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Holiday Specials 2017 on KWGS Public Radio 89.5

The tradition continues with holiday specials on Public Radio Tulsa! Spend your holidays listening to some of your annual favorites and a few new ones! 

YOUR HOLIDAY GUIDES
2017 Specials on KWGS Public Radio 89.5
2017 Specials on KWTU Classical 88.7
2018 New Year Specials

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KWGS Public Radio 89.5 Holiday Guide

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13

Hanukkah Lights
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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A perennial NPR favorite with all new Hanukkah stories, hosted by Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz. There are menorahs, miracles and mitzvahs on Hanukkah Lights, the NPR holiday tradition that celebrates the stories of the season including:

  • Andrea Kamen's story "The Blue Wool Coat" reminds us that being selfless is the biggest way to show love. 
  • Debra Darvick's piece, "Protestant B Not" is the true story of a Jewish helicopter pilot in Saudi Arabia.
  • In "A Christmas Mitzvah" by Elizabeth Graver, a family embraces the Hannukah spirit by volunteering in their community.
  • "The Loudest Voice" by Grace Paley reveals how a Jewish girl learns more about herself after performing in a Christmas play.
  • The final piece -- Evan Gilford Blake's "Dreidel" -- tells the heartwarming story of a grandfather's love on the last night of Hanukkah.

 
 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21

Tinsel Tales 1 
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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This program features stories from the NPR archives that touch on the meaning of Christmas. David Sedaris, Bailey White, John Henry Faulk -- these and other NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season. Hosted by Lynn Neary.

Featured Stories: Dad 'n' Sam (Jay Allison), Homeless Christmas (Lee Stringer), Christmas Morning, 1949 (Sylvia Seymour/Paul Auster), Low-Glamour Christmas Party (Bailey White), Doing it in the Closet (John McIlwraith), Christopher (Jay O'Callahan), Ode to Christmas (Chuck Kramer), Santaland Diaries (David Sedaris), Modern Day Joseph and Mary (Scott Simon), John Henry Faulk's Christmas Story (John Henry Faulk)

    The Hilarious World of Depression Holiday Coping Mechanism Spectacular
    12:00 - 1:00 p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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    Host John Moe presents an hour of fun, unusual, and intriguing ways for people with depression to get through the holiday season. With family visits, consumer demands, brutal weather, dark skies, and other factors, this time of year tries a depressive's nerves the most, especially when they're constantly being told how wonderful things are and how happy they should be.
     
    Tinsel Tales 2
    7:00 - 8:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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    NPR fills millions of homes each holiday with humor, warmth, and a host of festive voices. Continuing with the tradition of the first Tinsel Tales program, this is another collection of the best and most requested holiday stories. Joy, hope, and childhood memories overflow as NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season. Hosted by Lynn Neary.

    Featured Stories: Santa Claus, Private Eye (Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre of San Francisco);  Pass The Fois Gras: Christmas Menu Hard To Digest (Firoozeh Dumas); A 'Silent Night' That Brought Healing (Steve Banko); The Christmas Club (Bill Harley); All I Wanted For Christmas (NPR staffers); Christmas Gift Records (The Ban-Smo Label); The Night Before Christmas, Latin Style (Read by NPR's Claudio Sanchez); The Designated Celebrator (Melinda Shoaf); Christmas Truce (Historian Douglas Brinkley); Wolf Christmas (Daniel Pinkwater)

      Paul Winter's Solstice Special 
      9:00 - 11:00 p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      Celebrate the Return of the Sun - and the Warming of the heart with Paul Winter’s Annual Winter Solstice Celebration. On the darkest night of the year, we head back to New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine to hear The Paul Winter Consort and the glorious Cathedral Pipe Organ. The performance brings traditional holiday favorites and new sounds from around the world with special guests Fabiana Cozza, Gary Booker, Theresa Thomason, Paul McCandless, Eugene Freisen, the percussion troupe Forces of Nature.

      FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22

      Jonathan Winter's Christmas Carol
      11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      An updated version of a public radio tradition hosted by NPR's Susan Stamberg. Master comedian Jonathan Winters presents a distinctive reading of Dickens' holiday classic, with a special performing edition prepared by Dickens for his own presentations. Also featuring Mimi Kennedy. From NPR and KCRW.

      Let Your Heart Be Light: Christmas Song Stories
      7:30 - 8:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      Did you know that one of the most popular Christmas songs was co-written by a Tulsa Central graduate?    Which holiday classic’s meaning is completely misinterpreted?    And what yuletide standard’s lyrics were written twenty years before the melody?

       

      These stories and more on this locally-produced special, hosted by Public Radio Tulsa’s Steve Clem.

      Hidden Sixites Holiday Shindig
      8:00 - 9:00 p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      Join KWGS co-hosts John Wooley (Swing on This) and Scott Gregory (All This Jazz) for The Hidden Sixties Holiday Shindig. It'll be yuletide favorites galore...from such far-flung sonic landscapes as pop, rock, folk, funk, jazz, soul, easy listening, spoken word, and what-not. And moreover, in keeping with our vital yet preposterous ongoing mission, it'll music from the 1960s that you haven't heard since that decade -- if you've ever heard it at all.

      SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23

      Swing on This Christmas Special 
      7:00 - 8:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      Hewing to his regular-season playlists featuring western swing, cowboy jazz, and — usually — a surprise or two, John Wooley takes to the airwaves at 7 p.m. Saturday, December 23, with his annual Swing on This Chrlstmas Special.  Expect an hour of both Yuletide favorites and wonderful holiday obscurities from the likes of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, the Tractors, Leon McAuliffe, Asleep at the Wheel, and lots of others, many of whom have Tulsa connections. 

      An Afro-Blue Christmas
      9:00 - 10:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      Join us for a very special holiday concert with Howard University's premiere vocal ensemble Afro Blue and special guest pianist Cyrus Chestnut.  Hear the a-cappela group perform a variety of holiday songs including African-American spirituals, jazz and pop tunes, and classical repertoire.  The joyous celebration includes one of a kind arrangements on traditional holiday songs plus new compositions…music perfect for the holidays and the spirit of Christmas.  Hosted by Michele Norris.

      All This Jazz Christmas Show 
      10:00 p.m. - Midnight| KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      Tune in on Saturday the 23rd (beginning at 10pm, instead of the usual 9pm) for two solid hours of holiday tunes in a jazz way. It'll be a festive and fantabulous All This Jazz broadcast of music to wrap gifts by, sip nog by, look at lights by, and/or roast chestnuts by. Come on along! 'Tis the season for modern jazz, both recent and classic, across a range of styles...and for all manner of Christmastide fare, from "The Holly and the Ivy" to "Greensleeves" to "Jingle Bells."

      SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24

      Big Tiny Desk Holiday Special
      5:00 - 6:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      Celebrate the season with amazing holiday performances from The Tiny Desk Concert series including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Martin, Hanson, The Polyphonic Spree and more! Hosted by NPR Music frenemies Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson.

      The Rhythm Atlas Holiday Special
      6:00 - 7:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      Travel along with Denis McGilvray, host of The Rhythm Atlas, for a celebration of Christmas music from all around the world. This festive edition of the weekly program will feature familiar favorites in fresh musical settings as well as holiday tunes that will likely be new to your ears. You’ll hear music that accompanies Christmas traditions all over the globe, including the British Isles, Africa, the Caribbean, Scandinavia, France, Ukraine, Hawaii and more. Tune in at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve for a cup of musical cheer - Joyeux Noel! Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas!

      The Folk Salad Christmas Special
      7:00 - 8:00 p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      Serving up a special Folk Salad with some of your holiday favorites with Scott Aycock and Richard Higgs

      MONDAY, DECEMBER 25

      Tinsel Tales 3
      11:00 a.m. - 12:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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      In keeping with a well-loved NPR holiday tradition, hear the third collection of extraordinary Christmas stories that will transport you to unexpected places.

      Audie Cornish, Ken Harbaugh, Nina Totenberg and other voices from NPR's past and present tell stories of the season in this hour-long special. Some tales are funny; some are touching; some are insightful or irreverent or nostalgic or surprising. You might recognize them from our broadcast archives — or you might fall in love with them for the first time. Hosted by Lynn Neary.

      Featured Stories: December's Soundtrack (Amy Dickinson), Christmas With UPS (Loree Gold), Merry Stressmas: It's That Time Of The Year (Kevin Kling), Appreciating The Ugliness Of The Christmas Tree (Ken Harbaugh), Stealing Hemlock (Bailey White), Christmas Lights Tour (Bill Harley), Christmas With The Totenbergs (Nina Totenberg), The Gift Of The Magi (O. Henry, read by NPR's Audie Cornish), Christmas For Cows (Baxter Black), Christmas Pudding (Marialisa Calta), Caroling In The Cold (Julie Zickefoose), Christmas Magic (Joseph C. Phillips), Grinch's True End (John Moe)

        Tinsel Tales 4
        7:00 p.m. - 8:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
        LISTEN LIVE

        In keeping with a well-loved NPR holiday tradition, hear the fourth collection of extraordinary Christmas stories that will transport you to unexpected places. NPR's past and present tell stories of the season in this hour-long special. Some tales are funny; some are touching; some are insightful or irreverent or nostalgic or surprising. You might recognize them from our broadcast archives — or you might fall in love with them for the first time. Hosted by Lynn Neary.

         
        THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28

        Third Coast Beast of the Best Radio Hour 1
        12:00 p.m. - 1:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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        Third Coast Festival is back with our annual Best of the Best broadcast featuring the winners of our 2017 documentary competition. In this two-part special, host Gwen Macsai presents the top radio and podcast stories of the year!

        FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29

        Capital Steps Politics Taks a Holiday: New Year's Edition 2017
        11:00 a.m. - 12:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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        PUT down those indictments, Robert Mueller — if you're hoping Paul Manafort will sing like a canary, all you have to do is tune in to the Capitol Steps' year-end edition of "Politics Takes a Holiday." You might even pick up some classified secrets as he joins the Donald to sing "I'm So Indicted."

        Also featured in the Capitol Steps' show will be the year's biggest stars — Mike Pence, Rex Tillerson, Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin, Bernie Sanders, and those who were gone too soon — Sean Spicer, Tom Price, and, of course, the Mooch. 

        Now is your chance to finally enjoy the headlines you were too scared to read. After all, the Capitol Steps won't tell you what to think, but they will tell you what rhymes with Papadopoulos.

        Third Coast Best of the Best Radio Hour 2
        8:00 p.m. - 9:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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        Third Coast Festival is back with our annual Best of the Best broadcast featuring the winners of our 2017 documentary competition. In this two-part special, host Gwen Macsai presents the top radio and podcast stories of the year!

        SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31

        The Rhythm Atlas New Year's Eve Special
        6:00 - 7:00  p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5

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        Tune in to a special edition ofThe Rhythm Atlasas host Denis McGilvray looks back at his favorite world music albums of 2017. You’ll hear songs from albums that were featured on The Rhythm Atlas since its premiere in September, as well as others that haven’t been heard on the program yet. Come along for a New Year’s Eve celebration of the best world music of 2017

        The Folk Salad: Listener Favorite Picks for 2017
        7:00 - 8:00 p.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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        Tune in to see if your choice made the list!

        Toast of the Nation 2018
        11:00 p.m. - 1:00  a.m. | KWGS Public Radio 89.5
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        An NPR tradition every New Year's Eve since the 1970s, Toast of the Nation is the perfect audio complement for the occasion. It's festive jazz you can party to! Spirited, improvised, fun, and swinging, the show checks in on special venues throughout the country.

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