Rephonic
Artwork for WAMU: Local News

WAMU: Local News

WAMU
Washington, DC
Washington, D.C.
Virginia
Maryland
Prince George's County
Washington, United States
National Guard
Donald Trump
Data Centers
Montgomery County
Affordable Care Act
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Abigail Spanberger
Muriel Bowser
Potomac River
Washington Post
D.C. Homelessness
Figure Skating
Redistricting
Medicaid

News features from the Washington, DC Metro Area.

PublishesDailyEpisodes90Founded17 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
News

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for WAMU: Local News

Latest Episodes

Public school enrollment is falling across much of the country, D.C. hasn't seen a major drop yet, but enrollment is showing signs of leveling off. Washington Sun reporter Martin Austermuhle joined us to talk about what that could mean for the Distri... more

On this week's Get Out There, we get scared at Markoff's Haunted Forest.

Senator Angela Alsobrooks says the crypto industry needs federal regulation. So does the industry, which has spent millions in Maryland politics this year. What exactly do they want?

D.C. has already invested billions into building a new football stadium and renovating Capital One Arena. As the District considers new projects, George Mason University Professor Terry Clower explains why sports stadiums aren't always a sure bet.

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

City Cast DC
City Cast DCCity Cast
The Headlines
The HeadlinesThe New York Times
Radio Atlantic
Radio AtlanticThe Atlantic
The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion

Recent Guests

Paul Brubacher
Director of Operations at Markoff's Haunted Forest
Markoff's Haunted Forest
Episode: Get Out There: Behind the scenes at one of the area’s most popular haunted attractions
Terry Clower
Director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University
George Mason University
Episode: D.C. is spending billions on sports venues. Experts say the financial return isn’t guaranteed
Tim Hicks
Frontman of the Cornell West Theory, solo artist known as Let The Dirt Say Amen
Let The Dirt Say Amen / Cornell West Theory
Episode: ‘The Saint, The Servant, The Sinner’: Let The Dirt Say Amen on his latest album
Jenny Abamu
WAMU Maryland Reporter
WAMU 88.5
Episode: The Politics Hour: D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb on going after ‘extreme housing neglect’
Brian Schwalb
DC Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General, District of Columbia
Episode: The Politics Hour: D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb on going after ‘extreme housing neglect’
Claude Swanson
Shelter resident featured in the story
Emory Men's Shelter
Episode: D.C. is required to provide shelter for anyone who needs it each winter. But, some will still sleep in the streets
Dr. Katherine Crossland
Director of Homeless Outreach Development
Unity Health Care
Episode: D.C. is required to provide shelter for anyone who needs it each winter. But, some will still sleep in the streets
Scott Schenkelberg
CEO
Merriam's Kitchen / E Street bridge housing partner
Episode: D.C. is required to provide shelter for anyone who needs it each winter. But, some will still sleep in the streets
Philip Kennicott
Washington Post culture critic
The Washington Post
Episode: What the Kennedy Center’s closure means for the D.C. region

Hosts

Spencer Bryant
Host of the program; WAMU 88.5
Esther
Host (closing/interaction) across multiple appearances; digesting segments
Tameka Smith
Host at WAMU; Local News segment presence

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 25 ratings
  • Love This

    Great local news; always keeps me up to date!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bengal Kat the Cat
    United States4 years ago
  • Great program / interesting content

    I love listening to this podcasts deep dive reporting to answer the questions we locals want to know!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    zdbdc
    United States7 years ago
  • Inconsistent Volume

    The stories on the feed need to be normalized so the volume is consistent. I have sound check enabled, but it can only do so much.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Tylast
    United States14 years ago
  • They really need to fix this feed.

    The news content is fine, but the feed is really terrible. There are tons of downloads that just fail, and the worse, sometimes they will release the same news story several times. The titles will be different, but the story will be the same each time. Then you never get the stories that correspond to the titles. This has been going on for a long time. Clearly, nobody at WAMU is listening to what they are putting out.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    jjviii2501
    United States16 years ago
  • Great podcast

    This is a great Podcast! It has all the local news of DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland you could ask for. I listen to it on my morning commute.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    New DCer
    United States16 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the local-focus and actionable policy context.
The show is praised for deep-dive reporting on regional issues and the mix of data with human stories.
Some listeners note inconsistent episode delivery quality and feed reliability.

Top News Podcasts

The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
Pod Save America
Pod Save AmericaPod Save America
Pivot
PivotNew York Magazine
The Ben Shapiro Show
The Ben Shapiro ShowThe Daily Wire
The Tucker Carlson Show
The Tucker Carlson ShowTucker Carlson Network
The Headlines
The HeadlinesThe New York Times

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

D.C. is spending billions on sports venues. Experts say the financial return isn’t guaranteed
Q: What does public funding mean here?
Public funding involves the local government financing the construction and related infrastructure for sports venues, with repayment typically secured through bonds backed by taxes and long-term leases to teams.
‘The Saint, The Servant, The Sinner’: Let The Dirt Say Amen on his latest album
Q: Can you talk about your transition from being Tim Hicks of the Cornell West Theory to Let The Dirt Say Amen?
Hicks explains that he felt called to release solo music after hearing a voice directing him to be courageous, marking a pivotal shift from group work to pursuing a solo path under the Let The Dirt Say Amen moniker.
Landlords in D.C. are once again asking the council to speed up evictions
Q: What would these bills do?
The squatters bill would clarify that tenants in short-term rental situations do not have rights to stay beyond the initial rental period, while the Housing Investment Protection Act would push for a 60-day initial hearing deadline in lease-violation cases to speed up the eviction process.
The Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin will retire after the 2026-2027 season
Q: All right. So how much of a shock was this announcement for the team and Capitals fans yesterday?
While not a huge shock to many, the retirement confirmation still carries a strong emotional weight for fans and teammates, marking the end of an era and a potential farewell tour.
Aviation experts warn Trump’s 250-foot arch adds risk to busy airspace over Reagan National Airport
Q: What are the main concerns that aviation experts are raising with this arch?
Aviation experts describe DC airspace as highly complex and densely trafficked, with restricted zones around key landmarks; adding a tall structure on the primary approach path could introduce new risks for pilots, especially helicopter operations that fly lower than commercial airliners, and there is ongoing concern about how any adverse event would be mitigated given the area's intricate flight corridors.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About WAMU: Local News

What is WAMU: Local News about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program delivers in-depth local news features focused on the Washington, DC metro area, blending policy breakdowns with on-the-ground reporting. Episodes often center on regional politics, infrastructure, public health, and technology, featuring voices from journalists, policymakers, advocates, and subject-matter experts to illuminate how decisions at the local level affect everyday life. A standout is the careful navigation of complex funding, regulatory, and governance questions—offering listeners practical context for understanding budgets, oversight, and service delivery in the nation's capital region.

Where can I find podcast stats for WAMU: Local News?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for WAMU: Local News. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to WAMU: Local News and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does WAMU: Local News get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for WAMU: Local News, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for WAMU: Local News?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for WAMU: Local News, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does WAMU: Local News have?

To see how many followers or subscribers WAMU: Local News has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to WAMU: Local News?

These podcasts share a similar audience with WAMU: Local News:

1. City Cast DC
2. The Headlines
3. Radio Atlantic
4. The Daily
5. The Ezra Klein Show

How many episodes of WAMU: Local News are there?

WAMU: Local News launched 17 years ago and published 90 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact WAMU: Local News?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for WAMU: Local News?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for WAMU: Local News from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for WAMU: Local News?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of WAMU: Local News. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on WAMU: Local News?

Recent guests on WAMU: Local News include:

1. Paul Brubacher
2. Terry Clower
3. Tim Hicks
4. Jenny Abamu
5. Brian Schwalb
6. Claude Swanson
7. Dr. Katherine Crossland
8. Scott Schenkelberg

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days