‘Calling Moscow’ Will Link U.S. and Russian Listeners Over PBS Stations

Radio listeners in the United States will be able to discuss Soviet life styles with Russians in Moscow when “Calling Moscow” begins once-a-month broadcasts Friday from 3-4 p.m. on public radio stations, including Santa Monica’s KCRW-FM (88.9), Pasadena’s KPCC-FM (88.9) and San Diego’s KPBS-FM (89.5).

The monthly, hourlong call-in talk series is co-produced by KPBS-FM in San Diego and Radio Moscow and, so far, has lined up about 15 stations in the U.S. It will be heard in the Soviet Union on short wave radio.

The topic on the first program will be professional careers, with guests biochemist Yelena Petrushkova, Moscow zoo representative Marina Prutkina and education specialist Valeri Pivovarov in Moscow answering questions from American callers.

Politics will not be a theme on the program says Tom McManus, KPBS-FM station manager and executive producer of the program. “We want to emphasis life style, arts and humanities,” he said, “focusing on what people have in common--shopping, retirement, child care, entertainment, education, cooking, gardening.”

McManus presented the idea for the program to Moscow Radio in November and was surprised at the quick acceptance. “We were expecting several months of prolonged negotiations and the usual bureaucratic red tape, but they were ready to begin in January,” he said.