Bob Boilen, the renowned creator of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and All Songs Considered, has been announced as the next program director for the low-power FM radio station WOWD/Takoma Radio.
Boilen, who also served as the director of All Things Considered for 18 years, hosts “My Tiny Morning Show,” a weekly one-hour program on Wednesdays at 8 a.m. featuring emerging, independent, and groundbreaking artists.
I will be the new Program Director of WOWD Takoma Radio.
I'm thrilled to work with old and new friends, including DJs from the WGTB days and local high school hosts on this fabulous eclectic community radio station. I begin the job on June 1. @TakomaRadio pic.twitter.com/XGSweeND7B— Bob Boilen (@BobBoilen) April 17, 2024
According to a press release, Takoma Radio has been operating at 20 watts from downtown Takoma Park since July 2016, broadcasting 24/7 at 94.3FM and streaming at TakomaRadio.org. The nonprofit boasts over 100 volunteer DJs and more than 80 unique shows, with a mission to build community and promote understanding, cooperation, tolerance, and dialogue.
Additionally, Takoma Radio provides a non-commercial platform for individuals to present music and stories underrepresented in mainstream media, operating solely through financial support from listeners and small local businesses, including Source of the Spring.
Boilen, who grew up in New York and moved to Washington, D.C., as a teenager, is a musician, formerly of Tiny Desk Unit, the first band to play the 9:30 Club when it opened to the public in 1980. Boilen performs and records with his band Danger Painters, solo ambient projects, and the improv bands Fanoplane and Tight Socks. In Boilen’s book “Your Song Changed My Life,” he asked 35 artists, including Jimmy Page, David Byrne, Lucinda Williams, Ian MacKaye, and Smokey Robinson, about a song that changed their lives.
Boilen retired from NPR last fall after 35 years at the organization.
“After 35 years at NPR, it’s a thrill to be a part of community radio with a spirit of commitment and imagination that this station and its volunteers offer,” Boilen said.
Steve Hoffman, who has been Takoma Radio’s program director since 2017, will be succeeded by Boilen on June 1.
Takoma Radio Graphic