Kojo Nnamdi, a Champion of D.C.’s Diverse Food Scene, Will End His Beloved Radio Show in April

Locally treasured radio program the Kojo Nnamdi Show, which devoted major air time to celebrating D.C. food and restaurant culture, will end in April.

WAMU 88.5, the NPR affiliate that broadcasts the show, announced Wednesday that the show will air its last broadcast April 1 after 23 years on the air.

“I’ve loved connecting with you each day on the issues that you care about and learning more about this region we all call home. But I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family and connecting with the D.C. area off-air,” Nnamdi says in a statement.

Nnamdi, 76, tackled a wealth of issues that affected D.C. residents, and he was an expert interviewer who brought a sense of calm and civility to any conversation. He intersected with the food world primarily during the show’s “Food Wednesday” segments, which would cover everything from the impact of the Michelin Guide’s arrival on the Washington scene to the explosion of fast-casual restaurants downtown. The show also spent a lot of time digging into international food traditions and how those have influenced Washington’s restaurants scene. D.C. food journalists and contributors were regular guests on his show, and the James Beard foundation recognized the show’s contribution to the food world in 2010, one of many awards received by the program.

Nnamdi won’t disappear from the local airwaves entirely. His weekly appearance on the Politics Hour each Friday with local analyst Tom Sherwood will continue, and he will keep on hosting events tied to his long-running “Kojo In Our Community” series.

WAMU will replace Nnamdi’s noon to 1 p.m. slot Monday-Thursday with the Takeaway, a talk program out of New York, though it sounds like a local replacement show could eventually be forthcoming.

• Kojo Nnamdi Show To End Production This Spring After 23 Years On Air [DCist]
• Kojo Nnamdi, reluctant foodie [WaPo]