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.

America at 250

The American Revolution was fought 3-thousand miles away from Western Washington, but that doesn't mean we're not getting in on the celebration. How is American Independence being celebrated, and what was life like back in 1776? That's the discussion on the next 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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12/5 | America at 250 The United States of America celebrates its 250th birthday in July of 2026. In advance of that momentous occasion comes Ken Burns’ six-episode documentary special, The American Revolution, debuting on KBTC on December 18th with early access on the PBS app starting November 16th. We’ll sit down with local historian Michael Sullivan to talk about what life was like in Western Washington back in 1776, and with others involved in the planning of the state’s celebration of American independence. 

12/12 | Shawn Durnen Shawn Durnen is an Army veteran and the President of NineLine Veteran Services, which provides peer-based service to the region’s veterans and their families. Shawn was recently awarded a lifetime achievement award from the City of Tacoma and was just appointed chair of the Governor’s Veterans Advisory Committee. We’ll talk about all the issues affecting veterans, including PTSD and mental health, job training, and the VA system.