KBTC's Weekly Public Affairs Show - Friday at 7:30pm

Northwest Now is KBTC's weekly public affairs television show hosted by veteran journalist Tom Layson. Now in its 17th season, Northwest Now takes a closer look at the issues and people who are part of Western Washington. 

WATCH LIVE| Friday nights at 7:30pm on KBTC and the KBTC Livestream.  

STREAM | Available here and on-demand on the free PBS App.  

LISTEN | Listen here, download, or find episodes at Apple Podcasts.

Explore the Northwest Now Collection  

Northwest Now Digital Extra | Northwest Now Digital First | Open Government | Saving the Salmon |Specials

Northwest Now Host - Tom Layson 

Tom Layson is KBTC's Managing Editor and worked in Yakima, Terre Haute, Louisville, Sacramento, Columbus, and New York-New Jersey. Tom anchored 13 hours of live coverage in the NY/NJ market during 9-11 - just one example of the many thousands of hours he’s been on set or in the field covering politics, natural disasters, courts and crime, economic development, personal finance and the environment the past 40 years. Tom grew up in the Maple Valley area and is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University.

Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange

She's the leader of the University of Washington Tacoma - an institution that transformed Tacoma and the South Sound. We're sitting down with Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange to talk about budget pressures, workforce development and academics on this edition of Northwest Now.

Audio Preview

Listen to an audio preview of this week's show by Northwest Now's Associate Producer, Chris Anderson. 

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10/17 | Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange She’s been the Chancellor of the University of Washington Tacoma for four years now, so we’re talking with Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange about her perspectives on the evolution of Tacoma and the challenges associated with federal funding during the Trump administration and an era of tightening
state budgets. 

10/24 | Port of Tacoma 2025 It's the largest employer in the City of Tacoma and a key factor in the local economy, but now a trade war could threaten the Port of Tacoma's plans to drive major initiatives involving the environment, expansion, and building more infrastructure. We'll sit down with leaders from the Port of Tacoma on this edition of Northwest Now.

10/31 | Jim Walsh Now serving his second term as the Chair of Washington State’s Republican Party, State Representative Jim Walsh sits down with Northwest Now to talk about the future of the Republican Party, the party’s efforts to blunt Democratic domination, and the issues he thinks can swing the state’s moderate voters.