Longtime New York Public Radio President Laura R. Walker will step down next year. In a letter emailed to staff, Walker said she and the Board “have agreed that the time has come for me to move on.” She said she will pursue opportunities “including a university position and starting my own venture.”
“It is truly overwhelming to write these words. But I have the comfort of knowing I leave NYPR with the most talented and creative team that I could ever imagine,” she wrote.
When Walker became president of NYPR in 1996, the organization had just become independent from the city, where it had been a municipally-owned station for decades. Under her leadership, NYPR’s listenership grew from 1 million to 26 million, becoming the largest public radio station in the country. The newsroom expanded from three reporters to 70 people. The organization’s budget also grew from $1 million to $97.3 million for the fiscal year ended June 30. During that time, the station has launched popular and award-winning programs, including Radiolab, On The Media and Radio Rookies. The station grew, acquiring WQXR, New Jersey Public Radio, and Gothamist. It has won numerous awards, including 10 Peabody’s and 5 duPont awards. Walker also launched Werk It, an annual festival to celebrate and nurture the work of women podcasters.
Vivian Schiller, a former CEO of NPR, who now leads Civil Media Foundation, credited Walker as a prolific fundraiser with a vision to create and syndicate programming with a national audience.
“Ten years ago she was one of small handful that really treated what she was doing as a business,” Schiller said. “She is arguably the most significant figure in public radio, she has had a tremendous impact.”
Walker is occasionally heard on air during membership drives, urging New Yorkers to contribute.
Walker’s total compensation was $954,582 in 2016, the most recent year available. Her contract expires in June.
“Laura Walker took New York Public Radio from its modest beginnings as an independent startup to the internationally-recognized audio and journalism leader it is today,” said Board of Trustees Chair Mayo Stuntz in a written statement. He said the Board will look for a leader who can build on Walker’s legacy and service to “advance our mission and forge out next, exciting chapter.”
But the past year has been a tumultuous one. In December 2017, writer Suki Kim published an article in New York Magazine’s “The Cut” that alleged harassment by the former host of The Takeaway, John Hockenberry. That article and reporting from WNYC described complaints of sexual harassment as well as bullying of his three co-hosts, all of whom were women of color. Hockenberry, who retired in the summer of 2017, apologized for behavior that “was not always appropriate.”
Days after the allegations against Hockenberry appeared in “The Cut,” two other longtime hosts Leonard Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz — were suspended for “inappropriate conduct” pending an investigation. The two hosts were fired two weeks later. In interviews with WNYC News, they denied behaving inappropriately.
In January, Chief Content Officer Dean Cappello was sidelined. He left the station in June.
In the months that followed, other problems arose. New York Magazine published another article describing inappropriate behavior by staff, including a manager who had displayed graphic porn on a computer.
More broadly, former and current employees emphasized a lack of diversity within the leadership of the organization and among the on-air talent. Complaints surfaced about the treatment of temporary workers.
In response, the Board hired the law firm Proskauer Rose to investigate misconduct at NYPR. The investigation found no evidence of systemic discrimination at the organization, but did identify “offensive and harassing conduct” as well as bullying behavior that “was known and tolerated in certain circumstances for months or even years before serious corrective actions were taken.”
At the same time, Walker and the Board launched an ongoing effort to improve the workplace culture, which they dubbed “The Transformation.” Working groups formed to address issues of diversity and workplace culture. Consultants were brought in to evaluate pay equity and management. And new hosts, Tanzina Vega and Alison Stewart, took the reins at The Takeaway and in Lopate’s former midday slot, respectively.
“It’s no secret that this past year has been stressful for the organization,” Walker said in her letter to staff. “While the work is not done, I am proud of the progress we have made so far.”
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.