What Local Programs and Special Events Does WLAE-TV Offer?

Updated

WLAE-TV (New Orleans Public Television) carries a mix of daily religious programming, locally produced talk and public-affairs shows, documentaries, and recurring community events. If you're looking for what's on the station beyond national PBS-style content, the list below covers the programming and special events named on the station's own site.

Ongoing Local Programs

These are the recurring shows listed under WLAE's programming:

  • The Daily Mass & Rosary — the station's signature daily religious broadcast (see schedule below).
  • Let's Talk with Keith Spera — a weekly talk show hosted by the veteran Times-Picayune and NOLA.com entertainment reporter, described by the station as "a new kind of weekly talk show."
  • Affordable Housing Matters — a public-affairs program focused on housing.
  • Coping Today — a program listed among the station's ongoing offerings.
  • Monthly Highlights — a recurring roundup of the month's programming.

Documentaries and Award-Winning Work

WLAE produces and airs local documentaries, and some are available on its YouTube channel:

  • Al Scramuzza: The Crawfish King — watchable on the station's YouTube channel.
  • The Warner Way — also on the station's YouTube channel.
  • 2025 Suncoast Emmy Winner for Best Cultural Documentary — the station holds a Suncoast Emmy for a cultural documentary, with an air date listed as Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 8:00pm.

Special Events and Annual Traditions

WLAE's event calendar includes both broadcast specials and in-person fundraisers:

Event Details
Annual LPO concerts Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra concerts, listed as an ongoing special event
Caroling in Jackson Square Annual holiday event
Black History Month Celebration Mass Live broadcast Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. from St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans
Servus Fidelis honor Saturday, April 12, 2025 — 5:30pm Mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 6:30pm dinner reception in Metairie; honoring Peter Finney, Jr.
Golf fundraiser Friday, May 23, 2025 at Audubon Park Golf Course — 11:30am registration/lunch, 1:00pm tee off; proceeds benefit the Fr. Tom Chambers Scholastic Award

The Black History Month Mass is described as a significant spiritual and cultural observance for the African American Catholic community and the wider Archdiocese of New Orleans, with Rev. Tony Ricard as celebrant and the Mass Gospel Choir directed by Richard Cheri.

The Daily Mass & Rosary Schedule

This is the station's most frequent local broadcast:

  • Weekdays: 12:05pm
  • Sundays: 11:00am
  • Saturdays: 4:00pm from the Basilica of St. Stephen

Weekday and Sunday Masses originate from St. Louis Cathedral. The Mass also streams on TheDailyMass.com and Facebook.

Holy Week 2025 schedule (on WLAE-TV and TheDailyMass.com):

  • March 29 at 11:00am — Palm Sunday Mass
  • March 31 at 10:00am — Chrism Mass
  • April 2 at 7:00pm — Mass of the Last Supper
  • April 3 at 3:00pm — Good Friday Prayer Service
  • April 5 at 11:00am — Easter Sunday Mass

How to Watch

  • On TV: Use the station's "Find WLAE on your local station here" tool to locate your channel. Note that WLAE has announced a change to a new broadcast frequency — check the station's frequency-change info page if your signal drops.
  • Streaming: The Daily Mass streams at TheDailyMass.com and on Facebook; the Black History Month Mass has a separate stream link.
  • YouTube: Selected documentaries and programs (including Al Scramuzza: The Crawfish King and The Warner Way) are posted to the station's YouTube channel.

If you're planning around a specific event, confirm the date on the station's site first — the listings above mix past 2025 events with 2026 broadcasts, so the calendar shifts over time.