Rita Houston (September 28, 1961 – December 15, 2020) was the program director of Fordham University's public radio station WFUV and the host of the show The Whole Wide World.
[2] Houston was considered a "tastemaker" in the radio world, helping guide WFUV's musical direction for decades.
[4] She anchored National Public Radio's coverage of the Newport Folk Festival for several years and helped NPR with their best-of-the-year lists, as well as sometimes appearing on Morning Edition.
[5] She began as a DJ in the midday slot, and launched her own Friday night program, The Whole Wide World, in 2001.
[5] On this show she continued to showcase new talent including Joan Osborne, Adele and Brandi Carlile who stated "Rita was the very first person to play my music on the radio".