After 35 years on the air, "To the Best of Our Knowledge" is coming to an end.
Back in July, in an attempt to face multiple challenges they were facing, the show's parent organization, Wisconsin Public Radio, decided to discontinue all of its national productions.
“We’re saddened to say goodbye to these valued colleagues and shows that have been an important part of our recent history,” said Sarah Ashworth, WPR Director. “This is a difficult decision, and WPR must prioritize its capacity to provide what no other media outlet can: unique Wisconsin content from a decidedly Wisconsin point of view. A focus on creating Wisconsin content for Wisconsin audiences is our obligation to—and our richest opportunity for—public service.”
This week's airings on Monday and Tuesday nights at 8pm will be the last time "To the Best of Our Knowledge" is aired on WUGA.
However, in a recent post on Instagram, the show announced that all episodes of "To the Best of Our Knowledge" will be archived in the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, a collaboration between the Library of Congress and GBH in Boston.
The "To the Best of Our Knowledge" Special Collection will feature over 1,150 episodes that aired between 2001 and 2025. More of their earlier episodes will be added to the archive in the months to come.
While we are saddened by the loss of such an icon in public broadcasting, in the spirit of WPR's decision, we have decided to also put a focus on local programming. Starting October 6th, we will be airing a second broadcast of Athens News Matters every week on Monday nights at 8pm. Providing in-depth coverage of local issues and events is at the heart of our mission at WUGA. We hope rebroadcasting Athens News Matters during this time will elevate the show and expose it to audiences who may not be able to catch it during its first-run broadcast. As always, Athens News Matters will also available to stream at WUGA.org and is available as a podcast on Apple and Spotify.
Additionally, beginning October 7th, we will rebroadcast the week's episode of The Moth Tuesday nights at 8pm, giving you two chances every week to catch this amazing storytelling program.
Before these changes take effect, however, we still have one more week to say goodbye to an old friend. Don't forget to listen tonight (September 29th) and tomorrow (September 30th) at 8pm for the final broadcast of "To the Best of Our Knowledge."
Here is a farewell video from Anne Strainchamps, host of "To the Best of Our Knowledge":
