Kojo Nnamdi
Encyclopedia
Kojo Nnamdi is an American radio journalist. He was born on 8 January 1945. He is the host of The Kojo Nnamdi Show, and The Politics Hour on WAMU
, and the Evening Exchange broadcast on WHUT-TV
.
. He emigrated to the United States in 1967 to attend college and explore the civil rights
movement. He began his broadcast career in 1973 at WHUR-FM, as news editor. He has hosted WHUT-TV's public affairs
show Evening Exchange since 1985, and he worked as a news editor and director before that.
Nnamdi described his name change to The Washington Examiner in a December 2005 profile: "It was the 1960s and everyone had a radio identity so I picked Kojo Nnamdi. Kojo means born on a Monday. Nnamdi Azikiwe
is the father of Nigeria
n independence." Kojo is an Akan name
for the people in Ghana, and Nnamdi
is an Igbo
name. Nnamdi's legal name remains Kojo Nnamdi.
from 1977 until 1987. Eventually, after a stint by Mike Cuthbert, this morphed into The Derek McGinty Show in 1991. Shortly thereafter the show was suddenly shifted to a daytime slot in 1992, replacing a popular music program. It was renamed Public Interest when McGinty left the program in January 1998. Nnamdi became host of the show in August 1998 and the name changed to The Kojo Nnamdi Show in September 2002.
On Fridays, Nnamdi hosts The Politics Hour, which covers topics related to political issues and events in the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area, including surrounding Maryland and Virginia regions. Before January 2008, the show was titled The D.C. Politics Hour and focused solely on the D.C.-area political scene. In May 2008, WAMU fired resident political analyst (and Washington Examiner
columnist) Jonetta Rose Barras after a salary dispute. The show then featured guest analysts until she was permanently replaced in February 2009 by WRC-TV
political reporter Tom Sherwood.
Barras joined the program after Mark Plotkin left in April 2002 to set up shop at all-news station WTOP
, where he hosts The Politics Program. Originally called The Politics Hour, the name of Plotkin's show was changed after WAMU threatened a lawsuit. Nonetheless, Plotkin said in a 2006 online chat that he and Nnamdi remain friendly and regularly have dinner together.
Every Tuesday the first half of the show consists of a segment called Tech Tuesday that attempts to keep listeners current on various computer/computing and technology issues. For a number of years, the first Tuesday of the month featured "The Computer Guys," John Gilroy and Tom Piwowar. Piwowar left the program in early 2006 in a contract dispute and has been since replaced with a rotation of recurring expert guests, most of whom are employed at either Mid-Atlantic Consulting or the University of Maryland, College Park
.
WAMU
WAMU is a public radio station that services the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The station broadcasts on 88.5 FM, online at wamu.org, and on HD Radio at 88.5-HD1, 2 and 3. WAMU is on-air 24 hours a day. It is licensed to American University, and its studios are located near the campus...
, and the Evening Exchange broadcast on WHUT-TV
WHUT-TV
WHUT-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station in the Washington, D.C. area. The station is owned and operated by Howard University, a historically black college. The studios are on the Howard University campus.-History:...
.
Biography
Nnamdi was born Rex Orville Montague Paul in GuyanaGuyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
. He emigrated to the United States in 1967 to attend college and explore the civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
movement. He began his broadcast career in 1973 at WHUR-FM, as news editor. He has hosted WHUT-TV's public affairs
Public affairs (broadcasting)
Public affairs, a broadcasting industry term, refers to television programs which focuses on matters of politics and public policy. Among commercial broadcasters, such programs are often only to satisfy Federal Communications Commission regulatory expectations and are not scheduled in prime time...
show Evening Exchange since 1985, and he worked as a news editor and director before that.
Nnamdi described his name change to The Washington Examiner in a December 2005 profile: "It was the 1960s and everyone had a radio identity so I picked Kojo Nnamdi. Kojo means born on a Monday. Nnamdi Azikiwe
Nnamdi Azikiwe
Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe , usually referred to as Nnamdi Azikiwe and popularly known as "Zik", was one of the leading figures of modern Nigerian nationalism who became the first President of Nigeria after Nigeria secured its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960; holding the...
is the father of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n independence." Kojo is an Akan name
Akan name
The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born....
for the people in Ghana, and Nnamdi
Nnamdi
Nnamdi is a traditional name used by the Igbo people of Nigeria. It means "my father is alive."-Notable people bearing the name:*Nnamdi Azikiwe, first President of Nigeria*Nnamdi Asomugha, cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles...
is an Igbo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
name. Nnamdi's legal name remains Kojo Nnamdi.
The Kojo Nnamdi Show
The Kojo Nnamdi Show is a continuation of the night-time talk show, The Fred Fiske Show, which was on WAMUWAMU
WAMU is a public radio station that services the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The station broadcasts on 88.5 FM, online at wamu.org, and on HD Radio at 88.5-HD1, 2 and 3. WAMU is on-air 24 hours a day. It is licensed to American University, and its studios are located near the campus...
from 1977 until 1987. Eventually, after a stint by Mike Cuthbert, this morphed into The Derek McGinty Show in 1991. Shortly thereafter the show was suddenly shifted to a daytime slot in 1992, replacing a popular music program. It was renamed Public Interest when McGinty left the program in January 1998. Nnamdi became host of the show in August 1998 and the name changed to The Kojo Nnamdi Show in September 2002.
On Fridays, Nnamdi hosts The Politics Hour, which covers topics related to political issues and events in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
metropolitan area, including surrounding Maryland and Virginia regions. Before January 2008, the show was titled The D.C. Politics Hour and focused solely on the D.C.-area political scene. In May 2008, WAMU fired resident political analyst (and Washington Examiner
Washington Examiner
The Washington Examiner is a free daily newspaper published in Springfield, Virginia, and distributed in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz....
columnist) Jonetta Rose Barras after a salary dispute. The show then featured guest analysts until she was permanently replaced in February 2009 by WRC-TV
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
political reporter Tom Sherwood.
Barras joined the program after Mark Plotkin left in April 2002 to set up shop at all-news station WTOP
WTOP-FM
WTOP is an all-news formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Washington, D.C., serving Metropolitan Washington, DC area. WTOP is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting.WTOP is one of two all-news stations in the Washington, D.C...
, where he hosts The Politics Program. Originally called The Politics Hour, the name of Plotkin's show was changed after WAMU threatened a lawsuit. Nonetheless, Plotkin said in a 2006 online chat that he and Nnamdi remain friendly and regularly have dinner together.
Every Tuesday the first half of the show consists of a segment called Tech Tuesday that attempts to keep listeners current on various computer/computing and technology issues. For a number of years, the first Tuesday of the month featured "The Computer Guys," John Gilroy and Tom Piwowar. Piwowar left the program in early 2006 in a contract dispute and has been since replaced with a rotation of recurring expert guests, most of whom are employed at either Mid-Atlantic Consulting or the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
External links
- The Kojo Nnamdi Show at WAMUWAMUWAMU is a public radio station that services the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The station broadcasts on 88.5 FM, online at wamu.org, and on HD Radio at 88.5-HD1, 2 and 3. WAMU is on-air 24 hours a day. It is licensed to American University, and its studios are located near the campus...
- WashingtonPost.com online chat with Mark Plotkin, April 25, 2006