Ending a run of more than 30 years on the air, talk show host Diane Rehm plans to retire, according to WAMU, the NPR member station where the show is produced in Washington, D.C.
Rehm's exit from the show will not take place immediately; she is expected to remain as its host through the 2016 presidential election. A date for her exit has not been established.
A Peabody Award winner, Rehm's show reaches more than 2.4 million on-air listeners each week. Originating from American University, it's distributed to nearly 200 public radio stations as well as through digital networks and a podcast.
Rehm, 79, began her career at WAMU as a volunteer in 1973; six years later, she took over hosting duties of its mid-day show, which was then called Kaleidoscope. It was renamed for its host in 1984.
When President Obama awarded Rehm the National Humanities Medal last year, he commended her "for illuminating the people and stories behind the headlines." The president added, "In probing interviews with everyone from pundits to poets to presidents, Ms. Rehm's keen insights and boundless curiosity have deepened our understanding of our culture and ourselves."
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