WBUR in Boston will debut its first podcast for kids in September.
Circle Round, meant for children ages 3 to 10, will tell folktales from around the world, the station announced Thursday. Episodes will run 5-20 minutes with stories chosen “with an eye towards inclusivity” and framed around broad themes like kindness, persistence and generosity, according to the announcement. The end of each episode will include a discussion prompt.
TV, film and theater actors will portray different characters in stories. Jason Alexander, who played George Costanza in Seinfeld, stars in the first episode, which the station is streaming on its website.
“We are excited to be launching WBUR’s first-ever child-focused program,” said WBUR GM Charlie Kravetz, in a press release. “Public radio has a rich and recognized tradition of narrative storytelling, and with Circle Round, we want to inspire a young audience to cultivate a love of storytelling.”
WBUR is producing the podcast with Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis, founders of Sheir & Shim, an audio production company. Sheir will host the podcast and Shimelonis will create the soundtrack and production.
Circle Round joins a growing slate of public radio podcasts for children. NPR launched Wow In the World last month and Louisville Public Media is planning a classical music podcast for kids next month. Last summer, WHYY in Philadelphia premiered a fiction podcast.
Really interesting. Even for tweens.