In February, the woman chosen to succeed LaFontaine Oliver as New York Public Radio‘s President/CEO was revealed. Now, the parent of WNYC Radio and Classical WQXR is seeking her replacement.
Sharing little in the way of why, NYPR announced on Tuesday that Christy Tanner will step down from her role after less than nine months. “The Board of Trustees thanks Christy for her contributions to NYPR and wishes her well,” NYPR said.
In the interim, three individuals “with strong ties to NYPR” will form a temporary Office of the CEO: longtime media leaders and current Board members Jenna Weiss-Berman and Gary Knell, as well as ex-head Oliver, who will also serve as interim acting President.
Weiss-Berman is known for her role as the co-founder of Pineapple Street Studios. She now leads podcasts at Paper Kite Productions. Knell previously served as President/CEO of NPR, CEO of Sesame Workshop, and as Chief Executive of National Geographic.
Oliver now serves as Chair of the Board of Public Media Infrastructure.
The NYPR board said it will conduct “a thoughtful search for NYPR’s next permanent leader.”
Tanner, a member of the Audacy board of directors, maintained oversight of NPR Member WNYC-FM 93.9 and WNYC-AM 820, shows tied to WNYC Studios, and WQXR-FM 105.9 and WQXW-FM 90.3 as well as leadership of WNYC Studios, digital news service Gothamist, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, and New Jersey Public Radio.
“We’re grateful to Jenna, Gary, and LaFontaine for taking this on,” said John Rose, Chair of the Board. “Together, they bring decades of experience in public media, journalism, and management, and deep knowledge of NYPR. We’re confident in their ability to support our staff and serve our audiences as we search for our next President and CEO.”
That’s a marked shift from what he said earlier this year in welcoming Tanner.
“Christy is the leader NYPR needs at this moment,” Rose said in February. “She brings the leadership, experience, and vision to lead NYPR into an exciting and successful future. During an extraordinary career, she has distinguished herself as a pacesetter for media organizations that have successfully adapted, innovated, and grown while delivering award-winning public service. She recognizes our singular role in New York City, and the importance of reinforcing the trust we’ve earned with audiences over generations – while having the vision to advance our services, platforms, and formats to make the center of excellence that is NYPR sustainable for years to come.”
Now, NYPR is dealing with its latest moment of instability. With Tanner’s appointment, Oliver shifted to a non-operational role that came following more than a year of cutbacks. In September 2024, a projected $12 million budget deficit led NYPR to move forward with its second round of layoffs in a year.
That said, NYPR expanded its leadership team under Tanner. In May, the Chief People Officer role went to Ruchika Sharma, as Emily Christner became Chief Growth and Engagement Officer and Patti Cohen was named Sr. VP of Analytics, Insights and Research.
In June, further moves were announced, as Emily Botein was named Head of WNYC Studios; Stephanie Clary became Editor-in-Chief of the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom and live radio teams; and Eileen Delahunty was appointed Head of WQXR.
