What Is Between The Lines (BTL) and What Does Its Website Offer?

Updated

Between The Lines (BTL) is a weekly public affairs radio newsmagazine that has produced "timely, in-depth, progressive analysis since 1991." Its website, btlonline.org, is the program's home base: it publishes each week's full show, maintains a searchable audio archive going back through previous years, lists broadcast schedules for U.S. and international stations, and hosts web features and special reports. The site is operated by Squeaky Wheel Productions, the nonprofit that produces the program.

What BTL is

BTL describes itself as "a weekly radio newsmagazine" offering progressive analysis of public affairs. The program has been on the air since 1991, and the site promotes a 35th-anniversary event, so the archive and broadcast network reflect decades of continuous production rather than a short-run podcast.

Each episode is built around interviews. A representative full show (Sept. 30, 2026) includes segments such as:

  • An interview with Victor Pickard, professor of media policy and political economy at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication, on the White House banning three media outlets and First Amendment questions.
  • An interview with Dr. Bandy Lee on presidential powers and mental stability.
  • An interview with Thomas Drake on NSA restructuring.
  • An "under-reported news summary" segment.

That structure — a few long-form interviews plus a news roundup — is the format to expect from any given week.

What the website offers

Section What you get
Recent Programs / Current Year Audio Archive The latest weekly shows, posted as full episodes
Previous Years' Audio Archives Back catalog of past programs
Broadcast Schedule U.S. broadcast schedules, satellite and radio network schedules, and international schedules
For Radio Stations Current broadcast-quality MP3 information and details for affiliates
Web Features and Special Reports Written features and special reporting beyond the weekly audio
Progressive Resources A curated list of related resources
Support BTL / Volunteer Donation and volunteer pathways

The site also carries a "Subscribe to our Podcast" option and an email list signup, plus links to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Vimeo, YouTube, and Bluesky. There is a sign-in area with username/password login and password recovery, and a linked privacy policy.

How to use it

To listen to the current week's show: go to the Recent Programs or Current Year Audio Archive section and open the latest dated full show.

To find a past interview: use the Previous Years' Audio Archives. Because episodes are organized by year, it helps to know roughly when a story aired before browsing.

To find BTL on the radio: check the Broadcast Schedule section, which separates U.S. schedules, satellite and radio network schedules, and international schedules. If you run a station, the "For Radio Stations" and affiliate pages cover broadcast-quality MP3 access.

To follow new episodes automatically: use the podcast subscription link or the email list rather than checking the site manually.

Who runs it and how it's funded

BTL is produced by Squeaky Wheel Productions. The site's prominent calls — "SUPPORT GIVING VOICE," "TO PROGRESSIVE IDEAS," "PLEASE DONATE NOW" — indicate the program relies on listener donations, and there is also a volunteer signup. The site references a "subscribe" option for the podcast and email list; the available material does not state whether any content sits behind a paywall, so treat donation and subscription as separate things unless you confirm otherwise on the site.

What to expect from the editorial angle

BTL is explicit about its perspective: progressive analysis, with segments framed around civil liberties, media policy, executive power, and under-reported news. If you want straight news wire coverage, this isn't that; if you want long-form interviews from a stated progressive viewpoint, the format and archive are the main draw.