The new program, launching this fall, will be a weekday talk show with a fresh take on culture, the arts, the news of the day, and life in New York and the surrounding region. During more than two decades in journalism, Stewart has interviewed luminaries such as U2 frontman Bono, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Bishop Michael Curry, and Norman Lear. For the show, she will converse with newsmakers, tastemakers, artists, and creators, as well as taking calls, going out into the city, and collaborating with WNYC journalists and hosts on creative new segments. Stewart began her career as a producer/reporter for MTV News’ breakthrough presidential campaign coverage Choose or Lose, for which she won a Peabody Award.
“Alison Stewart is the perfect host for our new midday show that will lead the New York conversation,” said Laura Walker, President and CEO, New York Public Radio, which includes WNYC. “She is intelligent, lively, and experienced, and has her finger on the pulse of pop culture, the arts, and news in a way that is deeply of the moment. With Alison, WNYC listeners will get the high quality, inclusive, cultural conversation they expect. I’m absolutely thrilled to have her join our lineup!”
“I’m so excited to engage with the WNYC community,” said Stewart. “My hope is we can explore how culture shapes us as people and citizens. What’s happening on Broadway and in Bushwick, what’s happening in houses of worship and fashion houses, and that fantastically weird performance artist you saw on the F train all contribute to the magic of New York City.”
The new show will broadcast live from 12 noon to 2 p.m., and will be available for streaming and podcast as well.
I was dismayed when the program started. It sounded chirpy and lightweight as though taking all its aural cues from broadcast morning TV, which I stopped viewing more than 10 years ago. Though I appreciate Ms. Stewart’s capabilities and experience, I continue to miss the more sober tone and serious focus of the Lopate show. I am pleased with the racial and age diversity but find myself tuning out and turning it off because I looked to WNYC for a less giddy voice. We don’t have to dumb down, nor do we have to speak in a teenager’s exclamatory mode to introduce and enjoy diversity pf topics and on-air personalities.
This is NO replacement for Leonard Lopate! With him we had an superior mind delving into substantial subjects. It was meaty, an extraordinary educational gift.
I didn’t rush to judgement, but by now turn the radio off when ‘All of It ‘comes on. Lopate’s audience was not into pop culture.
Hoping you will find a more justifiably appropriate way to replace Leonard Lopate.
The other day I was listening to Alison Stuart’s broadcast on WNYC. The show dealt with why many Americans do not have money to cover a $400.00 emergency. The story unfolded about a professional couple with children, who are carrying college debt, real estate debt and credit card debt. This broadcast did not really bring up the issue that there are many who struggle to stay in their homes with an extremely frugal budget to live on and rising costs strangling their existence. These unfortunate individuals are the new poor who sacrificed every penny but found themselves tangled in a web of high costs for health insurance and no means for securing decent full time employment with benefits. Back to that professional couple who wanted to live that professional lifestyle only to misuse credit cards. in other words the broadcast gave the listener the impression that it was this couple’s selfishness which caused their financial downfall and not exterior forces such as rising maintenance fees, rising home and auto costs, health costs not covered insurance, taxes, etc.
It’s not very good. Mostly pointless music and entertainment guests that I generally turn off about 10 minutes in. I remember ‘Midday’ being slightly better, but only marginally so.