On 8/14, American University’s WAMU-FM DC make changes to its weekend schedule and to the weekly schedules of Bluegrass Country (HD-2) and WAMU 88.5 HD-3, now called “Intersection.” The new name reflects the multicast station’s intersection of sound-rich, innovative programs like Radiolab, inventive story-telling programs like Snap Judgment, issue-driven talk shows like The Michael Eric Dyson Show, and eclectic music like Retro Cocktail Hour and World Café. WAMU had been running Towson University’s AAA WTMD-FM Baltimore for part of the time on HD-3, mixed with BBC World Service.
On WAMU 88.5 on Saturdays, BBC World Service will air at 5 a.m.; the station’s own Metro Connection will be re-broadcast at 7 a.m.; and The Animal House now will air at noon. This American Life, which aired at noon, will now be broadcast at 1 p.m., followed by Studio 360 at 2 p.m., and Splendid Table at 3 p.m. The State We’re In, which currently airs on Sundays, will shift to 4 p.m., Saturdays.
On Sundays, WAMU 88.5 will move its re-broadcast of Car Talk to 10 a.m., followed by a new re-broadcast of Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me at 11 a.m. The station’s flagship program, The Diane Rehm Show, will repeat at 2 p.m., followed by The Bob Edwards Show at 3 p.m., and Interfaith Voices at 4 p.m. Marketplace Money and On The Media, which aired at 3 p.m., and 4 p.m., Saturdays, now will be broadcast on Intersection. These programming changes also affect the station’s new frequency on the Delmarva peninsula, 88.3 Ocean City. There are no weekday schedule changes on WAMU 88.5
“We’re making changes to our weekend schedule to better serve the many thousands of news and information listeners who tune in on the weekends for a bit of a break from the news cycle, with shows like Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me that leaven the week’s events with such much-needed laughter,” said WAMU 88.5 General Manager Caryn G. Mathes.
WAMU’s Bluegrass Country will introduce two new shows to the programming line-up: Capitol Americana, an hour-long Americana program highlighting new acoustic American roots music, and Bluegrass Gospel USA, a music intensive show featuring the best in bluegrass gospel music. Capitol Americana will air at 2 p.m., Saturdays and at 8 p.m., Wednesdays; Bluegrass Gospel USA will air at 8 p.m., Tuesdays. The Free For All, a show that “moves the tradition forward,” will now air at 6 p.m., Monday-Thursdays, with a three-hour re-broadcast at 9 p.m., Fridays.
Intersection will air XPoNential Radio, a 24/7 adult album alternative service provided by WXPN in Philadelphia, from midnight – 5 a.m., and 9 p.m. – 11:30 p.m., Monday – Saturday, and midnight – 5:30 a.m., 8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m., Sundays. The station will also add another WXPN-produced show, World Café, at 2 p.m., Saturdays.
The channel will also add The Michael Eric Dyson Show at 10 a.m., and the second hour of On Point at 11 a.m., Mondays – Fridays. The weekend schedule will feature a variety of new shows, including Le Show, Radiolab, The Moth Radio Hour, Snap Judgment, Vinyl Café, Retro Cocktail Hour, The Sound of Young America, The Tavis Smiley Show, and Whad’Ya Know?
“Intersection at 88.5-3 will be an exciting convergence of new music, new science, and new story-tellers,” Mathes said. “We’ll be airing the most innovative shows in public media—shows that even hard-core public radio fans may not have heard yet—and re-affirming our commitment to multi-casting.”
