On March 29, 2013, NPR announced that it would cease production of TOTN at the end of June, replacing it with an expanded version of Here and Now, an NPR/WBUR-FM co-production.

If discussion on that topic petered, or if the guests had to leave, then shorter news interviews similar to those found on the NPR news-magazines of five to ten minutes aired.

In addition, the host delivered a concluding "This is Talk of the Nation from NPR News" as a cue to stations that wish to cut away to local programming before the scheduled break.

Guest hosts on the show included: Alison Stewart, Ira Glass, Mary Louise Kelly, John Donvan, and Tony Cox.

[1] In September 2010, Talk of the Nation was aired on 328 public radio stations, and had a weekly audience of 3.2 million and an AQH share of 605,700.

[6] As of March 2013, TOTN was airing on 407 stations to what host Neal Conan said was "the largest audience in the program's history".