Talk of the Nation links the headlines with what's on people's minds, providing a springboard for listeners and experts to exchange ideas and pose critical questions about major events in the news and the world around them.  Each day, Talk of the Nation combines the award-winning resources of NPR News with the vital participation of listeners.  The result is a spirited and productive exchange of knowledge and insight that delves deeply into the news and ideas of the day.

Monday through Thursday, host Neal Conan invites callers to discuss areas of topical interest, including politics and public service, education, religion, music, and healthcare.  Talk of the Nation goes behind the headlines with decision-makers, authors, thinkers, artists, and listeners around the world, who become part of the conversation by calling 1-800-989-TALK.

Talk of the Nation won the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Silver Baton Award in 1994-95 for "The Changing of the Guard: The Republican Revolution," as well as the 1993-94 duPont-Columbia Silver Baton for part of NPR's coverage of the South African elections.  The program also won the 1993 Corporation for Public Broadcasting Silver Award.

Award-winning journalist Neal Conan brings three decades of news and radio experience to the show.  A familiar voice on NPR for the past quarter century, Conan has worked as a reporter based in New York, Washington, and London-he served as NPR's Bureau Chief in both New York and London-and anchored NPR live coverage of events including national political conventions, inaugurations, and an impeachment.  For five years, he hosted Weekly Edition: The Best of NPR News.  Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Conan played a major role anchoring NPR's continuous live coverage, a part he reprised during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  In 2004, in Des Moines, Iowa, he hosted the first radio-only presidential candidates' debate since 1948.

During the 2001 baseball season, Conan took a leave of absence from NPR News to work as the play-by-play announcer for the Aberdeen Arsenal of the independent Atlantic League.  He filed a series of commentaries about life on the fringe of professional sports for Morning Edition and later wrote a book about his experiences, Play By Play: Baseball, Radio and Life in the Last Chance League.

Conan was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1949.

Airs:  Monday through Thursday 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM
Website:  www.npr.org/programs/totn