This clip from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert made the rounds at Cincinnati Public Radio's offices early Friday morning, and not because NPR CEO Katherine Maher makes such a compelling case for supporting public radio. In it, WVXU's podcast Backed Up gets a shout out.
"We know all the major NPR shows that get shared among the stations," Colbert said, "but there are lots of local shows that only address —"
"Oh, no, what do you got?" Maher interrupted.
Colbert then proceeds to name:
- Dr. Walter Edgar's Journal and South Carolina A-Z, both from South Carolina Public Radio
- South Dakota Public Radio's Teacher Talk
- Vermont Public Radio's But Why?
- Press Play by KCRW in Los Angeles
"And this is my favorite," Colbert says. "WVXU in Cincinnati, Ohio, the show is called Backed Up. It's a program about local Cincinnati plumbing issues."
(Well, not exactly — it's about the problems facing Cincinnati's combined sewer system — but we'll let that slide, Stephen.)
Hosted by Local Government Reporter Becca Costello and Podcast Coordinator Ella Rowen, Backed Up debuted in May 2024 and soon after earned accolades from the likes of The Atlantic, the Webby Awards, and now, Colbert. This reporter also was present at a Backed Up event to witness a Metropolitan Sewer District employee thank Costello and Rowen for helping them better understand the work they do, adding how they thought the podcast should be required listening for every employee.
"As a lifelong Colbert fan, I was completely floored," Rowen said of the surprise mention. "It was such an honor that he took the time to talk about the importance of public media on the show, and the fact that he mentioned Backed Up, too? We are so grateful for the recognition. (Also, Colbert was my top crush in first grade, and I drew a picture of him in my 2006 diary.)"
Costello echoed the sentiment (if not the crush).
"We worked hard to make sewer systems and 'plumbing issues' interesting for not just our Cincinnati audience, but for anyone interested in infrastructure, local government drama, and how a community can solve complicated problems," she said. "It's amazing to get recognition on such a big platform, along with other important local journalism projects from other NPR member stations across the country."
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