Programs

WAMU 88.5
Bluegrass Country
Intersection 88.5-3
88.3 Ocean City

WAMU 88.5 airs programs that we produce as well as programs from National Public Radio (NPR), Public Radio International (PRI), American Public Media (APM), the BBC, and other broadcasters from around the world. All times are Eastern Time (ET).

Learn more about upcoming special programs.

All Things Considered

For two hours every weekday, All Things Considered hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish and Melissa Block present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews and offbeat features.

Art Beat

A daily update on arts and culture events in the region.

As It Happens

This informative and irreverent current affairs program calls and interviews newsmakers.

Assignment

This weekly current affairs program reports from locations around the world, examining topical issues from a global perspective for a global audience. This is the program where the BBC's correspondents report first-hand and in-depth on events shaping the world.

BackStory

BackStory is a public radio program that brings historical perspective to the events happening around us today.

BBC Newshour

Interviews, news and analysis of the day's global events.

Best Of Car Talk

This irreverent talk show hosted by Tom & Ray Magliozzi is about much more than car maintenance.

The Big Broadcast

Legendary radio personality Ed Walker offers listeners priceless recordings of popular radio programs from the '30s, '40s and '50s.

Bullseye

Bullseye is a public radio show about things that are awesome. Each week on the show, host Jesse Thorn hosts in-depth discussions with personalities from the world of entertainment and the arts.

Business Daily

With a broader agenda than World Business Report, Business Daily brings more context to the big stories in business and economics. It includes interviews with newsmakers, key global players, and those at the cutting edge of new ideas, plus topics such as technology and innovation, business ethics, the environment and management.

Click

Click is the BBC's flagship technology program, broadcast throughout the week on BBC One, the BBC News Channel and BBC World News.

Coastal Connection

Coastal Connection is a weekly public affairs program on 88.3 Ocean City.

Day 6

A weekly news magazine offering a wrap up of the week's news, pop culture, and entertainment from different perspectives.

The Diane Rehm Show

For more than 25 years, The Diane Rehm Show has offered listeners thoughtful and lively conversations on an array of topics with many of the most distinguished people of our times. The Friday edition includes Diane's two-hour "News Round-up."

The Dinner Party Download

Welcome to The Dinner Party Download, a fast and funny hour of culture, food and conversation: “public radio’s arts & leisure section.” In every episode you’ll learn a joke … bone up on an odd bit of history and then wash it down with a themed cocktail recipe… meet artists of note (for...

Discovery

Each week, Discovery takes an in-depth look at the most significant ideas, discoveries and trends in science, from the smallest microbe to the furthest corner of space.

The Documentary

The BBC presents various radio documentaries on a wide variety of topics.

Door to Door

Door to Door is Metro Connection's weekly trip around the region.

The Forum

Bridget Kendall presents The Forum, the show which brings together three innovative thinkers from different cultures and perspectives to put forward new ideas.

Fresh Air from WHYY

Host Terry Gross opens the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.

From Our Own Correspondent

Each week, From Our Own Correspondent asks BBC reporters around the world to give a personal perspective on news events in their area. It's a program that combines expert analysis with insight and anecdote from an informed, personal point of view.

Global Business

This weekly business program for a general audience reports on major business and workplace issues, emerging trends, and significant personalities in global business, from many different countries and cultures around the world.

HARDtalk

HARDtalk interviews newsmakers and personalities from across the globe.

Health Check

This program looks at discoveries and solutions in health care, tackles issues on conditions where there are no easy answers, and examines the choices to be made by individuals or organizations trying to deliver a healthier world.

Heart and Soul

This program has thought-provoking and illuminating reflections on a wide range of personal, moral, spiritual, and topical issues.

Here And Now

NPR, WBUR, Boston and public radio stations across the country are joining forces to bring listeners news and analysis in midday with Here & Now. Here & Now offers a distinctive mix of hard news and rich conversation featuring interesting players from across the spectrum of arts and culture...

Hot Jazz Saturday Night

From 8 until 11 p.m., the air is filled with vintage jazz, swing, and big band recordings as host Rob Bamberger spotlights music from the '20s, '30s, and '40s.

In The Balance

Lesley Curwen and Justin Rowlatt get behind the headlines to find out what's really going on in this changing global economy.

Interfaith Voices

Host Maureen Fiedler provides engaging and informative discussion on the key public issues of our day through the lenses of many different faith perspectives.

Judy Carmichael's Jazz Inspired

What inspires the people who inspire you? How do creative people create? World-renowned jazz pianist Judy Carmichael explores these questions with her guests every week on her public radio show Judy Carmichael’s Jazz Inspired. Celebrated artists discuss their creative process and how their passion...

The Kojo Nnamdi Show

Kojo Nnamdi's live two-hour magazine program highlights news, political issues, and social trends of the day. The Friday edition of the show includes "Politics Hour."

Marketplace

Kai Ryssdal hosts this award-winning, daily magazine on business and economics news "for the rest of us."

Marketplace Morning Report

Morning business news from American Public Media.

Metro Connection

Each week, WAMU 88.5's Metro Connection reaches across D.C., Maryland and Virginia to gather the sounds and stories that capture the current events, culture and personalities driving the Washington region.

More Or Less

Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.

Morning Edition

Renée Montagne and Steve Inskeep host NPR's morning news magazine.

The Moth

True stories that dissolve socio-economic barriers, expose vulnerabilities, and quietly suggest ways to overcome challenges and see with new eyes.

Newsday

Live from London and Singapore, the latest international news from the BBC.

The Newsroom

The world’s Newsroom brings you global events as they happen.

On Being with Krista Tippett

On Being With Krista Tippett is public radio's conversation about religion, meaning, ethics, and ideas.

On The Media

This compelling show examines the impact the media has on our lives.

On Point

A hybrid of a talk program and a news-magazine, On Point puts each day's news into context and provides a lively forum for discussion and debate.

Outlook

Outlook with host Matthew Bannister is a daily half-hour human-interest current affairs program about individuals and their extraordinary stories.

The Politics Hour

Every Friday at noon, The Politics Hour connects you to your community -- interviewing news-makers and delving beyond the headlines to help you understand how government actions affect your life.

A Prairie Home Companion

The only live music and variety show aired nationwide today.

Public Space

Sunday evenings are dedicated to special in-house productions, timely local election coverage, and experimental programming such as the patchwork of sounds of the New York-based Radio Lab.

Q

"Q" is an energetic daily arts, culture and entertainment magazine that takes you on a smart and surprising ride, interviewing personalities and tackling the cultural issues that matter.

Radiolab

Radiolab is a show where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries between science, philosophy and human experience are blurred.

Science Friday

Ira Flatow hosts this science-focused call-in show every Friday afternoon.

Science in Action

From outer space to the inner workings of the human body, Science in Action tells listeners what's happening and why it matters.

Snap Judgment

Snap Judgment is a themed, weekly NPR storytelling show. We focus on presenting compelling personal stories - mixing tall tales with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio.

The Splendid Table

The Splendid Table is a culinary, culture, and lifestyle one-hour program that celebrates food and its ability to touch the lives and feed the souls of everyone.

Stardate

Stardate tells listeners what to look for in the night sky, and explains the science, history, and skylore behind these objects.

StoryCorps

StoryCorps and WAMU 88.5 are teaming up to record and broadcast the stories of the D.C. region's diverse listening population.

Studio 360

Host Kurt Anderson takes a look at arts and culture.

TED Radio Hour

TED Radio Hour, a new program from NPR and TED, is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, and new ways to think and create.

This American Life

Ira Glass hosts this show that features documentary-like stories about everyday life.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Peter Sagal hosts this weekly news quiz show. Each week you can test your knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what's real news and what's made up.

Weekend

Latest national and international news, with reports from BBC correspondents worldwide.

Weekend Edition Saturday

Scott Simon hosts NPR's weekend morning newsmagazine.

Weekend Edition Sunday

This program has covered newsmakers and artists, scientists and politicians, music makers of all kinds, writers, thinkers, theologians and all manner of news events since 1987.

The Why Factor

Why do we do the things we do? Mike Williams searches for the extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions to inform us about the way we live in the 21st Century.

With Good Reason

With Good Reason features in-depth interviews with leading scholars from Virgina's public universities about topics from the expanding universe to winemaking, and everything else in between.

Witness

Witness - history as told by the people who were there. Five days a week we will be talking to people who lived through moments of history to bring you a personal perspective on world events.

The World

Host Marco Werman take an in-depth look at the international news agenda and the issues behind the headlines from BBC correspondents across the world.

The Writer's Almanac

Garrison Keillor recounts the highlights of the day in history and reads a short poem or two.

Our second channel, WAMU's Bluegrass Country, is available on HD Radio at 88.5-2 and online at bluegrasscountry.org.

The Al Steiner Show

Each week, host Al Steiner brings us three hours and a great mix of bluegrass, country and American roots music.

American Routes

Produced in New Orleans, American Routes explores the shared stylistic and cultural threads of our nation's music and how they are distinguished, including blues and jazz, gospel and soul, old-time country and rockabilly, Cajun and zydeco, Tejano and Latin, roots rock and pop, avant-garde and classical.

Americana Breakdown

Americana Breakdown offers music for people who like country music and plenty for those who don’t. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, host Art Hanson plays a mix of bluegrass, country, country rock and Americana.

The Andy Ridenour Show

Thursdays at noon veteran broadcaster Andy Ridenour presents three hours of bluegrass, country, and American roots music.

Bluegrass Breakdown

Dave Higgs brings listeners an emotionally charged, heartrending, paint-peeling, splinter-kicking one hour bluegrass show.

Bluegrass Review

Hosted by Phil Nusbaum, the Bluegrass Review presents bluegrass in an engaging, entertaining and informative package.

Bluegrass Signal

Produced in Oakland, Cal., Peter Thompson brings you an hour-long themed show filled with classic as well as recent bluegrass releases, background information and lots of music from the "left coast."

Capital Americana

WAMU Bluegrass Country's Jen Hitt hosts this Americana program highlighting new acoustic American roots music.

The Chris Teskey Show

Radio veteran Chris Teskey presents three hours of Bluegrass goodness that draws from his three decades on the radio.

The Dick Spottswood Show

Dick Spottswood highlights the many facets of folk culture in the United States on his two hour show.

Editor's Picks

Each week, WAMU's Bluegrass Country brings you exciting and diverse programs that highlight a particular artist or aspect of bluegrass.

Foster's Corner

Bill Foster brings us three hours of great bluegrass music from the traditional to the modern — in the road, and on the edge. A familiar voice on WAMU 88.5 since the early 1980’s, Bill delves into his extensive collection of bluegrass music including LPs, tapes, and CDs each month.

The Free For All

The perfect cure for those mid-week doldrums! Join Echo as she spins some contemporary and progressive bluegrass and Americana music, sure to get you tapping your foot and singing along. Grassify Your Life!

The Gary Henderson Show

Gary Henderson, 1999 IBMA "Broadcast Personality of the Year" and co-founder of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, has been involved in bluegrass programming at WAMU since 1967.

Home Town Special

Hometown Special focuses on music from the late 1940s through to the early 1960s including everything from blues to bluegrass as well as R&B, vocal groups, country, rockabilly, gospel quartets and more. Whatever it takes to trace songs, performers, and record companies backwards and forwards through this dynamic period in American musical history.

The Katy Daley Show

Katy brings more than 25 years of radio experience to celebrate the music through interviews and features such as Musician's Tips and Gems of Bluegrass.

The Lee Michael Demsey Show

Lee has hosted bluegrass programs on WAMU 88.5's airwaves for over 25 years. He continues his tradition of spinning contemporary bluegrass for you, live in the studio, each weekday. His Saturday program focuses on the great singer/songwriters in bluegrass and acoustic music.

Mountain Stage

Mountain Stage is an internationally-distributed weekly, two-hour live performance music radio program produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting featuring some of the world’s greatest artists in an intimate and relaxed atmosphere with a live-broadcast edge. Mountain Stage blends studio quality with live performance before a theater audience. Each program features four or five guests.

Music From Foggy Hollow

Every week Mike Kear broadcasts his show, Music From Foggy Hollow, on Sydney's Hawkesbury Radio and then packages it up and ships it to us.

The Old Home Place

Host Lisa Kay Howard spins 3 hours of contemporary and traditional bluegrass and gives listeners a peek into the local bluegrass scene.

Old Time Jam

Banjo player and old time enthusiast Rosemarie Nielsen highlights the genre that preceded bluegrass; old time.

Open Mic

This Bluegrass Country show features a rotating cast of hosts and themes.

A Prairie Home Companion

The only live music and variety show aired nationwide today.

The Ramona Martinez Show

Join Ramona Martinez each Wednesday at noon for three hours of traditional bluegrass and country music. From honky tonk shuffles to Appalachian fiddle tunes, you’ll hear hand-picked selections from out of print LPs and classic chart toppers.

RootsWorld Radio

Hosted by Cliff Furnald, RootsWorld Radio takes you on a tour across borders and genres, introducing you to music from far flung places and sometimes from right in your own backyard, wherever you live. It might be jazz from Italy, folk music from Madagascar, Balkan music from Knoxville or a touch of the avant-garde from Toronto. Each week is a global tour, with no boundaries and no limits.

Stained Glass Bluegrass

Host Gary Henderson presents your favorite bluegrass gospel numbers in the professional and dignified manner they deserve.

Stiles Of Bluegrass

Three hours of the best of the more traditional side of bluegrass music. Host Jessica Stiles will dig a little deeper into some of the albums topping the charts and throw a few old favorites into the mix.

The Thistle and Shamrock

Fiona Ritchie hosts this celtic music program.

Traditions with Mary Cliff

Mary Cliff presents blues, ballads, ethnic and traditional music.

The Well Below The Valley

Join Chris Teskey as he explores the music of the Celts, both traditional and contemporary. It features music from Ireland and the United Kingdom, as well as music from the Celtic Diaspora in North America, England, and Australia.

Our third channel, WAMU-3, available on HD Radio at 88.5-3, provides news and talk programs not available on the flagship channel.

Learn more about upcoming special programs.

The Big Broadcast

Legendary radio personality Ed Walker offers listeners priceless recordings of popular radio programs from the '30s, '40s and '50s.

Big Picture Science

In one hour, Big Picture Science connects ideas about the origins, the behavior, and the future of life – and technology – on Earth in surprising and playful ways.

Bullseye

Bullseye is a public radio show about things that are awesome. Each week on the show, host Jesse Thorn hosts in-depth discussions with personalities from the world of entertainment and the arts.

Coastal Connection

Coastal Connection is a weekly public affairs program on 88.3 Ocean City.

Day 6

A weekly news magazine offering a wrap up of the week's news, pop culture, and entertainment from different perspectives.

The Diane Rehm Show

Dinner Party Download

A fast and funny hour of culture, food and conversation.

The Dinner Party Download

Discovery

Each week, Discovery takes an in-depth look at the most significant ideas, discoveries and trends in science, from the smallest microbe to the furthest corner of space.

The Fifth Floor

David Amanor presents The Fifth Floor, a brand new weekly program that revels in the variety and range of stories produced by the BBC World Service's 27 language sections.

Fresh Air from WHYY

Host Terry Gross opens the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.

Here And Now

The Kojo Nnamdi Show

Kojo Nnamdi's live two-hour magazine program highlights news, political issues, and social trends of the day. The Friday edition of the show includes "Politics Hour."

Le Show

Produced at KCRW in Los Angeles, Le Show is a weekly, hour-long romp through the worlds of media, politics, sports and show business, leavened with an eclectic mix of mysterious music and hosted by Harry Shearer.

Marketplace Money

Each week on Marketplace Money, host Tess Vigeland looks at the week's major national and international stories that will impact the average listener's wallet.

Metro Connection

Morning Edition

Renée Montagne and Steve Inskeep host NPR's morning news magazine.

Newshour

The one-hour daily flagship program that, seven days a week, provides the latest news and interviews with newsmakers, eyewitnesses, correspondents, and analysts. Offering the best BBC reportage and features, debate and discussion, it's global in reach, authoritative in style.

On The Media

This compelling show examines the impact the media has on our lives.

On Point

A hybrid of a talk program and a news-magazine, On Point puts each day's news into context and provides a lively forum for discussion and debate.

Only a Game

An award-winning weekly sports magazine hosted by veteran NPR commentator Bill Littlefield, Only A Game is radio for the serious sports fan and the steadfast sports avoider. Produced by WBUR in Boston, Only A Game puts sports in perspective with intelligent analysis, insightful interviews and a keen sense humor.

Outside Source

The latest news from around the world.

The Politics Hour

Every Friday at noon, The Politics Hour connects you to your community -- interviewing news-makers and delving beyond the headlines to help you understand how government actions affect your life.

Q

"Q" is an energetic daily arts, culture and entertainment magazine that takes you on a smart and surprising ride, interviewing personalities and tackling the cultural issues that matter.

Radiolab

Radiolab is a show where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries between science, philosophy and human experience are blurred.

Retro Cocktail Hour

Featuring Space Age Pop, bachelor pad music, lounge music, and cocktail jazz, this music program from Kansas Public Radio will get your Saturday evening started with its fascinating mix of instrumental pop, electronic gadgetry, big band swing, movie music, and garden variety elevator music.

Snap Judgment

Snap Judgment is a themed, weekly NPR storytelling show. We focus on presenting compelling personal stories - mixing tall tales with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio.

Sound Opinions

Based in Chicago, Sound Opinions is hosted by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot, two of the finest pop music writers in the nation. Every week, Sound Opinions fires up smart and spirited discussions about a wide range of popular music, from indie rock to classic rock, hip hop to R&B, and every genre under the sun.

StoryCorps

StoryCorps and WAMU 88.5 are teaming up to record and broadcast the stories of the D.C. region's diverse listening population.

The Takeaway

The Takeaway delivers the national news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what's ahead. Hosts John Hockenberry, along with The New York Times and WGBH Boston, invite listeners every morning to learn more and be part of the American conversation.

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