TVKiese's list of public TV and public radio December specials

The Grinch didn’t keep Christmas from coming on public radio and television stations this year.

Cincinnati Public Radio’s WGUC-FM and WVXU-FM — and four area public TV stations — will fill December airwaves with dozens of holiday specials you won’t see or hear anywhere else despite President Trump in July canceling $1.1-billion in previously allocated funding for the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), National Public Radio (NPR) and more than 1,500 local public radio and TV stations.

There’s no better proof of public broadcasting’s value than the variety of holiday specials this month (not to mention Ken Burns’ insightful The American Revolution documentary miniseries in November).

Courtesy Frank Ferrante

With local public TV stations broadcasting a three-hour We Heart Public Television! telethon Dec. 3-7 celebrating PBS’ 55 years, it’s a perfect time to remind everyone of public broadcasting’s wonderful December programming feast featuring Dick Van Dyke, Itzhak Perlman, Josh Groban, Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble, Julie Andrews, Kathy Mattea, Katharine McPhee, Courtney B. Vance, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Ziggy Marley, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Handel’s “Messiah,” Tchaikovsky’s "The Nutcracker Suite,” Margaret Bonds’ “The Ballad of the Brown King,” Kentucky Education Television’s The Story of Bluegrass Music, Jonathan Winters’ version of A Christmas Carol, The King Of Them All documentary about Cincinnati’s King Records and Frank Ferrante’s Groucho filmed at the Playhouse in the Park.

My list below comes in two sections: Public television and public radio. (And here’s a link to my top 20 holiday specials list posted last week in case you missed it.)

Enjoy!

PUBLIC TELEVISION

Here’s what you’ll find this month on public TV stations WCET-TV (Channel 48), WPTO-TV (Channel 14), Dayton’s WPTD-TV (Channel 16), Covington’s KET affiliate WCVN-TV (Channel 54) and KET2 (Channel 54.2):

Provided

We Heart Public Television! NEW. An all-star cast celebrates 55 years of American public television with a three-hour telethon featuring PBS favorites Josh Groban, Noel Paul Stookey, Joe Bonamassa, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Ken Burns, Ziggy Marley, Lily Tomlin, Katharine McPhee, Courtney B. Vance, Judy Blume, Kathy Mattea and dozens of others. The telethon originally aired on Southern California PBS stations Thanksgiving night.

• Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. on Ch 54.
• Thursday, Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. on Ch 48
• Friday, Dec. 5 at 8:30 p.m. on Ch 54.2.
• Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3:30 p.m. on Ch 16.

I Want My ‘80s Tour Live: NEW pledge special concert by Rick Springfield, Wang Chung and John Waite. Everybody have fun tonight!

• Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 9:30 p.m. on Ch 16.

Mister Rogers: It's You I Like Michael Keaton hosts this 2018 retrospective on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, with clips and comments from his widow Joanne; David Newell ("Mr. McFeely"), Joe Negri ("Handyman Negri"), Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Caroll Spinney, Judd Apatow and others.

• Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. on Ch 54.2.

Courtesy PBS

Anthony Williams’ Urban Nutcracker: A multicultural version of the 19th century fairy tale.

• Sunday, Dec. 7 at 5 p.m. on CET Arts Ch 48.3.

Big Family: The Story of Bluegrass Music: KET’s 2019 look at the history of bluegrass music with dozens of musicians who explain the ways bluegrass music transcends generational, cultural and geographic boundaries.

• Monday, Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. on Ch 54.2.

St. Thomas Christmas: Reflections of Gratitude: Annual Christmas concert by the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

• Monday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. on CET Arts Ch 48.3.

Celebration of Hanukkah: NEW. Geoffrey Baer showcases Hanukkah traditions.

• Monday, Dec. 8 at 10 p.m. on Ch 16.
• Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 10 p.m. on Ch 14.
• Thursday, Dec. 11 at 9 p.m. on Ch 54.2.
• Saturday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. on Ch 48.

St. Olaf Christmas Festival: Our Hope for Years to Come: NEW. St. Olaf College presents music for the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany seasons.

• Thursday, Dec. 11 at 10 p.m. on Ch 48.
• Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 9 p.m. on Ch 54.

Holiday Handbells: The Raleigh Ringers: Concert by the Raleigh, N.C., community hand bell choir.

• Friday, Dec. 12, at 8 p.m. on Ch 14.
• Sunday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. on Ch 48.
• Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 10 p.m. on Ch 54.

Courtesy CBS

American Masters: Starring Dick Van Dyke: NEW. In honor of his 100^th birthday on Saturday, Dec. 13, American Masters looks back at the actor’s 80 years in show businesses with movie clips and photos; comments from Julie Andrews, Carol Burnett, Jim Carrey, Steve Martin and Martin Short; and archival interviews with former coworkers Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner and others.

• Friday, Dec. 12 at 9 p.m. on Chs 48, 54.
• Saturday, Dec. 13 at 10 p.m. on Ch 16.
• Monday, Dec. 15 at 9 p.m. on Ch 54.2.
• Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 9 p.m. on Chs 48, 16.

Christmas Carol: Theater of the Mind: A presentation of Charles Dickens’ tale as a radio play with sound effects.

• Saturday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. on CET Arts Ch 48.3.

United States Army Field Band: Sound the Bells: NEW. The U.S. Army Field Band performs holiday favorites.

• Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. on Ch 48.

Hope of the Season: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir: NEW. A Tabernacle Choir program of classic carols with Ruthie Ann Miles and Dennis Haysbert.

• Monday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. on Chs 48, 16, 54.
• Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. on Chs 48, 16, 54.

Ronell S Crapo

Great Performances: Nutcracker from English National Ballet: NEW. Tchaikovsky's holiday classic set in Edwardian-era London features more than 100 dancers.

• Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. on Chs 48, 16.
• Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 9 p.m. on Chs 48, 16.

Holidays at Murray State 2025: NEW. Kentucky’s Murray State University Concert Choir, wind ensemble, jazz orchestra, and the a cappella group EQ Blu perform holiday music.

• Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 10 p.m. on Ch 14.
• Monday, Dec. 22 at 9 p.m. on Ch 54.

Nutcracker at the Jacobs School of Music: NEW. The Nutcracker performed at Indiana University's Musical Arts Center.

• Thursday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. on CET Arts Ch 48.3.
• Sunday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. on Ch 16.
• Monday, Dec. 22 at 9 p.m. on Ch 54.2.

Christmas at Westminster: An Evening of Readings and Carols: Annual holiday concert by Princeton University’s Westminster Choir.

• Friday, Dec. 19 at 10 p.m. on Ch 48.

Provided

Holiday Storybook: Theater of the Mind: Presentation of eight holiday stories and songs performed in 1940’s radio style.

• Friday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. on Ch 14.
• Saturday, Dec. 20 on 8 p.m. on CET Arts Ch 48.3.

The Bells of St. Mary's: Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman’s Oscar-nominated 1945 film about the parish priest and nun trying to save their school.

• Saturday, Dec. 20 at 9 p.m. on Ch 54.
  

Southern Celtic Christmas Concert: A celebration of Appalachian and Celtic Christmas traditions through music, poetry, dance and song.

• Saturday, Dec. 20, at 10 p.m. on Ch 48.
• Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 10 p.m. on Ch 54.

Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir: Lea Salonga and Sir David Suchet perform with the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.

• Sunday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. at Ch 48.
• Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. on Ch 14).

Courtesy PBS

American Masters: Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around: A repeat of the 2024 profile of singer Brenda Lee from childhood poverty to pop star with her 1958 hit, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.”

• Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. on Chs 48, 16, 54.

Too Hot to Handel – The Gospel Messiah: Handel's "The Messiah" reimagined with infusions of jazz, gospel, and R&B.

• Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 9:30 p.m. on Chs 48, 16.

Cultural Expressions: Kwanzaa:  An exploration of the heritage, unity, culture, and rich contributions of African Americans.

• Friday, Dec. 26 at 10 p.m. on Chs 16, 14.
• Saturday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. on Ch 48.

Karamu: Feast for the 7th Day: A program featuring the final feast at the end of Kwanzaa.

• Monday, Dec. 29 at 5:30 p.m. on Ch 48.

Great Performances: The Magic of Spirituals: A look back at opera legends Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman performing at Carnegie Hall on March 18, 1990.

• Friday, Dec. 26 at 10 p.m. on CET Arts Ch 48.
• Saturday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. on Ch 16.

Tom Lehrer – Live in Copenhagen 1967: Satirist Tom Lehrer performs "The Elements," "Pollution" and “The Vatican Rag” and other hits. Genuflect! Genuflect! Genuflect!

• Saturday, Dec. 27 at 9 p.m. on CET Arts Ch 48.3.

Courtesy Playhouse in the Park

Frank Ferrante’s Groucho: Actor Frank Ferrante one-man tribute to comedian Groucho Marx filmed at Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park in 2017.

• Monday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. on CET Arts Ch. 48.3.
• Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on CET Arts Ch 48.3.
• Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. on CET Arts Ch 48.3.

Julie Andrews Forever: Repeat of May 2025 profile of the Oscar-winning actress with clips from Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Camelot, and other shows.

• Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. on Chs 48, 16.

Courtesy The King of Them All

King of Them All: The Story of King Records: Cincinnatian Yemi Oyediran’s excellent documentary about Cincinnati’s King Records label which premiered on PBS in October.

• Sunday, Dec. 28 at 4:30 p.m. on Ch 48.
• Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. on CET ARTS Ch 48.3, and at 10 p.m. on Ch 48.

PUBLIC RADIO 

Here's what you'll find on Cincinnati Public Radio's classical WGUC-FM (90.9) and news/information WVXU-FM (91.7) simulcast on Oxford's WMUB-FM (88.5).

Candles Burning Bright: A celebration of Hanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights.

• Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

Winter Holidays Around the World with Bill McGlaughlin: An eclectic variety of music from the 12th century to jazz pianist Dave Brubeck’s classical composition “La Fiesta de la Posada.”

• Sunday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

Montserrat Boy Choir (Escola nia de Montserrat): Holiday concert by the choir of the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria de Montserrat in Spain, one of Europe’s oldest boy choirs.

• Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

Vocal Arts Ensemble Candlelit Christmas: Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble annual Christmas concert.

• Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

Welcome Christmas: Holiday concert by VocalEssence, one of the world's premier choral ensembles.

• Thursday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

White House photo

Itzhak Perlman’s Hanukkah Radio Party: Itzhak Perlman tells the story of the Jewish festival of lights and shares his favorite recordings for the holiday — some serious, some silly.

• Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

Peter Illych Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: The complete ballet with Semyon Bychkov and the Berlin Philharmonic.

• Saturday, Dec. 13 at noon on WGUC-FM.

NPR Festive Alt. Latino: Songwriter/performer Gaby Moreno and her band perform holiday songs. Recorded live at KUT-FM in Austin, Texas.

• Saturday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. on WVXU-FM.

Hector Berlioz: L'Enfance du Christ: Dame Janet Baker (mezzo-soprano), Sir Thomas Allen (baritone) and others perform The Childhood of Christ with the London Symphony Orchestra.

• Sunday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

Selected Shorts: What You Wish For: Readings of three Christmas stories: “A Visit from Saint Nicholas (In the Ernest Hemingway Manner)” by James Thurber; “O’Brien’s First Christmas” by Jeanette Winterson; and “One Christmas” by Truman Capote.

• Sunday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. on WVXU-FM.

A Mexican Baroque Christmas with the Rose Ensemble: NEW. Festive Christmas songs from cathedrals in Mexico City and Puebla.

• Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

Hanukkah Lights 2025: Murray Horwitz hosts new and old stories from the NPR archives.

• Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. on WVXU-FM.

The Ballad of the Brown King and Other Music for Christmas by Black Composers: World premiere recording of Margaret Bonds’ "The Ballad of the Brown King."

• Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

The All Songs Considered Holiday Extravaganza: Hosts Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson attempt “to throw a holiday party for the ages.”

• Thursday, Dec. 18 at 10 p.m. on WVXU-FM.

Music of Hanukkah: Naomi Lewin’s annual celebration with stories and music.

• Thursday, Dec. 18 at 1:30 p.m. on WGUC-FM.
• Sunday, Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

In Winter’s Glow: A winter solstice program, with modern classical sounds for the longest night of the year.

• Friday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

Courtesy of Variety

A Classical Kids Christmas: Carols and poetry tell the stories of Christmas.

• Saturday, Dec. 20, at 10:10 a.m. on WGUC-FM.

Jonathan Winters’ A Christmas Carol: Susan Stamberg, who died in October, hosts comedian Jonathan Winters’ one-man performance of Charles Dickens' holiday classic.

• Saturday, Dec. 20 at 3 p.m. on WVXU-FM.
  

A Paul Winter Solstice: Warm up the longest night of the year with an array of Brazilian musicians joining the Paul Winter Consort in New York’s Cathedral of St John the Divine.

• Sunday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. on WVXU-FM.

Christmas with Morehouse & Spelman Glee Club: Highlights from recent holiday performances by the choirs of Morehouse and Spelman colleges.

• Monday, Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. on WGUC-FM.
• Saturday, Dec. 27 at 2 p.m. on WVXU-FM.

St. Olaf Christmas Festival: Hymns, carols, choral works and orchestral selections celebrating the Nativity.

• Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 9 a.m. on WGUC-FM.

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Live: This live worldwide Christmas Eve broadcast from Kings College in Cambridge, England, features biblical readings and carols.

• Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 10 a.m. on WGUC-FM.

The Film Score: Music for the Winter Holidays: Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips hosts music composed for winter holiday movies.

• Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 3 p.m. on WGUC-FM.

Tinsel Tales 2: More NPR Christmas Favorites: Lynn Neary hosts a collection of holiday stories including “Santa Claus, Private Eye.”

• Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 7 p.m. on WVXU-FM.

Handel: Messiah, Parts 1, 2 & 3: Performed by the Chorus + Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.

• Christmas Day at 10 a.m. on WGUC-FM.

Jazz Piano Christmas Reissue: Jazz piano renditions of the season’s most-loved music.

• Christmas at 5 p.m. on WVXU-FM.

A Chanticleer Christmas: NEW. Grammy award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer performs new arrangements of holiday tunes drawn from classical, jazz, and popular traditions.

• Christmas at 8 p.m. on WGUC-FM.
  

Sounds of Kwanzaa: A look at the history of Kwanzaa and its guiding principles.

• Friday, Dec. 26 at 9 a.m. on WGUC-FM.

A Choral Christmas with Stile Antico: Stile Antico, the award-winning choir from London, performs sacred music at St. Paul's Church on Harvard Square.

• Friday, Dec. 26 at 8 p.m. on WGUC-FM.
• Monday, Dec. 29 at 9 p.m. on WVXU-FM.