[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING DIANE REHM FOR 25 YEARS OF RADIO BROADCASTING

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 22, 2004

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Diane Rehm, who today 
enters her 25th year of hosting her WAMU radio show, The Diane Rehm 
Show. Her show is a true public service and she deserves our thanks and 
recognition for her efforts.
  In this era of 30-second soundbites, style over substance, and 
reporters interviewing other reporters, The Diane Rehm Show offers two 
hours per day of thoughtful, balanced examination of the issues. In 
fact, 1.4 million listeners on NPR and Sirius satellite radio enjoy Ms. 
Rehm's refuge from the typical talking head radio hosts who don't 
listen.
  While she has hosted the biggest names in public life, some of Ms. 
Rehm's most fascinating conversations are with callers or guests who 
are being interviewed for the first time. As she says, ``It's crucial 
we hear not only the voices of policymakers and experts, but that 
everyone has a chance to offer their opinions and ask questions.'' 
Topics on the show range from the war in Iraq to the art of landscape 
design.
  Ms. Rehm is also part of a tradition of public figures who turn 
adversity into a public service. In 1998, her career nearly came to a 
halt because of a mysterious speech problem. She took a leave of 
absence from the show until she was diagnosed and treated for spasmodic 
dysphonia, a neurological disorder. Not one to be defeated, she 
returned to the show and made a point of bringing attention to the 
condition by writing a book and speaking out about her disease. Shortly 
after her return to radio in 2000, she interviewed President Clinton 
and became the first radio talk show host to interview a sitting 
President in the Oval Office.
  I'm sure I join many of my colleagues and the American public in 
thanking Ms. Rehm for 25 thought-provoking years. Again, we 
congratulate her and we look forward to many more years of The Diane 
Rehm Show to come.

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