Special programs are on hand for the winter holidays featuring music and humor, along with heartfelt and inspiring storytelling. Tonight, Paul Winter and his band of merry musicians celebrate the winter solstice, followed by Christmas programs beginning tomorrow.

On New Year's Eve, we'll bring you a recap of 2011 as only the Capitol Steps can analyze it, and four chances to ring in 2012 with live music from four time zones. See all the holiday programs KGOU has scheduled over the next couple of weeks on our Holiday Programs page.

 

The nine-bill omnibus appropriations package Congress passed last week to fund the government preserves funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting at $445 million in FY 2014. The president signed the measure into law on Saturday.

The package also preserves the policy of a two-year advance appropriation to CPB that makes possible the long-term, multi-hour productions made for public television. The legislation also includes $27.2 million in funding for FY 2012 for the Ready To Learn program, public television's core on-air and online educational content designed to build children's reading skills.

CPB distributes these federal funds to local stations like KGOU in annual grants, and we are in the process of making our yearly request to CPB. KGOU's grant is usually 10 to 12 percent of the station's annual operating budget.

 

Bringing a wealth of reporting experience, Rachel Martin will step into the Weekend Edition Sunday host chair beginning in January as Audie Cornish heads to All Things Considered for the coming year, filling in for Michele Norris.

For the last year and a half, Rachel has been a National Security Correspondent, providing coverage of military and intelligence issues. She briefly joined ABC News on the White House beat, but prior to that, Rachel has been a foreign correspondent for NPR based in Berlin, and has reported extensively from Afghanistan and later from Iraq. Read more about Rachel in her bio at NPR.org.

 

The strugging economy meant that 2011 was a bad year for many. But after a closer look, there are people, places and products that have had a good year. NPR News explores the "glass half-full" in business, sports, the arts, pop culture, and politics with a series called "A Good Year."

Find out why it was a good year for robots, coconut water, sweet potatoes, mice and Chrysler. With contributions from NPR's Arts, Science, and political desks, this series airs Saturday, Dec. 24 through Sunday, Jan. 1 on NPR newsmagazines.

 

Sure, we like tradition around the holidays, but every once in a while, wouldn't it be nice to hear some lesser known holiday tunes? NPR Music has come up with a playlist of the non-traditional, unexpected, and just downright wacky to enhance your holiday listening. Listen to the Jingle Jams audio stream for a festive alternative.