I swear I’m not one of those people who’s suspicious of change. Change is a good thing. Without it, individual and institutional vitality would be impossible. Stagnation is the enemy of everything.

My problem is with the kind of change that encourages vestigial tails at the expense of opposable thumbs. The cancellation of “Essential Pittsburgh,” 90.5 WESA-FM’s noon talk show hosted by Paul Guggenheimer, is a case in point.

Last month, WESA replaced its generally excellent flagship program with “The Takeaway,” a nationally syndicated news program hosted by John Hockenberry, one of the best interviewers in the business.

Normally, the addition of a show like “The Takeaway” to our local public radio lineup would fill me with joy. (I was a frequent guest on “The Takeaway” during its earliest incarnation a decade ago when WDUQ, the predecessor to WESA, programmed it early in the morning.)

The problem is that the return of Mr. Hockenberry to the Pittsburgh airwaves has squeezed out this city’s best local news talk show. So, my problem isn’t with “The Takeaway,” per se. My problem is with the shortsighted programming decision that has made “Essential Pittsburgh” go away.

Regular listeners of the show know that I’ve been a frequent guest on “Essential Pittsburgh” over the last 4 1/2 years. But even if Paul wasn’t a friend of mine, I would still feel disappointment on his behalf because he’s a respected figure in local media and has a career in public radio stretching back to 1987.

The cancellation of “Essential Pittsburgh” with no clear explanation from WESA, but only a vague statement that the show’s talent will be redeployed across the schedule, comes at an especially awkward time considering the number of local and statewide journalism awards it has won in recent years.

Ask most journalists in this region what they think of Paul’s skills as an interviewer and you’ll hear nothing but respect for his handling of even the driest subject. While there’s no way to make segments on, say, municipal bond issues sound riveting, the consensus is that he asks good questions and has a solid grasp of the issues.

Paul’s monthly interviews with Mayor Bill Peduto were “must listen” conversations because the mayor sounded genuinely relaxed in his presence. It was not uncommon to tune in and hear the two amateur hockey players laughing and talking as if no one was listening. One of Paul’s gifts is the ability to create an environment in which his guests can truly be themselves if they’re not freaked out about being on the radio.

Even on those rare occasions when it felt like he was phoning it in while interviewing some boring Harrisburg pol, there were usually two more segments that hour in which the energy level was restored.

When Paul is excited about an interview, whether it’s with comedian Bill Maher, Watergate figure John Dean or musician Randy Newman, it makes for glorious radio. Even when the interview subjects are combative, like a flinty Andre Previn flinging insults his way or state House Speaker Mike Turzai attempting Republican Jedi mind tricks, Paul always maintains his professionalism.

WESA also dropped “Q” and Harry Shearer’s “Le Show,” one of the best hours of satire on the radio, but I can listen to those shows online whenever I want to. Where do I go to get my fix of “Essential Pittsburgh”?

Again, “The Takeaway” is a fine show, but I’d much rather hear Paul conducting a forum about cops and community relations in that time slot. Paul’s conversations with frequent guest University of Pittsburgh Law School professor David Harris on the intricacies of criminal law were always enlightening. There’s no other station in Pittsburgh where listeners can tune to hear social/political discussions at that level. That’s a big loss for a town that has become home to so many knowledge workers.

If WESA felt “Essential Pittsburgh” wasn’t working, then it should’ve retooled the show. Maybe that would’ve meant finding a new broadcast team, but tossing away such a high-quality show that had such a unique niche in the market makes absolutely no sense to me. In fact, it is nothing short of crazy.

I’m sure that there’s some high priced radio consultant mumbo-jumbo about why it “makes sense” to cancel acclaimed original local programming like “Essential Pittsburgh.” Just like the decision to jettison jazz was a mistake, WESA exchanged something that was unique in Pittsburgh radio for something you can get anywhere with an internet connection.

Tony Norman: tnorman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1631; Twitter @TonyNormanPG.

First Published: August 12, 2016, 4:57 a.m.