WAMC's The Roundtable is an award-winning, nationally recognized eclectic talk program. The show airs from 9am to noon each weekday and features news, interviews, in-depth discussion, listener call-ins, music, and much (much) more!
The Roundtable podcast is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys insightful and thought-provoking discussions. As someone who looks forward to snow days and long weekends, I find great joy in being able to listen to the panel live. However, even when life gets busy, I am grateful for the convenience of podcasts, allowing me to catch up on episodes at my own pace. The Roundtable has become an integral part of my listening routine ever since I discovered it while working in Albany, NY.
One of the best aspects of The Roundtable is the diversity of opinions and perspectives brought to the discussion by the panelists. They do not shy away from expressing their own viewpoints and are not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom. This makes for a refreshing and engaging listening experience, as I get a well-rounded understanding of various topics. The depth of knowledge and expertise displayed by the panelists is truly impressive, covering a wide range of subjects including current events, politics, culture, and more.
Another standout aspect of this podcast is its ability to keep me informed about important issues happening outside my listening area. Even though I do not live within range of WAMC's broadcast signal, I am grateful that I can still stay connected through their podcast. The Roundtable provides valuable insights into regional news as well as national and international events.
While there are many positives about The Roundtable podcast, it is important to acknowledge that some listeners may find it challenging if they prefer a more neutral or balanced approach in their news roundup talk shows. As mentioned earlier, the panelists express their opinions freely and passionately which may be perceived as biased by some individuals seeking a more impartial analysis.
In conclusion, The Roundtable podcast has become an invaluable source of information and entertainment for me. It has elevated itself above other news roundup talk shows due to its willingness to take a strong stand on key issues while maintaining intellectual rigor and respect for different perspectives. Whether I have the luxury of listening live during a snow day or catching up on episodes at an accelerated pace, I always find myself engrossed in the discussions. The Roundtable is a podcast that continues to impress and inspire me with its engaging panel and insightful conversations.
Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.
Midori is a visionary artist, activist and educator who explores and builds connections between music and the human experience. In the four decades since her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11, she has performed with many of the world's most prestigious orchestras and has collaborated with world-renowned musicians including Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma, and many others.She is in Albany to perform the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Albany Symphony Orchestra with guest conductor André Raphel. Plus, you'll experience Shostakovich's gripping, intense Symphony No. 10 – and the concert opens with a work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon. Midori will be on stage tomorrow night - Saturday, January 17th @ 7:30PM at the Palace Theatre with André Raphel conducting.
Dr. Ellen Braaten is widely recognized as the foremost expert in pediatric neuro, psychological, and psychological assessment particularly in the areas of assessing learning disabilities and attentional disorders. She is the founding director of Learning and Emotional Assessment Program in Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. In her new book “The Motivation Mindset Workbook: Helping Teens and Tweens Discover What They Love to Do” she offers practical tools, suggestions, ideas, and activities to help get kids off their phone and unleash their excitement and engagement with life as well as other human beings.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Stuart Rice Honorary Chair at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) and Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University Fran Berman, The Ulster County Comptroller and the former president and CEO of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley March Gallagher, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Siena College Professor of Economics Aaron Pacitti.
Stewart O' Nan's fiction has always paid close attention to the people and relationships that shape us. In his new novel “Evensong” he brings that attention to bear on a vivid cast orbiting Emily Maxwell as she enters her 90s. This is the concluding chapter in a trilogy that began with “Wish You Were Here” and continued in “Emily Alone” and it widens the lens to explore not only Emily's interior life but the network of care surrounding her.
New York Times Bestselling author Robin Cook is known as the master of the medical thriller. He has built his reputation on delivering the chilling rift from the headline stories that examine the latest developments and issues in medicine and science. His latest novel is “Spasm” and in this installment of the Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery series the duo confronts a deadly bioweapon that could disrupt the world order as they know it.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer, Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, and Associate Professor of Music at Vassar College. He studies music in American politics; sound studies; East Asian art music; and music in the African diaspora Justin Patch.
In the new book “Making Mary Poppins: The Sherman Brothers, Walt Disney, and the Creation of a Classic Film” author and Disney historian Todd James Pierce traces the unlikely path that brought the Sherman brothers to Walt Disney's attention and how their genius and emotional lives shaped the films' songs, and surprising stories.
Carol Lin is a former ABC News and CNN anchor whose voice helped guide the nation through some of the most defining moments of the 21st century - including her historic coverage on the morning of 9/11. She joins us to discuss her new memoir: When News Breaks: A Memoir of Love and War.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Ulster County Board of Elections Commissioner Ashley Dittus, Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany Robert Griffin, Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Sciences at RPI Jim Hendler, and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio.
This week's Book Picks comes from Mike Hare of Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, New York and Manchester Center, Vermont.
The Dark is a new annual festival from PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance that celebrates and elevates the depths of winter. Taking place February 16–22, 2026, the festival will unfold at PS21 and in theatres, restaurants, libraries, saunas, and outdoor public spaces across Columbia County.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Preceptor in Public Speaking, Strategic Communications, and Public Relations for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University Terry Gipson, The Empire Report's JP Miller, Associate Professor of Government at Dutchess Community College and President of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley Dr. Karin Riedl, and Former Times Union Associate Editor Mike Spain.
Brian Hollander, former editor of the Woodstock Times, celebrates Woodstock in his new book of 40 essays, “Nothing of Insignificance.” From his very first article, a profile of a pool hall legend in Kingston, Hollander has searched out the unexpected stories that give Woodstock its character. He drives a doctor's treasured sports car, plays with his bluegrass band at a reception for Bill Clinton, hangs out in a boxing gym above a police station in Catskill that trained Mike Tyson, and joins with Woodstockers driving relief supplies to lower Manhattan in the wake of 9/11.
Award-winning author and historian Jack Kelly joins us to discuss his latest book. A tribute to the American Revolution's 250th anniversary, “Tom Paine's War” is a riveting exploration of our nation's birth, and a story of the power of words.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities and Professor of Politics, Philosophy, and Human Rights at Bard College Roger Berkowitz, Political Consultant and Lobbyist Libby Post, and Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College Catherine Tan.
Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.
"The Stories of John Cheever," published in 1978, brought together some of the finest short fiction ever written. The collection was honored with the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and it would go on to sell millions of copies and to define the American short story and shape generations of writers. In "When All the Men Wore Hats," Susan Cheever looks back on her father's work and seeks to understand the connections between art and life.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Tetherless World Senior Constellation Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Science at RPI Jim Hendler, Semi-retired, Editor at large/columnist/editorial writer for the Times Union Jay Jochnowitz, and Professor of History at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the CUNY Graduate Center and Director of the Humanities and Justice program Allison Kavey.
Author and social critic James Howard Kunstler joins us this morning to discuss his new novel, "Look I'm Gone." The book is a coming-of-age tale set in November of 1963 that captures the very moment America - and one smart-mouthed boy - lost their innocence. He will be speaking about the book at Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs on Thursday, January 15th at 6PM.
Simon Winchester has long been one of our most wide-ranging non-fiction storytellers bringing curiosity and clarity to subjects as varied as dictionaries, oceans, earthquakes, and the technologies that have knit together the modern world. His new book “The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind” continues that tradition with an expansive exploration of the invisible force that has shaped life on Earth since its beginning.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bard College and Director for the Center for Civic Engagement &Professor of Political Studies Jonathan Becker, Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, and Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel.
Rock and roll is not rock and roll without a beat. John Ligan's new book “Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers” is a journey through the history of rock and roll told through the lives of fifteen iconic drummers and their percussion rivals.
As this month marks the 70th Anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott the new book “Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America” challenges us to address the economic plunders still shaping black homeownership today. “Plundered” by Bernadette Atuahene is a fresh and revealing look at how economic and racial exploitation have been sewn into the fabric of our laws inviting implicitly from well-meaning people while eviscerating communities and widening the racial wealth gap.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany Robert Griffin, Associate Professor of Government at Dutchess Community College and President of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley Dr. Karin Riedl, and Former Times Union Associate Editor Mike Spain.
“Nash Falls: A Thriller” by David Baldacci was one of the most popular books this Holiday Season and remains on the NYT Bestsellers list. We meet Walter Nash, a successful businessman whose life is upended when the FBI recruits him to go undercover at his own company to expose a massive money-laundering operation run by a criminal mastermind.
Writer Akiko Busch joins us to tell us about her new book, “From the Millpond to the Sea,” a personal narrative that considers the ecological, social, and human interests around dams in New York's Hudson River Valley.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Preceptor in Public Speaking, Strategic Communications, and Public Relations for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University Terry Gipson, and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio.
Walter Isaacson is a biographer of geniuses like Benjamin Franklin and in his new book he reveals the origins of the most genius revolutionary line in the Declaration of Independence. He does so in his book “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written.”
Jay Rogoff begins 2026 with a two-year stint as Saratoga Springs poet laureate. Yesterday he started his Poetry Repair Café series at Northshire Bookstore, meeting with writers to discuss how to bring their poems closer to what they wish them to accomplish. Rogoff plans to hold the Poetry Repair Café the first Sunday of every month.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College and he is a specialist on the history of US foreign policy Robert Brigham, Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer, Professor Emeritus of Russian at Hofstra University and author of: Illiberal Vanguard: Populist Elitism in the United States and Russia Alexander Mihailovic, and Political Consultant and lobbyist, Libby Post.
Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.
CNN's Jake Tapper joins us this morning for a conversation about America's long struggle with terrorism — from the battlefields of Afghanistan to the aftermath of the Arab Spring, and the challenges we continue to face at home. His new book, "Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Terrorist at the Dawn of the Forever War," uncovers one of the most remarkable but little-known cases in recent history.
Culinary Arts at SPAC Events features the talents of both local and visiting chefs along with a visiting guest cookbook author who share their expertise and insights alongside their food. Barbeque legend, James Beard Award Winning author, and host of PBS's “Project Fire” Steven Raichlen kicked off the Culinary Arts SPAC Fall season with a sizzling celebration of the griddle. His latest book is “Project Griddle: The Versatile Art of Grilling on a Flattop with Steven Raichlen.” [Encore airing.]
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Senior fellow and faculty member in the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College, President of Beyond Plastics, former EPA Regional Administrator, and co-author of the book "The Problem with Plastic" Judith Enck, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel.
Since 2010 - Will Herems and Sarah LaDuke have wrapped up the year in music during the waning hours of each calendar year. They missed a couple of years for a couple of different reasons, but are here, this year, to share some songs with you.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio, and Investment Banker on Wall St. Mark Wittman.
On October 11, The Eleanor Roosevelt Center in partnership with PEN America presented the 2025 Banned Book Awards at The Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, New York. This year's Eleanor Roosevelt Lifetime Achievement honoree was best-selling author Margaret Atwood and Joe Donahue had the great honor of speaking with her at the event.In her latest work, "Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts," Atwood explores her past and reveals connections between real life and art.
The Egg is hatching. After six months of renovations, The Empire State Performing Arts Center is re-opening its doors on January 8, 2026.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Policy at Bard College Malia DuMont, Partner with the Albany law firm of Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, Cianna Freeman-Tolbert, and Former Times Union Associate Editor Mike Spain.
Howard Jones' groundbreaking 1985 album, Dream Into Action, peaked on the UK charts and cracked the US Top 10. It went on to spawn global hit singles, “Things Can Only Get Better” (which experienced a resurgence after being featured on an episode of Netflix's Stranger Things) and “No One is to Blame” as well as “Life in One Day” and “Like to Get to Know You Well."
"About Time," David Duchovny's seventh published - and first poetic - work, covers a range of intimate themes and topics, including love, the loss of love, parenting, Duchovny's own parents, alienation, and other emotional quandaries.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College Robert Brigham, Associate Professor of Music at Vassar College Justin Patch, and Political consultant and lobbyist Libby Post.
Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Tetherless World Senior Constellation Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Science at RPI Jim Hendler, and Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel.
This week's Book Picks comes from Suzanna Hermans from Oblong Books in Rhinebeck and Millerton, NY and Kira Wizner from Merritt Bookstore in Millbrook, NY.
Justin Burke is a food writer, recipe developer, queer food activist, and award-winning pastry chef and baker. Burke's debut cookbook “Potluck Desserts: Joyful Recipes to Share with Pride” was released this past summer by Countryman Press.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Semi-retired, Editor at large/columnist/editorial writer, Times Union Jay Jochnowitz, Mayor of the City of Albany Kathy Sheehan, and Former Times Union Associate Editor Mike Spain.
Last month, WAMC on the Road presented an evening of conversation centered on the state of journalism, democracy, and upholding our First Amendment Rights at Gallery 40 in Poughkeepsie, New York. Joe Donahue moderated and the panelists were WAMC's CEO & President Sarah Gilbert, Executive Producer of “The New Yorker Radio Hour” David Krasnow, Founder of “The Daily Catch” Emily Sachar and Editor of “The Times Union” Casey Seiler.
The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government atSkidmore College Beau Breslin, Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College Robert Brigham, Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer, and Preceptor in Public Speaking for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University Terry Gipson.
Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.
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