Review of 90.5 FM WCBE in Columbus, Ohio

There are a few different NPR stations in Columbus, Ohio, each of which truly caters to a different group of listeners. For the younger set, 90.5 FM WCBE in Columbus, Ohio offers a range of eclectic programming and hosts several national programs from NPR and PRI such as The World Café, Morning Edition, and All Things Considered as well as some great local music shows such as The Global Village, Blue Collar, Shakin' It, and All Mixed Up. One of the best things about the NPR affiliate in Columbus, Ohio 90.5 WCBE is that if there's something you're not really interested in, in a few hours, you're guaranteed to have something different. It offers a wide variety of shows and programming for different audiences and is gentle on the ears-no commercials, of course, since it is public radio.

90.5 FM WCBE in Columbus, Ohio hosts a number of programs that you're likely to find in any other city with NPR affiliate stations. They have the basic NPR programming choices such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Marketplace, Weekend Edition, and optional programs that many urban areas choose to carry such as A Prairie Home Companion, Whaddya Know with Michael Feldman, Car Talk, and Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me. Stations like 90.5 FM WCBE in Columbus, Ohio make you feel at home anywhere in the country that has an NPR station since you can always find most of these programs. One of the major benefits to listening to this NPR affiliate in Columbus is that you can stay very well informed on both national and local issues (the local coverage on 90.5 WCBE is excellent, by the way) and get an earful with some truly fantastic locally hosted music programs for entertainment.

Among a couple of the most noteworthy local programs on 90.5 WCBE in Columbus, Ohio are the morning show called simply "A.M" and the Global Village. Both of these shows are on from 9:00 a.m. until Fresh Air comes on at 3:00 in the afternoon. There is no way to describe either of these shows in terms of genre. They play indie rock, funk, world, jazz, blues, and other forms from all time periods. Interestingly though, despite this wide array of music, you never feel like you're listening to a mix station. The hosts are wonderful, particularly Maggie Brennan, who has been working at this Columbus NPR affiliate for several years and always plays something new and interesting. On the weekends, a noteworthy show on Saturday nights called "All Mixed Up" by DJ Michael Swaggerty comes on for a few hours with hot dance and house mixes that are great for turning up as you're driving around going out on Saturday night. Sunday afternoon and evenings are all about jazz and blues hosted by local personalities that have an intricate understanding and appreciation for the music they play. In short, all through the week, the NPR affiliate in Columbus, Ohio 90.5 WCBE is an excellent source for great local programming. The only complaint I have is that there are a couple of DJs that annoy me, which is something someone who listens to a lot of public radio isn't used to. The guy who hosts "Shakin' It" is a total cheeseball who belongs on loud in-your-face commercial radio and Rochelle Anczak, who hosts some shows and fills in sounds like she's straining with every word. She doesn't have the voice or tone for radio, but these are small issues-it's a great station.

Aside from the programs that got special mention here, there are a number of other programs that are very popular. One local program is called "Toss the Feathers" and the host, local Celtic music guru, plays Celtic tunes on Saturday. Other programs of note include Le Show, The Splendid Table, AfroPop Worldwide, and American Routes. It is also worth mentioning that overnight is all BBC until Morning Edition or Weekend Edition comes on in the mornings. Clearly, there are a huge number of choices in terms of programming for this NPR affiliate in Columbus, Ohio. 90.5 WCBE gets quite a bit of public support in Columbus, Ohio and has been broadcasting from its station on the Fort Hayes campus for several years. Unfortunately, it has lost my favorite national public radio program, This American Life due to a lack of funding. For this, and other reasons, I encourage all citizens (well, you don't even have to be a citizen, you can listen online) to donate and help keep this amazing public radio station 90.5 WCBE alive in Columbus, Ohio.