Weekly Program Highlights
Friday 04/25
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Hidden Brain… As we go through life, we’re constantly trying to figure out what other people are thinking and feeling. It turns out, this ability to assess other people’s thoughts is an extraordinary feat of cognition. Hidden Brain explores the moments when this mental superpower can lead us astray.
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Fresh Air… Tune in for a conversation with Country Music Hall of Famer Merle Haggard as he discusses hopping freight trains, doing prison time, and becoming a musician. As a boy, he was fascinated by trains; later, as a star, he acquired his own observation car. That car is now a part of Virginia's scenic railway.
6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… Doin’ the New Lowdown: Along with the new music that captivated America’s imagination in the 1920s also came linguistic change: slang. New words and phrases dominated conversations, and it seemed that a new dance was introduced every week.
Saturday 04/26
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… Join panelists Brian Babylon, Negin Farsad, and Luke Burbank as they give their perspective on the week's news. Plus, actor Brian Tyree Henry, star of Dope Thief, joins the show to discuss his career and play Not My Job.
11:00 – NOON
Radiolab… As the Vietnam War dragged on, the U.S. military began desperately searching for any vulnerability in their North Vietnamese enemy. In 1964, they found one: an old Vietnamese folktale involving a ghost, eternal damnation and fear—a myth seemingly tailor-made for weaponization. Hear how, armed with tape recorders and microphones, the military set out to win the war by bringing this ghost story to life.
3:00 – 5:00 PM
American Routes… Hear songs written about New Orleans and beyond in the style of blues and jazz, roots rock and soul, gospel, country, Tejano, zydeco and swamp pop. Close out the program with a diverse mix of music featuring Charlie Pride, Bob Dylan, Dr. John, Adia Victoria, Aretha Franklin and Louis Armstrong, with sounds ranging from critique to guilty pleasures.
Sunday 04/27
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Reveal… The third graders in Steubenville, Ohio, are among the best little readers in the nation. For nearly 20 years, 93% or more of them have scored proficient on state reading tests. Many of the wealthiest places in the country can't even say that, and according to the state of Ohio, Steubenville students are considered "economically disadvantaged." Reveal looks at how Steubenville became a success – and how a new law may put it all at risk.
11:00 – NOON
This American Life… Hear stories of people looking through something small in an attempt to try and see the bigger picture.
NOON – 3:00
PMSunday Baroque… When viola da gamba player Hille Perl formed her group, The Sirius Viols, she wanted to invite her favorite musicians to collaborate in a flexible and dynamic ensemble. Hear a performance of a Spring Suite featuring The Sirius Viols.
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Code Switch & Life Kit… First, on Code Switch, an acclaimed writer discusses the importance of resisting the urge to see ourselves only as outsiders. Then, on Life Kit, learn how to focus on being intentional with your attention.
4:00 – 5:00 PM
The Moth Radio Hour… Tune in to a special edition of The Moth Radio Hour, featuring a live show from New York City with stories of the senses: touch, smell, sound, and sight.
Tuesday 04/29
1:00 – 2:00 PM
TED Radio Hour… Forgetting a name, a poorly executed hug, the 7th grade — awkwardness is part of our lives, whether we like it or not. TED speakers explore what would happen if we put the embarrassment aside and embraced our awkward selves.
Wednesday 04/30
1:00 – 1:30 PM
Bioneers… From local communities and states to federal policy, antitrust movements to dismantle monopolies are challenging the system. In the second part of Bioneers’ two-part program, explore the landscape of rising antitrust movements aimed at breaking the stranglehold of corporate power and leveling the playing field for a democratized economy.
1:30 – 2:00 PM
California Report Magazine… Join host Sasha Khokha in a conversation with El Compa Negro, a Black singer from Compton, who reflects the city’s changing community.
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Freakonomics Radio… In part one of Freakonomics Radio’s three-part series, hear how live theater has become fiendishly expensive to produce and faces more competition than ever. And yet, the believers still believe. Why? And, does the world really want a new musical about Abraham Lincoln?
6:30 – 8:00 PM
KCBX in Concert… Join host Lisa Nauful as she takes you back in time to the music and composers who first stole our hearts. Lisa reignites a passion for classical music with an evening of exquisite works, including Vivaldi's Gloria in excelsis Deo and his Cello Concerto in D minor, Mozart's Violin Sonata in G Major, No.18, Handel's Concerto grosso in G Major, and the Salieris’s Piano Concerto in C Major. Lisa closes the show with Schubert's hauntingly beautiful Unfinished Symphony.
Thursday 05/01
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Central Coast Voices… On this episode of Central Coast Voices, we talk with Jordan Chesnut, Executive Director of SLO County Arts, about the findings of the 2025 Arts and Culture Economic Impact Report. We will discuss how arts-related tourism generated nearly half a billion dollars, over 1,300 jobs, and drew more than 3 million guests to San Luis Obispo County last year. We’ll also explore how the creative economy is working toward equity and embracing community resilience.
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Latino USA… The Trump administration is imprisoning Venezuelan men with no criminal record and deporting them to El Salvador without due process. Despite admitting that Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation was an “administrative error” and a supreme court ruling ordering the facilitation of his return, the Trump administration has yet to comply. Latino USA explores Kilmar’s story, discusses what’s at stake for others, and looks at the story of another man wrongfully sent to El Salvador.