Terry Gross reflects on 50 years of ‘Fresh Air’ on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’

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Terry Gross, host of “Fresh Air,” made a special appearance Thursday night on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” following a major milestone for the long-running radio program: its 50th anniversary on air.

While Gross is no stranger to Colbert’s stage, this visit carried particular significance due to the show’s longevity and last year’s federal cuts that produced a period of uncertainty for public media.

During the interview in Colbert’s New York studio, Gross reflected on her decades-long career and the estimated 15,000 to 18,000 interviews she has conducted over the years. She also emphasized the crucial role of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, crediting the organization for helping transform “Fresh Air” from a local program into a nationally recognized public radio show.

“[Financially], it could not possibly have happened without a major grant from the CPB to do all the things that we needed to do,” Gross told Colbert. “And I think it was worth their investment.”

Gross also spoke about the loss of her husband, renowned jazz critic and former “Fresh Air” contributor Francis Davis, who died in April 2025. She shared that revisiting and airing some of his work on the program has helped her cope with grief while preserving his memory for listeners.

“Fresh Air” airs weekdays at 3 and 7 p.m. on 90.9 FM, and is available on the WHYY App, NPR, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.