[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17982]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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              COMMEMORATING KOJO NNAMDI'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I commemorate the 10th 
anniversary of Kojo Nnamdi broadcasting on the American University's 
WAMU 88.5. Over the course of the last decade, based on his skills as 
an interviewer and his keen insight, Nnamdi has grown into a national 
treasure and one of the most respected broadcasters in the National 
Capital Region. ``The Kojo Nnamdi Show'' features 2 hours of news, 
political issues, and social trends of the day in a magazine program 
format.
  It is hard to remember a time before Kojo Nnamdi was part of the WAMU 
88.5 broadcasting family, but it was just 10 years ago, in 1998, when 
Nnamdi left his host position at WHUT-TV's public affairs show 
``Evening Exchange'' to become the host of WAMU's radio program 
``Public Interest.'' He replaced former host Derek McGinty, filling a 
vibrant radio talk show slot that can be traced back to 1977 with Fred 
Fiske. The program officially was renamed ``The Kojo Nnamdi Show'' in 
September 2002.
  Nnamdi was born Rex Paul in Guyana. He came to this country in 1967 
to attend college. He began broadcasting in 1973 at WHUR-FM and chose 
his radio persona based on the Akan word for Monday--Kojo--and Nnamdi 
Azikiwe, a fellow journalist and the founder of modern Nigerian 
nationalism who was the first President of Nigeria.
  Nnamdi's global perspective and inviting demeanor have made his radio 
program a must-do for both regional and national leaders. Each weekday, 
he challenges his guests and call-in audience alike to explore a 
variety of current and emerging topics relevant to our daily lives. As 
good a listener as he is an interviewer, Nnamdi opens our consciousness 
to new ideas. He is so highly skilled that the Washington Post has 
called him, ``maybe the best interviewer in town.''
  Locally, Nnamdi has become one of the foremost experts on the 
political and social scenes of Annapolis, Richmond, and Washington, DC. 
On Fridays, 1 hour of his show is renamed ``The Politics Hour'' while 
he opens his airwaves to the region's elected officials, community 
activists and local leaders. I personally have looked forward to 
joining Nnamdi for his show time and again.
  As Kojo Nnamdi enters his second decade broadcasting at WAMU 88.5, I 
take great pride in joining with countless others in our community and 
across the Nation in congratulating him on this milestone. I listen 
with anticipation for his next topic and his next guest who will help 
open our minds and further our dialog.

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