The Big Broadcast: Christmas Eve Special

WAMU 88.5 invites listeners to spend Christmas Eve with The Big Broadcast starting at 8 p.m. While you’re sipping cocoa and wrapping gifts, enjoy seasonal programming from the golden age of radio.

Following is a playlist of the evening's program:

  • 08:00 p.m. Duffy's Tavern
    12/23/48 Miracle in Manhattan (Bristol Meyers) (NBC) (28:56) 
  • 08:30 p.m. Phil Harris/Alice Faye
    12/19/48 #012 Jack Benny Plays Santa (Rexall) (NBC) (29:38)
  • 09:00 p.m. Fibber McGee & Molly
    12/23/47 Lost Keys (Johnson's Wax) (NBC) (27:54) 
  • 09:30 p.m. Lum & Abner
    12/24/42 Christmas Eve at the Store (Alka-Seltzer) (14:52)
  • 09:45 p.m. Lum & Abner
    12/25/41 Traditional Christmas Show (Alka-Seltzer) (14:20) 
  • 10:00 p.m. Campbell Playhouse
    12/24/39 A Christmas Carol (Campbell Soup) (CBS) (59:46) 
  • 11:00 p.m. Cavalcade of America
    12/24/45 Names on the Land (Dupont) (NBC) (29:34) 
  • 11:30 p.m. First Nighter
    12/22/45 Little Town of Bethlehem (Campana) (CBS) (30:00) 

Arts & Culture

NPR

A Race Against Time To Find WWI's Last 'Doughboys'

In 2003, Richard Rubin set out to talk to every American veteran of World War I he could find. With help from the French, he tracked down dozens of centenarian vets and recorded their stories in a new book called The Last of the Doughboys.

Food

NPR

The Great Charcoal Debate: Briquettes Or Lumps?

Does the kind of charcoal you use really make a difference when it comes to grilling up a tasty steak or other food on the grill? Yes — but deciding which one to use depends on what you're after. Both briquettes and lump charcoal — aka "natural" hardwood charcoal — have their advantages and disadvantages.

Politics

NPR

Obama's Terrorism Fight Is Colored Gray, Not Black And White

If President Obama's newly recalibrated counterterrorism strategy demonstrates anything, it is his penchant for nuance.

Technology

NPR

Google Reportedly Faces FTC Antitrust Probe Over Display Ads

The Federal Trade Commission is in the early stages of opening an antitrust probe into how Google runs its online display advertising business, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing sources who want to remain anonymous because the FTC has not announced the probe.