New York Public Radio has a new leader after a monthslong national search: LaFontaine Oliver, a veteran public radio executive.
In an announcement on Tuesday, the organization’s board of trustees said that Mr. Oliver would become the president and chief executive starting in January. He fills the role vacated in February by Goli Sheikholeslami. She led New York Public Radio, the parent organization of the New York public radio station, WNYC, before leaving to become chief executive of Politico.
Mr. Oliver is currently the president and chief executive of Baltimore’s flagship public radio station, WYPR, which recently entered a joint operating agreement with the Baltimore Banner, a new digital news website. He has been on the board of NPR since 2016 and is in his second term as the chair of NPR’s board of directors.
“I am just really, really passionate about the role that N.Y.P.R. and public radio stations play in the fabric of the local community,” Mr. Oliver said in an interview. “So I hope to continue to champion community engagement throughout the work that N.Y.P.R. does. In my career, I’ve also really been passionate about finding ways to deepen the connections that these institutions have with diverse and underserved audiences.”
Timothy Wilkins, the chair of the New York Public Radio board of trustees, said in a statement that Mr. Oliver had a record of success in expanding audiences and finding “creative avenues for continued revenue growth amidst a rapidly changing media landscape.”
In addition to WNYC, New York Public Radio also runs the classical music station WQXR, the local news site Gothamist, WNYC Studios, New Jersey Public Radio and the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space venue.
Mr. Oliver takes over after a series of rocky years for the organization, with significant turmoil at WNYC. In 2017, three of the station’s stars were accused of inappropriate conduct. Last year, Bob Garfield, the veteran co-host of “On the Media,” was fired after New York Public Radio said he had violated their antibullying policy. WNYC also retracted articles from Gothamist last year, saying they contained plagiarized material.
