, Up First listeners will find an additional episode of the morning news briefing they turn to each weekday. Hosts Lulu Garcia-Navarro and Scott Simon will break down the three biggest stories of the day so listeners can start their Saturday with the news, context, and analysis they need -- in under 10 minutes. This expansion of Up First is the latest step in NPR’s commitment to providing short-form audio that listeners can easily fit into their daily routines.

Saturday episodes will be available in the Up First feed by 8 AM EST. They begin November 9.

“We’re delighted that Up First has become an essential part of the morning for so many people,” said Sarah Gilbert, vice president for news programming. “Those listeners, many of them new to the NPR brand, have been asking us for Up First on the weekend - and we’re pleased to start publishing it.”

Up First has consistently placed near the top of Podtrac’s monthly ranking of the 20 biggest podcasts by a monthly US audience. The median _Up Firs_t listener is 32 years old, and according to a recent audience survey, 15 percent of the Up First audience had no previous experience with NPR programming.

“Lulu and Scott are bringing the same curiosity, empathy, and humor that Weekend Edition listeners love to Up First, and I can’t wait until the podcast audience gets to know them better,” said Sarah Oliver, executive producer of Weekend Edition.

Alongside Up First, NPR’s daily podcast portfolio includes The Indicator from Planet Money, The NPR Politics Podcast, which recently moved to publish every weekday until Election Day 2020, and the new daily science podcast Short Wave.

“The range of offerings in different subject areas, across the day – and now our expansion into weekends – firmly establish NPR as the leading producer of daily on-demand audio,” said Neal Carruth, NPR’s senior director for on-demand news programming.

NPR is the leading publisher of podcasts, according to the Podtrac industry ranker. NPR podcasts receive 157.4 million monthly downloads across all shows (Source: Splunk, NPR Podcast Logs).

About NPR

NPR’s rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans every day — on the air, online, and in person. NPR strives to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 17 international bureaus, NPR and its Member Stations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners can find NPR by tuning in to their local Member stations (npr.org/stations), and now it’s easy to listen to our stories on smart speaker devices. Ask your smart speaker to, “Play NPR,” and you’ll be tuned into your local Member station’s live stream. Your speaker can also access NPR podcasts, NPR One, NPR News Now, and the Visual Newscast is available for screened speakers. Get more information at npr.org/about and by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.