Diane Rehm Biography
Diane Rehm is a native Washingtonian who began her radio career in 1973 as an assistant producer for talk shows at WAMU. She became host and producer of two health-oriented programs, and in 1979 was selected to host WAMU's local morning talk show, Kaleidoscope, which was renamed The Diane Rehm Show in 1984.
Since 1995, National Public Radio has distributed the program to stations across the nation. NPR Worldwide has offered the program to listeners in Europe and Japan since 1996 via direct broadcast satellite. It's also heard on U.S. military installations around the world via Armed Forces Radio.
Diane has also forged a successful career as a writer, publishing two autobiographical books. Together with her husband John, she co-authored Toward Commitment: A Dialogue about Marriage (hardcover - paperback), a book focusing on the art of building and maintaining a strong relationship. The book was published in September 2002 by Knopf. In Finding My Voice (hardcover - paperback), the host talks about her childhood, marriage, broadcast career and vocal difficulties. Published by Knopf in 1999, it is now in its fourth printing.
In 1998, Diane was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological condition that causes strained, difficult speech. After finding treatment, she wrote several articles and produced a program about the little-known disorder. The National Council on Communicative Disorders recognized her work with a Communication Award, and the Maryland Speech-Hearing-Language Association honored her with a Media Award. ABC's Nightline host Ted Koppel devoted an entire program to a conversation with Rehm about her disorder.
Diane has received many personal honors over the years. In 1999, she was named a "Washingtonian of the Year" by Washingtonian magazine. Diane was named a Paul H. Nitze Senior Fellow at St. Mary's College in St. Mary's, Md., and was inducted into the Class of 2004 Hall of Fame by the Washington, D.C., Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She was also honored as a fellow by the Society of Professional Journalists, the highest honor the society bestows on a journalist.
In 2006, Diane became the inaugural recipient of the Urbino Press Award, headquartered in Urbino, Italy, which recognized her "long and prestigious career in journalism and…special focus on the problems of human frailty." Also in 2006, Washingtonian named Diane one of Washington's "100 Most Powerful Women." In 2007, Washingtonian named Diane one of the “150 Most Influential People in Washington.”
