Weekly Program Highlights
Thursday 12/12
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Central Coast Voices… CASA of San Luis Obispo County is an organization of volunteer adult advocates who are assigned by the courts to befriend and support children who have been removed from their parents’ custody because of abuse or neglect. Host Fred Munroe and his guests from CASA explain the crucial support these kids depend on from their volunteer advocates. Through this relationship, children can grow to understand they always have a firm, friendly, and dependable voice from their CASA friend.
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Latino USA… Latino USA explores how new border technology is impacting communities in the United States. First, travel to Arizona, where private companies built some of the first surveillance towers along the U.S.-Mexico border. Then, take a look at what these towers mean today—and what they could mean for the future of those crossing and living along the border.
Friday 12/13
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Hidden Brain… With the holidays fast approaching, many of us are hunting for that special something for the special someones in our lives. So why is it so hard to find the right gift? Explore why the presents we give for holidays and birthdays often miss their mark, and how to become a better gift-giver.
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Fresh Air… Actress and singer Cynthia Erivo, the star of the new film adaptation of the musical Wicked. She also played Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha, won a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, and was a star of the HBO series, The Outsider.
6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… The Perfect Gift: The 1920s were truly a fascinating period of transformation for the recording industry. It was a time of significant technological advancement, expanding markets, and the emergence of recorded music as a major form of entertainment. This cycle of change had a huge impact on how we thought about what made the perfect gift.
Saturday 12/14
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… What better place to be in December than Carnegie Hall in New York City? Joining the festivities are panelists Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Paula Poundstone, and Mo Rocca. Plus, Bill Kurtis has been working on a new arrangement of his all-time favorite holiday song, Billy Claus Is Coming To Town.
11:00 – NOON
Radiolab… Love is in the air as Radiolab takes to the skies. Follow a group of seagulls from the 1970s that rocked our understanding of what's natural in animals, and in us. Then, high above the banks of the Mississippi River, a nest holds the secret life of one of America's most patriotic creatures.
3:00 – 5:00 PM
American Routes… Join American Routes as they go where the music leads. First, at home with trumpeter Wendell Brunious and his New Orleans All-Stars. Wendell is from a famed New Orleans Creole jazz family and is now the music director of Preservation Hall. Next, visit with the eccentric and witty songmaker and multi-instrumentalist Susan Werner, whose roots lie in rural Iowa. Susan’s songs highlight comedy and serious takes on religion, queerness, climate change and social responsibility. Plus, words and music from Big Mama Thornton, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Cash, and the Five Satins.
Sunday 12/15
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Reveal… A national competition for high school girls is disrupted by the news of the fall of Roe v. Wade. Now, each contestant must navigate what this decision means for her.
11:00 – NOON
This American Life… Hear a conversation with Banias, an 8-year-old kid living in Gaza, who has a story to tell— many stories, in fact.
NOON – 3:00 PM
Sunday Baroque… Hear Ophelie Galliard play her extraordinary cello that was crafted in 1737, valued at around 1.3 million euros. It’s been stolen from her not once but twice – most recently in September 2024. Fortunately, it’s been found and returned to her both times.
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Code Switch & Life Kit… This week on Code Switch, hear a conversation with author Aaron Robertson about this new book, The Black Utopians. Then, on Life Kit, get cooking tips from The Great British Bake Off’s Prue Leith.
4:00 – 5:00 PM
The Moth Radio Hour… In this special December holiday hour, tune in for stories of celebration, differing traditions, and family: a mother and son do their best to keep the gifting spirit alive; a daughter tries to fulfill her mother’s wish for a Trinidadian feast; and a man waits and waits for the perfect moment to kiss a date.
Monday 12/16
2:00 – 3:00 PM
The Splendid Table… Hear from two wonderful writers about how their perspective on food changed because of a particular moment or dish. Join award-winning food historian Bee Wilson, author of The Secret of Cooking: Recipes for an Easier Life in the Kitchen, and Sylvie Bigar, author of Cassoulet Confessions: Food, France, Family and the Stew That Saved My Soul.
Tuesday 12/17
1:00 – 2:00 PM
TED Radio Hour… Being jolted out of the everyday can be a good thing. From an elaborate farce, to benign naughtiness, to a life-altering event, TED speakers explain the productive side of the provocative.
Wednesday 12/18
1:00 – 1:30 PM
Bioneers… Hear a discussion about urban forestry as a nature-based solution that addresses the climate crisis and wealth inequality. Urban planners and community organizers recognize that effectively addressing the climate crisis requires drawing carbon out of the atmosphere and sequestering it back into the natural systems. Learn how urban forestry could play a key role in this solution.
1:30 – 2:00 PM
California Report Magazine… Join host Sasha Khokha as she speaks with women firefighters who live in a little brick fire house inside the barbed-wire fence of one of the largest women's prisons in the world.
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Freakonomics Radio… Tune in for a conversation with John J. Sullivan, a former State Department official and U.S. ambassador. He argues, “Our politicians aren’t leading — Republicans or Democrats.” Sullivan offers a firsthand account of a fateful Biden-Putin encounter, discusses his new book Midnight in Moscow, and predicts what a second Trump term could mean for Russia, Ukraine, China, and the U.S.
6:30 – 8:00 PM
KCBX in Concert… Host Craig Russell explores two versions of Christmas celebrations during the 1600s—the first being the folkloric sounds of Gaspar Fernandes in Mexico, and the second being Heinrich Schütz’s Christmas Oratorio. Both works are festive and almost cinematic in their descriptive ingenuity. Craig closes the evening with John Rutter’s thrilling Gloria—another staple in the Christmas season— and Byrd’s setting of Psalm 81.
Thursday 12/19
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Central Coast Voices… Being home for the holidays can sometimes reveal the unmet care needs of frail or older family members. Learn about a granddaughter's success in finding VA-funded resources for her grandfather through Seniors Helping Seniors, a care agency that provides employment for vibrant seniors and enables older seniors to age in place. In the second half of the hour, Hospice SLO County discusses its free in-home services, care management, and other resources available through agencies they often work with.
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Latino USA… Join Latino USA in a conversation with journalist Natasha Alford about growing up as an Afro-Latina in upstate New York, how to juggle the complexities of being a Black Puerto-Rican woman in a divided country, and Natasha’s latest achievement —her debut memoir American Negra. Also on the show, hear a conversation about immigration and what we can expect under a new Trump administration.