Visitors walk through the Flight 93 National Memorial in southwestern Pennsylvania. The memorial is dedicated to the people who died on United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001.
Tim Lambert / WITF
Visitors walk through the Flight 93 National Memorial in southwestern Pennsylvania. The memorial is dedicated to the people who died on United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001.
Tim Lambert / WITF
This schedule was updated on September 9 reflecting changes to the schedule on Saturday September 11
Sacred Ground: A September 11th Special
On September 11, 2001, Tim Lambert was just starting at WITF. The day was a blur of news, the collapse of the twin towers, the burning side of the Pentagon and closer to home, the charred pit near Shanksville, where a fourth hijacked plane had gone down.
It caught Tim’s attention for a brief instant. He owned land near Shanksville, passed down to him from his grandfather. That night, when Tim finally dragged himself home, he saw a blinking message on his answering machine. It was his dad-telling him he was sure United Airlines Flight 93 had crashed on Tim’s land. And he was right. That phone call began a 20-year journey for Tim. He’d find himself involved in the recovery efforts in Shanksville. He’d find himself growing closer and closer to the family members of the people on the plane.
He’d find himself a caretaker of the land until a fitting memorial could be built. And because he was a journalist, he’d find himself with a vantage point into 9/11 that no other reporter in America had.
Listen for Sacred Ground: A September 11th Special:
Weekend Edition Saturday
With the anniversary of September 11 falling on a Saturday this year, Weekend Edition Saturday will feature remembrances and an insightful look at the past two decades and where we are today. Ceremonies are planned at the sites of the attacks. Weekend Edition plans to bring live coverage from ceremonies in New York, Shanksville and Washington D.C. Weekend Edition Saturday will broadcast 8am to 2pm. Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me will not be heard on September 11 but will still be broadcast Sunday September 12 at noon.
9/11 – The Day That Changed Our Lives Forever
Twenty years on from the terror attacks which left 3,000 people dead, New Yorkers recall in their own words, where they were, and how in the days, months and years afterwards they’ve managed to process the horror of what happened. New Yorkers like Ray Birge, who was under the tower when the first plane hit, talk about how telling their stories in the 9/11 Memorial Tour helps them cope with the trauma that never goes away. The program is peppered with poetry, drama and music directly inspired by the events of September 11th 2001.
Hear this documentary produced by the BBC Saturday September 11 at 3pm
Blindspot: The Road to 9/11
This two hour documentary brings to light the decade-long “shadow struggle” that preceded the attacks. This special features interviews with a range of sources; including CIA agents, security experts, and people who knew the terrorists personally.
We follow the story of Emad Salem, an Egyptian-born civilian who infiltrated a terrorist cell in New Jersey — he is considered by some to be one of the most successful undercover operatives in the history of the FBI. Other voices in the program include: former CIA director Leon Panetta, former US Attorney Mary Jo White, writer Steve Coll, and journalists John Miller and Peter Bergen. We also hear from extremists in their own words.
Blindspot: The Road to 9/11 is based on a 9-part podcast of the same name that was hailed as one of the best podcasts of 2020 by The Atlantic. It is a co-production of The HISTORY Channel and WNYC Studios; it draws on material from The HISTORY Channel’s television documentary Road to 9/11 as well as original reporting by WNYC.
Hear Blindspot: The Road to 9/11 Saturday September 11 6pm-8pm on WITF. Find the podcast series here…
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.