On the eve of its final broadcast, Wisconsin Public Radio’s “To the Best of Our Knowledge” has announced that every episode of the Peabody Award-winning program will be archived for free, for everyone, forever.
The “To the Best of Our Knowledge” Special Collection will be housed in the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, a collaboration between the Library of Congress and Boston public media producer GBH, available online at
“When we shared the news that ‘To the Best of Our Knowledge’ would broadcast its final show on Sept. 27, we heard from listeners throughout the country who were so disappointed,” Host Anne Strainchamps said. “We hope knowing the entire body of work will be preserved — every interview, series, essay and investigation — provides some solace. We’re deeply grateful this archive will be here for fans and researchers now and in the future.”
Since 1990, “To the Best of Our Knowledge” has interviewed some of the most influential scientists, writers, musicians, politicians and thinkers in the world. Some highlights in the archives include interviews with Jane Goodall, Jimmy Carter, Toni Morrison, Stephen Sondheim, Susan Sontag, JD Vance, David Lynch, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Maurice Sendak, Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, and Barack Obama.
The “To the Best Of Our Knowledge” special collection features more than 1,150 episodes that aired from 2001 to 2025. More episodes from the first 11 years of the program will be added in the coming months.
“We’re thrilled to welcome ‘To the Best of Our Knowledge’ to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, representing decades of in-depth interviews and award-winning radio storytelling,” said Karen Cariani, the David O. Ives Executive Director of the GBH Archives and Co-Project Director of the AAPB. “We know the treasures in this collection will continue to inspire longtime listeners and create new fans long into the future.”
“We’re incredibly proud of ‘To the Best of Our Knowledge,’” WPR Director Sarah Ashworth said. “This is a fitting honor for the show and an enduring resource for current and future listeners.”
“To the Best of Our Knowledge” is distributed nationally to more than 150 stations by PRX in partnership with WPR.
“Ending the show has been difficult,” Executive Producer and Co-Creator Steve Paulson said. “We have an amazing team working on the show now, and so many talented people have contributed to it over the past 35 years. We’ve been touched by the outpouring of support from listeners. It’s gratifying to know that our work will be preserved, but more than anything, we hope these big questions and beautiful ideas will continue to delight and nourish people for years to come.”
Support for the “To the Best of Our Knowledge” special collection was provided by the Mellon Foundation.
