Tuesday, October 21st, 2025 // Forbes Avenue
The fourth week of October each year is Free Speech Week. This year, we were fortunate to spend some time with University of Delaware Communications Professor Jennifer Lambe while she was in Pittsburgh for the 2025 Eradicate Hate Summit.
This conversation covered a wide range of topics: How Pittsburgh’s reaction to the 2018 Tree of Life shooting differed from some politicians’ reaction to the 2025 shooting of Charlie Kirk; What the First Amendment does and doesn’t do; The importance of the First Amendment; How the economics of political campaigns and social media have helped make the “speech environment” radically different than when the First Amendment was enacted in 1791; and many other interesting topics.
The most important point Prof. Lambe made was that we need more true civil discourse between individuals, where we listen to each other and respect each other as people even when we disagree about politics, to help diffuse the divisiveness of our current political environment.
A very thought-provoking conversation.
Listen to the episode: Prof. Jennifer Lambe
Richard Gordon, host, audio editor, audio engineer, researcher
Recorded September 15, 2025; WRCT debut October 21, 2025
Tuesday, October 14th, 2025 // Forbes Avenue
This week on Forbes Avenue, we discussed the history of the West View with Andrew Bensch, a former archivist for the borough.
We started the discussion by going all the way back to the Native American tribes of the area. Then we talked about when Pittsburgh was on the frontier and followed the history of West View up til today! We also talked about the rise and fall of West View Park, which was an amusement park that competed with Kennywood throughout most of the 1900s. Tune in to learn a fun local history lesson over fall break!
Listen to the episode: Andrew Bensch
Abriana Bensch, host, audio engineer, researcher
Riona Duncan, audio editor
Recorded April 18, 2025; WRCT debut October 14, 2025
Sunday, October 12th, 2025 // Interviews,News
German guitar legend and founding member of The Scorpions, Uli Jon Roth, will be joining your Rockin’ Attorney, Eric Jackson Lurie on Court’s in Session, Thursday October 16 shortly after 8:00 p.m.
One of the premier rock guitarists in the world, Uli Jon Roth left the Scorpions to pursue his own vision of classically oriented guitar rock in the late 1970s. Since then he has recorded numerous albums cementing his legacy as one of the greatest rock guitar players of all time. Armed with his Sky guitar — featuring extra strings and extra scalloped frets — Uli is coming to Pittsburgh, November 12 to Jergel’s with a full band and a string quartet for his Pictures of Destiny tour. Uli and Eric will discuss his one of a kind guitar, his upcoming recordings entitled “Requiem for an Angel” and his half classical/half rock concert here in Pittsburgh!
Don’t miss this interview! Live, Thursday, October 16 just past 8:00 p.m. with a replay Sunday, October 19th at 10:00 p.m. right here on WRCT, 88.3 FM and streaming at WRCT.org.
