DC Radio: Joshua Johnson To Replace NPR's Diane Rehm Show

Diane Rehm, Joshua Johnson

As longtime public radio talk show host Diane Rehm retires, her midday slot will be filled with a new show called 1A, NPR member station WAMU 88.5 FM announced Wednesday.

The new live two-hour show — with a name reminiscent of a newspaper front page, as well as the First Amendment — will be hosted by Joshua Johnson, co-creator and host of the radio series Truth Be Told about race in America.

1A will launch at the start of the new year, with the first episode airing Monday, Jan. 2 at 10 a.m. On the radio and as a podcast, the show will seek to build on Rehm's "legacy of civil dialogue and analysis," WAMU writes.

Johnson, the incoming host of 1A, spent more than five years as the morning news host for member station KQED in San Francisco and teaches podcasting at the University of California, Berkeley, journalism school.

"My professional passions have always centered on creativity, exploration and service," he said in a press release announcing the new show. "This moment in history demands these attributes of us. It's a chance to tell stories more creatively, to explore ideas beyond our own, and to refocus on serving others."

"At this moment, our country needs a fresh voice that addresses the wonderful diversity of our nation," Rehm said in that release. "Joshua Johnson represents America's future and is the right host at the right time."

WAMU 88.5 FM (50 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

1A, like The Diane Rehm Show, will be produced at WAMU in Washington, D.C., but the station writes that the show will be "in touch with communities across the country."