Blue Ridge Public Radio

Blue Ridge Public Radio (WCQS 88.1 FM) is the main National Public Radio station for Asheville and the surrounding areas in Western North Carolina. Owned by Western North Carolina Public Radio, Inc., the station offers a blend of programming that includes news and entertainment from NPR and the BBC World Service, along with locally produced talk shows and music. To effectively serve its audience across 11 counties in the hilly landscape of Western North Carolina, Blue Ridge Public Radio utilizes several sister stations and translators. Additionally, listeners can enjoy its broadcasts online through the Blue Ridge Public Radio app and the station's website.

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English

Radio

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#320778

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#69572

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#2813

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Articles

Trump says he's lifting sanctions on Syria, confusing some allies in Israel

1 day ago | bpr.org | Carrie Kahn |Hadeel Al-Shalchi |A Martínez

President Trump says he's dropping sanctions against Syria, which led to celebrations in the streets of Damascus. But in Israel, many are wondering where they stand with their neighbor.
Some federal agencies dealing with DOGE cuts feel confusion and concern for the future

1 day ago | bpr.org | Geoff Brumfiel |Andrea Hsu |Kirk Siegler

Reporters have been looking at federal agencies and employees impacted by DOGE cuts from food inspectors to nuclear scientists to firefighters, and the broader effects of the restructuring efforts. Copyright 2025 NPR
The White House is pushing a big budget increase for the Kennedy Center

2 days ago | bpr.org | Jaclyn Diaz

A House committee has proposed boosting the budget for the Kennedy Center sixfold. It comes after President Trump said the arts center was in "disrepair."
Sept. 11 turns life upside down for a 'Happy Family' in Ramy Youssef's animated show

2 days ago | bpr.org | Terry Gross

Actor Ramy Youssef was in fifth grade and living in New Jersey when the Twin Towers fell in the Sept. 11 attacks. He remembers feeling sad in the wake of the tragedy — and also acutely aware of his family's Egyptian ethnicity and their Muslim faith amid an atmosphere of Islamophobia. "It's incredibly confusing. It's incredibly disorienting," Youssef says.
‘Disturbance’ under investigation at Asheville Rotary Club event where Rep. Edwards was a featured speaker

3 days ago | bpr.org | Lilly Knoepp

Asheville Police Department confirmed that they are investigating a report of a disturbance that occurred at the Embassy Suites in downtown Asheville on Saturday night. The incident, first reported by McClatchy over the weekend, occurred at a Rotary District 7670 event where Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-11) was listed as one of the speakers. APD confirmed to BPR that Edwards was present but did not confirm that he was involved in the event. Edwards’ office did not respond to BPR’s request for comment.
‘Terminated’: Arts organizations in WNC see federal grants canceled

3 days ago | bpr.org | Laura Hackett

Jennifer Pickering got the email that said her grant was canceled a week before LEAF Global Arts’ annual spring retreat. Over the weekend, thousands attended the festival at Lake Eden in Black Mountain. Barns and tents surrounding the lakeshore buzzed with dance classes and musicians from all over the globe. Among the dozens of workshops, some featured artists who shared lessons from surviving natural disasters.
Vecinos abre un centro de salud permanente en Franklin

3 days ago | bpr.org | Jose Sandoval |Lilly Knoepp

Vecinos, una clínica gratuita sin ánimo de lucro y centro de salud rural dedicado a atender a residentes sin seguro médico o con cobertura insuficiente, ha abierto una nueva ubicación permanente en Franklin. El nuevo centro de salud comunitario del condado de Macon dará servicio a los residentes de los condados de Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson y Swain, en el oeste de Carolina del Norte.
Heavy rain, flash flooding forecast for many counties in WNC

4 days ago | bpr.org | Gerard Albert III

A storm system moving through the southeast is expected to dump several inches of rain in western North Carolina late Sunday night and continue through part of the week. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch from Monday morning through Tuesday morning for many counties in the area. Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible, according to the agency.
In downtown Marshall, Stein calls for more NC small business grants amid Helene recovery

6 days ago | bpr.org | Gerard Albert III

Gov. Josh Stein, while touring newly reopened businesses in downtown Marshall on Thursday pushed state legislators to fund more small business recovery grants. The town’s Main Street was buried under feet of water and mud from the neighboring French Broad River after Hurricane Helene. Business owners and volunteers spent weeks shoveling the debris from their stores. Then came the rebuilding.
Subterranean worlds: The enduring fascination of the Appalachian sinkhole

1 week ago | bpr.org | Laura Hackett |Katie Myers

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between BPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. Lauren Bacchus is one of many Ashevillians who have found themselves strangely enamored with the city’s sinkholes. She’s a member of the Asheville Sinkhole Group — an online watering hole of more than 3,400 members — where locals eagerly discuss the chasms that mysteriously emerge throughout the city.