Paul Shugrue has been a radio personality in the Commonwealth for his entire career. Fans love his music recommendations from his weekly Out of the Box: Album of the Week. And many listeners wouldn't dream of missing an episode of Out of the Box in which he introduces great new music that's rarely played on the radio anywhere else.

As WHRO Public Media launches The Time Machine Radio Network on WFOS FM, Paul is stepping away from his hosting position with All Things Considered to become the music coordinator at WFOS. But Out of the Box fans don't need to worry -- he will still be at the helm of his popular show. We recently sat down with him to discuss his career and his exciting new position.

You have hosted All Things Considered for 17 years. What are some moments that stand out to you from your time as host?

It’s always exciting to follow news events as they are happening and one of the most recent examples was NPR’s coverage of The Perseverance’s landing on Mars in 2020, including the “seven minutes of terror” during the landing.

Could you explain the vision for Time Machine Radio Network for our readers?

As the name suggests, the station takes you back in time with music that is uniquely qualified to evoke memories. It’s something that’s never been tried in this market: a public, non-commercial oldies radio station.

What is your role with this new station?

I’m the music coordinator, a role that I’ve had at almost all of the stations that I have worked at in my career. I’ll be making sure the music is always fun to listen to.

What do you look forward to most in your new role with Time Machine Radio Network?

Getting back to working with music full time. I have been splitting my time between producing Out of the Box, my show of all new music and producing All Things Considered every afternoon. Now I can focus solely on music!

It’s important to note that you will also continue your show Out of the Box on WHRV. It seems like perhaps the best of both worlds — one show features popular music through the ages and the other features brand new albums. What is your process of choosing songs so they flow well together?

Yeah, on Out of the Box I’m taking a time machine forward into the future of music and on WFOS we’ll be hopping into the way-back machine. I have a separate process for each situation, on Out of the Box I’m putting together like minded artists in different sets and on WFOS I’ll be programming for variety.

Time Machine Radio Network plays a variety of songs from many decades. If you had to choose a favorite decade of music, what would it be and why?

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s so that time period is my first love I guess, but all my life I’ve been amazed at the staying power of rock and roll. Who could have predicted we’d still be listening to music from over sixty years ago?

Is there a song that instantly transports you back to a moment in time that you remember? If so, what song / memory?

A lot of songs take me back to when I saw the artist perform it live years ago but there is one song that always reminds me of my wife. It came out the year we first met, America’s “Sister Golden Hair.” I know, I’m old!

What are some of the songs currently on your favorites playlist?

Well, my summer jam is Pokey Lafarge’s “Get it ‘Fore It’s Gone.” There’s Kendall Street Company’s “Say Hey” and The Felice Brothers’ “Jazz on the Autobahn” that are also some pretty bizarre new songs.

You’ve spent most of your career in radio, what is it about this work that excites you the most?

For me it’s all about the music. I’ve managed to spend my career playing music I love on the radio. Whether it’s brand new or classic tunes, I like to picture someone else listening who’s getting into it as much as I am.

What do you enjoy doing in your “spare” time?

My wife and I own a horse named Dollar so we take turns riding him. I play my guitar, ride my bicycle and I’m a crossword puzzle freak!

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

My middle name starts with a “B” so my initials are PBS. Guess this public media thing was meant to be from the very beginning, huh?

Listen to Time Machine Radio Network at whro.org/timemachine. You can also hear Out of the Box online.