WNYC Must Come Clean on the Lopate Charges

NYPR's Community Advisory Board (CAB) meets this Tuesday, March 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 in WNYC’s Greene Space. To keep the pressure on the station about the outrageous and unjust treatment of Leonard Lopate, we need turn out in force. Our focus should be on inducing the station to reveal the accusations made against Lopate and to describe in detail the “investigation” that uncovered them. Even Leonard has not been informed of the accusations against him! Doing this is a simple matter of fairness and due process. Other public radio outlets have done so, as in the cases of Garrison Keillor, Michael Oreskes, David Sweeney and Daniel Zwerdling. Full details of these men’s alleged misdeeds were revealed without violating anyone’s confidentiality. WNYC management can no longer hide behind the fig leaf of confidentiality and get away with simply saying that one of the nation’s premier talk show hosts was fired for “inappropriate behavior.” At the NYPR Board of Trustees’ February meeting it was announced that unspecified changes would be made to the CAB, a likely outgrowth of the CAB’s January meeting, where the it had no response to the outpouring of support for Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz except to promise “We’ll relay your message.” WNYC must come clean on its reasons for firing Leonard Lopate. When: Tuesday, March 6, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Where: The Greene Space at WNYC/WQXR 44 Charlton Street For campaign updates, join the “Bring Back Leonard Lopate” Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1747182728690193/