Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall Renaming Comes at a Price

The late electronics magnate Avery Fisher donated $10 million toward the renovation of New York Philharmonic’s performance space in Lincoln Center in 1973. Since then, the space has been known as Avery Fisher Hall — but it won't be for much longer.

Further renovations are needed, so Lincoln Center is seeking another philanthropist to make a generous donation. But that comes at a price — for Lincoln Center. To change the name, they are offering $15 million plus other perks to Fisher's family. 

The deal between Fisher's family and Lincoln Center comes after a 12-year stalemate between both parties. 

"It's a very big change, particularly because it was so adversarial the last time around, and they dug their heels in and said, 'No way, this was supposed to bear his name in perpetuity,'" said Robin Pogrebin, who covered the story for The New York Times. "It seems like there is new leadership there at Lincoln Center and somehow the deal was sweetened enough that it made it worth their while."

Pogrebin spoke to WNYC's Amy Eddings about the evolving business of institution naming rights.