Weekly Program Highlights

Friday 3/27

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Science Friday… This week on Science Friday, learn about bird flu, which has unfortunately fallen off the national news radar, but now has the opportunity to run rampant.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Hidden Brain… How do the groups you identify with shape your sense of self? Do they influence the beer you buy? The way you vote? This week on Hidden Brain, consider how our group loyalties affect us, and can even shape our basic senses of sight, taste and smell.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Fresh Air… This week on Fresh Air, remember Augie Meyers of the Texas Tornados, who was a great influence on the Tex Mex genre of music with his playing on the box organ. Also, remember action hero Chuck Norris, who turned a martial arts black belt into an acting career.

6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… Adventurers in Jazz: There are some wonderfully strange yet true stories of musicians in unexpected adventures in the 1920s. Jazz musicians of this era were road warriors, night creatures, and often social outsiders, navigating a world that simultaneously celebrated and, at the same time, marginalized them.

Saturday 3/28

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me, the show travels to Savannah, Georgia. Join panelists Adam Burke, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, and Shantira Jackson for a mix of news, jokes, and wit. Plus, actor D. W. Moffett stops by to chat about his career on screen—and his role as Chair of Film and Television at Savannah College of Art and Design.

11:00 – NOON
Radiolab… This week on Radiolab, look at how new technologies rub up against long-standing beliefs, and how millions of scientists and doctors failed to see what was right in front (and inside!) of their noses. Also, find out how mapping the anatomy of this hidden infrastructure may help solve one of the fundamental mysteries of cancer, and perhaps provide a bridge between ancient and modern medicine.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
American Routes… This week on American Routes, it’s songs of solace and shelter, hope and joy with mandolin virtuoso Rhonda Vincent, who grew up playing the bluegrass and country music circuit in her family’s bluegrass band and now plays the Grand Ole Opry with her own band, the Rage. Then, clarinetist and banjo player Allison Russell talks about her journey to healing from childhood trauma through travels, words and music. Plus, words from Nina Simone, Sister Rosetta Tharp, Lucinda Williams and Johnny Cash.

Sunday 3/29

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Reveal… Small arts organizations are struggling after federal arts and humanities federal grants were abruptly canceled last year. The letters said their projects no longer aligned with new federal priorities and that money was being redirected toward the Trump administration’s agenda. One year later, meet the people living with the fallout, from musicians to visual artists, historians, and arts administrators. Some organizations are scaling back their work and others worry artists will censor themselves just to survive, but many are fighting back.

11:00 – NOON
This American Life… This week on This American Life, M Gessen returns to the show with a true crime story that all takes place in their own family. This comes to us from the producers at Serial, who invented the true crime podcast over a decade ago, and from the New York Times.

NOON – 3:00 PM
Sunday Baroque… Composer Charles Gounod once said that, “Mozart is the most beautiful, Rossini the most brilliant, but Bach is the most comprehensive: he has said all there is to say.” This week on Sunday Baroque, hear what Bach had to say, including how he influenced other musicians.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Code Switch & Life Kit… This week on Code Switch, a show about Markwayne Mullin and a look at what it would mean to have a citizen of the Cherokee Nation lead the Department of Homeland Security. Then on Life Kit, a show about traveling alone. A solo vacation might mean that you’re alone, but it doesn’t mean you have to be lonely.

6:00 – 7:00 PM
The Moth Radio Hour… This week on The Moth Radio Hour, stories of seismic changes and subtle shifts—and the aftershocks left in their path. New perspectives on faith, family, and one's self.

Monday 3/30

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Issues and Ideas… This week on Issues and Ideas, accusations of abuse against civil rights icon César Chávez stunned communities throughout the southwest and across the country. Hear from one scholar in the aftermath of the allegations. And, two fantastic local chefs sit down with “Wine Country” producer Mira Honeycutt to talk about what they might pair with a spring lunch. All this and more on the next Issue and Ideas.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
The Splendid Table… This week on The Splendid Table, it's all-hands-on-deck cooking with chef Ham El-Waylly and his new book Hello, Home Cooking: Do-Able Dishes for Every Day, and journalist and food writer Ella Quinter, author of Obsessed with the Best: 100+ Methodically Perfected Recipes Based on 20+ Head-to-Head Tests.

Tuesday 3/31

1:00 – 2:00 PM
TED Radio Hour… This week on TED Radio Hour, host Manoush Zomorodi spends the hour with neuroscientist Ethan Kross. He shares tools to help us modulate our emotions, react better to stressful situations, and become more in tune with what we need.

Wednesday 4/1

1:00 – 1:30 PM
Bioneers… This week, learn about how the Project CETI team leverages world-leading technology and science in a quest to understand nonhuman animal communication. At the same time, the scientists leading the project are keeping an ethical throughline, placing the health and well being of whales at the center of the effort. As we get tantalizingly closer to truly communicating with other species, the question becomes not only whether we can, but whether we should - and what the implications are if we do.

1:30 – 2:00 PM
California Report Magazine… This week on California Report Magazine, learn about the tough position some people are trapped in when they cannot afford to live in one state but are not able to leave, either.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Freakonomics Radio… Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. This week, Freakonomics Radio updates a 2025 episode, shining a light on the shadowy realm of commodity traders.

6:30 – 8:00 PM
KCBX in Concert… This week on KCBX in Concert, host Lisa Nauful invites you to an evening of vibrant and expressive classical music. The program opens with the bold energy of Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, followed by the rich, lyrical beauty of Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto. Dvořák’s ever-charming “American” String Quartet brings warmth and familiarity, while Beethoven’s often-overlooked Symphony No. 2 closes the hour with wit, elegance, and surprising brilliance. It’s a bold lineup of masterworks you won’t want to miss.

Thursday 4/2

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Central Coast Voices… This week on Central Coast Voices, join host Dr. Mario Espinoza-Kulick for a conversation about pesticide exposure as a pressing public health and environmental justice issue on the Central Coast. Hear a discussion about the power of community organizing and how residents can learn more, report concerns, and get involved in upcoming local campaigns.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Latino USA… This week on Latino USA, Maria Hinojosa gets personal with the story of why she decided to reclaim her Mexican citizenship and why she’s not the only one looking for belonging and political power outside of the United States. Also on the show, María Grever was a prolific Mexican composer who moved to New York City in 1916 with her two kids. While her accolades are many, her personal life is a bit of a mystery. In this episode, go on a quest to find out more about this genius composer.

8:00 – 10:00 PM
Across the Tracks… This week on Across the Tracks, Brad Kyle will present an hour of protest music from John Prine, Woody Guthrie, Cat Stevens, and more. He’ll also revisit an interview he did last November with local activist and musician Devin Wallace and share some of Devin's own protest songs. You can also look forward to music by The Cache Valley Drifters, The Buffalo Springfield, Brad’s “mandatory” Merle Haggard for the week, and a lot more. Plus, he’ll look ahead to some of the concerts coming up on the Central Coast this weekend.

Friday 4/3

6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… The Prankster: Considered the father of jazz violin, Joe Venuti pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with his childhood friend, guitarist Eddie Lang. Something that he’s remembered for, though, are his humorous stories, dubbed “Venutisms” by his fellow musicians. The portrait of Venuti is far more complex and compelling than the one-dimensional clown prince of the Jazz Age that he is often reduced to. Behind the pranks, he was one of the most virtuosic and innovative musicians of the era with a style of playing that was characteristic of someone with a solid basis in violin technique.