Jazz show? Jazz show?
Yeah, jazz show. With the old guy who sounds like he’s straight out of 1930s radio, playing jazz from the era up to the 50s, maybe. Or maybe this is just a local thing?
My favorites: Radio Lab and This American Life (though it’s past its prime).
Says You is also past its prime, I don’t think the new hour-long format suits it (pity they can’t do 45-minute shows), and they promulgate linguistic myths. Nonetheless, I enjoy it quite a bit, and I’ve actually had quizzes used on the air.
Marketplace is excellent. Wait, Wait is an enjoyable way to spend part of Saturday morning, but it’s not a can’t-miss show for me. I feel the same way about Car Talk.
And I’ll take the opportunity to be the first person to point out that most of these shows may air on an NPR member station, but they’re not produced by NPR – PRI and American Public Media produce most of the outstanding public radio shows in the US.
Oh, I forgot, I really like Re:sound with Gwen Macsai a lot, as well. (I think this one may be a Chicago Public Radio thing.)
I don’t recognize a lot of these shows. What are Radio Lab, Says You, and The Infinite Mind?
Radio Lab is a very well done science-for-the-layman kind of show, produced by WNYC. Interesting questions, and excellent use of radio as a medium.
Says You is described upthread, but you can check out their website for more info.
As with most replies, for me it is
Car Talk and Wait… Wait… as equal firsts
Splendid Table
Sound Money
Prairie Home Companion
I also love Radio Lab and Science Friday but rarely get to listen to them as they’re on during work hours. I used to love The Savvy Traveler when it was on.
I listen to a lot more, but those are my favorites.
Says You sounds interesting but I guess it is not available in Minnesota.
The Infinite Mind is a show dealing with all aspects of psychology. It is pretty interesting and they really cover a broad range of topics.
Find it, man. Find it!
Says You! is on locally at 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays, but if I miss it, I go to kclu.org and listen over the net at 10:00 (7:00 California time).
The show’s website has a list of stations, along with the day and time they air it; and it seems everybody is streaming their broadcast onto the web these days. Convert to local time and you’re in business.
Interrobang!?, when I was talking to Richard Sher, he said he was having trouble editing one of the show tapes down to 30 minutes. It wasn’t long after that that the show went to an hour. The local station used to run two shows back-to-back, so the pace seems a little slower now. Do you mind sharing what questions of yours was used?
For those who haven’t heard it, it’s a panel type of quiz show. It’s usually the same six panelists, in two teams of three, and the questions are mainly wordplay and trivia.
That’s why I think a 45-minute version would be ideal. The half hour shows were a little too short – I know they often cut segments – but the hour-long show feels slack more often than not.
It’s been a few seasons since my questions were used – I’ll see if I can dig 'em up. I know I contributed some Melded Movies, and one or two words for the Bluffing Round, and I’m pretty sure there must have been something else that I’m not thinking of.
It is local, from what I can see. It’s Dick Buckley. He looks younger in that picture, but from looking at his bio, I guess he’s 82.
My current order:
[ul]
[li]Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me[/li][li]All Things Considered/Marketplace[/li][li]Science Friday with Ira Flatow[/li][li]A Prarie Home Companion[/li][li]Car Talk[/li][/ul]
I have to group Marketplace and All Things Considered because they’re both drive-time shows for me, and while listening, I don’t distinguish between them enough to rank them separately.
No, I’ve heard it, too. Don’t know what it’s called, but it really is great - goes well with a glass of good scotch and a book. Or, a glass of good scotch and a dame whom you know damn well is trouble from the minute she walks in the door. But those are harder to come by.
The great thing about Marketplace is that it seems to be produced by people who’ve grown to embrace and love their inner economics nerd. It’s not just that they’re informative - they seem to think that what they’re talking about is really, really cool. And I agree. 
This American Life is one of my favorites, too. I don’t have much chance to listen to them on the radio, but I recently found out you can download a show during the week after it airs, so I’ve been keeping up that way.
I also like Science Friday, which for some reason doesn’t look so popular around here. I try to listen to it every week.
I have an almost love/hate relationship with The Diane Rehm - I like the show, especially on Fridays, but Rehm’s voice drives me nuts sometimes. I think it hasn’t gotten better lately, though.
I like Market Place as well, but usually forget about it until I happen upon it.
A few years ago, I didn’t have cable or internet, so most my time at home was spent listening to NPR. Probably most informed I’ve been. 
Diane Rehm’s News Round-up on Fridays.
Also like:
This American Life
Wait…Wait…
All Things Considered and Weekend Edition
Morning Edition
PHC
Ah well. Our local NPR affiliate carries this guy late at night.
Thanks!
Weekend Edition Saturday w/Scott Simon
Car Talk
Whad’ Ya Know
Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me
Fresh Air with Terri Gross
But I like just about everything on NPR, except for the jazz. A couple of shows that also deserve mention are the sports program, “Only a Game” and “Harry Shearer’s Le Show.”
- Wait Wait
- On the Media, a press/broadcast analysis show out of New York, not sure how widely heard it is
- Weekend Edition
To be strictly correct, one of those isn’t even an NPR show. Prairie Home Companion is distributed by American Public Media, as is Marketplace, while Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know? and This American Life are distributed by Public Radio International .
As for me, my favorites are Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! and Car Talk.