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Brian Lehrer: It's the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. We're going to take a few minutes now to introduce you to the new president and CEO of WNYC, LaFontaine Oliver. He was most recently president and CEO of Baltimore's public radio station, WYPR, and also the board chair of NPR itself. We are lucky to have him, I think, as the new president and CEO, filling the opening we had here. LaFontaine, congratulations and welcome to the show for the first time.

LaFontaine Oliver: Thank you so much, Brian. I appreciate it, and excited to join you for my first opportunity on the Brian Lehrer show.

Brian Lehrer: Did I hear you're not the first in your family to work in radio?

LaFontaine Oliver: That's right, Brian. You are correct. I followed in the footsteps of my dad, who also had a stint working in radio in Washington, DC. Radio and audio has been a part of my life for nearly my entire life.

Brian Lehrer: Did you grow up in the DC area. Is that where you're from?

LaFontaine Oliver: I did, yes. Born and raised in our nation's capital.

Brian Lehrer: Your wife is from Brooklyn. Do I understand that correctly?

LaFontaine Oliver: Yes. Brooklyn born and bred, and she never lets anyone forget that. When this opportunity presented itself, she was super excited to return to New York City and in particular the borough of Brooklyn.

Brian Lehrer: You've been a New Yorker-in-law for a long time?

LaFontaine Oliver: [laughs] I have, and no place has ever compared.

Brian Lehrer: You've never lived here full-time before though. How are you finding life in New York City in these first few weeks?

LaFontaine Oliver: It's been great, Brian. Just exploring the city a bit, having the opportunity to get out and enjoy some of the many cultural things that happen in the city, and learning my way around the subway system, which has been interesting as well.

Brian Lehrer: Any early comparisons between living here, or public radio here, compared with the other two markets where you run stations? I mentioned Baltimore, also Orlando.

LaFontaine Oliver: Yes. That's a good question, Brian. Every community is different and unique. I think one of the things that was really interesting about Orlando is that it was a bit of a transient community in some ways. In part because of the theme parks and tourism. The market was the definition of sprawl, so folks were spread out. That being very different from markets like Baltimore and New York. Baltimore, we'd like to say was a lot of ads and meds, and some really just cool communities and just a real grittiness and a sense of pride in that city.

I'm finding a lot of that also here in New York City, but I would say I think one of the common threads is that the work that we do in public media is just really important to these communities because of the decline in local news. Seeing that common thread throughout the markets that I've been in and seeing the important role that the local public radio station plays, that definitely is common across the markets.

Brian Lehrer: You've got experience in local public radio now in three cities and also national public radio. Literally, you were chairman of the board of NPR which is, of course, the network where we get our national news and other national programs like Fresh Air, and Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me, and others that we broadcast on this local radio station, WNYC, New York. How do you see the importance of NPR nationally, recently hit 50 years of existence?

LaFontaine Oliver: NPR, I think is a national treasure. I think it's important to point out as we're in the midst of our fund drive that WNYC pays its dues to NPR in order to run it's programming. It's important during these times that we have member support because that is part of how we pay the bill to NPR. NPR's role nationally is just really critical when you think about not only what it is able to provide to stations in the form of national news, but also international news. Name another organization that has 17 international news bureaus.

The fact that the-- I like to say that the high thread count content that is produced nationally by NPR is just a perfect complement to that same high thread count of content that's produced at WNYC. The rigorous news reporting, the powerful storytelling. NPR is an important part of how we serve the unique needs of our communities here in New York City, giving them a window into not just what's happening in their communities or what's happening in the country, but what's happening in our world.

Brian Lehrer: My guest, if you're just joining us, is the new president and CEO of WNYC, LaFontaine Oliver on the job just a few weeks so far, making his first appearance on our show. This is an organization, LaFontaine, as you know, that tries to serve the local community in a variety of not-for-profit ways. We have WNYC, of course, also our New Jersey public radio frequencies. You heard me read off the New Jersey frequencies in the ID at the top of the hour. WQXR, the classical station that used to be a commercial station. We rescued it when the marketplace could no longer support classical music on commercial radio.

Gothamist, our local news website that used to be a commercial website. Some listeners may not know that it's owner was putting out of business because its staff wanted to unionize. We rescued it, made it a non-profit, and, by the way, brought the reporters into our union. Our theater, the Green Space, all not-for-profit parts of ourselves that we hope fill some of the many voids left by the commercial marketplace. I'm only telling you things you already know, obviously, but what are you most excited about here?

LaFontaine Oliver: Brian, I'd probably get in trouble if I were to pick just one. I would just say I am excited about all of it. I'm excited because this is an organization that does something that I think many of us in public media have been trying to do our entire careers, which is figure out more ways to be more relevant in more aspects of the lives of our community and to serve the whole person. The head, the heart, and the spirit.

You see that on full display every single day in this organization with WNYC, with WQXR, and the presentation of classical music. With the Green Space, with our podcast just really serving the whole person. I've been very fortunate in my career to have the opportunity to work not just in news and journalism, but also to run music services. To bring all of those things together to really serve the community under New York Public Radio is just really powerful, and I'm excited about digging in to all of it, and finding more ways to make sure the work that we're doing is impactful for the communities we want to serve.

Brian Lehrer: You mentioned the podcast. I left off my list explicitly WNYC Studios just considered part of WNYC, but that, of course, is our podcast unit. All media are in a tough economic environment right now, as you know. We need our members more than ever. There are lay-offs all over the place in both for-profit and non-for-profit media. NPR, as you know, announced that it's having to lay off 10% of its workforce. WNYC is ending one of its national shows that we're told had a declining number of stations around the country, Carrie at The Takeaway. These are not easy or happy decisions, I'm sure. What happened with The Takeaway, and what's the national context?

LaFontaine Oliver: Brian, you're absolutely right. These are tough times as all of our organizations are experiencing the economic headwinds. Public media, public radio is not immune to this. With ad revenue being down and, in particular, with us here at New York Public Radio, sponsorship, it accounts for about 30% of our revenue. As it relates to  The Takeaway, I would say, the decision to end  The Takeaway was not one that we, or our partners at PRX made lightly.

The Takeaway for almost 15 years has brought public radio listeners the type of insights and voices of an ever-changing America that I think is just so important. As you point out, a tough decision, audience declines with the drop in station carriage, some preexisting financial deficits in the revenue headwinds put us in a situation and led WNYC and PRX to not renew the contract and to wind down the show. I know that that is disappointing for our listeners, for the members of our Takeaway team, for audiences across the country.

What I would say is I want to do everything I can to celebrate the history, the legacy of that program, and all of the good work that it did to really change the conversation in public media with diverse voices and perspectives as really one of a kind. In the early days I remember being at WEAA in Baltimore and being one of the first stations to take a chance on airing the show, and it's been an important part of the public media landscape.

Brian Lehrer: Any plans to build something new or replace some of what was meaningful as you just described it, about The Takeaway's particular mission?

LaFontaine Oliver: Brian, right now, there are no plans at this point to build another national news program. What I would say is that The Takeaway's original mission to elevate new voices and diverse perspectives, thankfully, is being better represented across public media and in particular, I would say in the programs on WNYC and throughout New York Public Radio. No plans immediately and this work to continue to elevate those voices is never done. We have to continue to try to make sure that we are doing that in everything that we do. It needs to be a part of the DNA of WNYC and New York Public Radio, but there are no plans immediately to build another national daily news program.

Brian Lehrer: If I may ask, LaFontaine, there aren't many Black CEOs of major radio stations, for-profit or not-for-profit, and you are our first here. Are there ways you think your lived experience, including your professional eye in that respect, can add something important through your leadership here?

LaFontaine Oliver: Absolutely, Brian. I think there has been a real opportunity in public media for a long time for us as organizations to better reflect, in our staffing, the diversity of the communities that we want to serve. I certainly feel that as a Black man leading this this organization that I have something unique to bring into this space and into this experience. Again, one of the things that I've been very fortunate in my career to have been able to accomplish is to be the part of the launch of a number of programs that really put reaching diverse audiences at its core and at its center.

I've been saying recently I feel the weight of this role, but I'm revising that now to say that I am feeling both the weight and the wings of this opportunity, because I do think that we are now at an inflection point. We're at a time in our country where I think the opportunity for diverse leadership to lead the way in making sure that our organizations are truly serving our communities, that time is upon us.

Brian Lehrer: Before you go, we are in our winter membership drive this week, as you well know. Can you tell me, do you have a favor at WNYC thank you gift yet, and you are not required to say the Brian Lehrer Show mug.

LaFontaine Oliver: Brian, I'm going to say it's a toss up between the Brian Lehrer mug and there's the very, very cool clip on Bluetooth speaker, just the ability to take Public Radio, WNYC, WQXR with you wherever you go. That's a phenomenal thank you gift. I'm going to call it a toss up between those two.

Brian Lehrer: As you're tossing it up, don't drop the clip on speaker into the Brian Lehrer Show mug with the coffee in it. LaFontaine Oliver, the new president and CEO of WNYC. Thanks so much for coming on the show, introducing yourself a little bit to our listeners. Look forward to working with you.

LaFontaine Oliver: Thank you, Brian. Look forward to working with you as well.

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