A Letter From The Publisher: Apr. 16, 1984

A TIME reader who was listening to the radio last week while looking at the current issue of the magazine might have experienced the odd shock of hearing the language of some of the stories leap off the page: “The twisters left behind scenes that might have been conceived by a macabre surrealist—in some farming areas the dead bodies of cows were found hanging from trees . . .” or “If the complex mission works, Challenger will have shown the world that costly satellites need no longer be allowed to die wastefully in space.”

The source of the spoken words was the premier broadcasts of the Time World News Service (TWNS), a new entry in radio journalism that will draw its material from the pages of TIME and its 87 correspondents and 32 news bureaus around the world. It is not TIME’S first foray into radio. That distinction belongs to The March of Time, heard from 1931 to 1945, probably the best-known of all documentary series. While The March of Time dramatized the news, however, TWNS will take a straightforward approach, presenting the actual content and prose style of TIME. Broadcast in more than 100 U.S. cities and more than 20 foreign countries, the TWNS programming each week will consist of 15 condensed stories that will be aired throughout the day. The subject matter will range from cover articles through features on religion, science, politics, education, law and sports to reviews and an occasional Essay.

The idea for TWNS originated with the director of special projects for Time Inc.’s magazine group, Nathaniel Lande, who heads the new service. Each weekend as TIME goes to press, Lande, his deputy Edward Nayor sand their staff will select the stories that best encapsulate the events and tone of the week. “It is a delicate art,” says Lande of the alchemy that goes into the editing. “Not everything that is on a printed page works effectively when it is spoken. Nevertheless, it is our charter to honor each story’s integrity while adapting it to another medium.” The material is recorded at a New York City studio by a team of nine broadcast journalists, including Peter Thomas, Mike Baker and Fran Brill. Says Lande:

“With the revival of interest in radio, especially news radio, we think this kind of programming will extend TIME’S presence not only around the country but around the world.”