Radio Spotlights

WHYY is airing an array of special programs each Friday night on 91FM. Tune into the following series beginning Friday, April 5:

The DNA Files
In this enlightening five-part series, host John Hockenberry examines scientists' new ability to map the human genome and tackles questions about the far-reaching implications this breakthrough will have on human health and evolution.

In "Planet of the Bugs" on April 5, Hockenberry questions researchers in the field of microbiology about using their knowledge of DNA to disarm and possibly defeat the infectious diseases that have plagued humanity for generations. 10 p.m.

The NPR 100
Brian Naylor hosts this Peabody Award-winning National Public Radio series that salutes every genre of American music -- from classical to jazz, folk to rock 'n' roll and even funk and rap -- and recognizes pieces that, by virtue of achievement, beauty or excellence were 20th-century musical milestones.

The series encompasses major works, complete recordings, theater and film scores, individual songs and in some cases, specific performances of these songs. Selected by music critics, scholars and a panel of accomplished musicians, experts tell the stories behind these 100 masterpieces, explaining how such enduring classics were created.

Highlights include composer George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" and "I've Got Rhythm," Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," the score from the musical Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and works by Duke Ellington, Bob Dylan and Otis Redding. 11 p.m.