NPR Content Chief Anya Grundmann Exits

Anya Grundmann

NPR's top programming executive, Anya Grundmann, has  announced she will step down at the end of the year after nearly three decades at the network.  In a website story, NPR cites her record has been marked by innovations, successes and, of late, sharp setbacks buffeting the industry broadly and the network specifically.

"I've especially loved it when the sparks are flying, when we've imagined new ways we can lean into our enormous potential while staying true to our public service mission," Grundmann says in a comment texted for this story. "It's been the best kind of roller coaster ride."

Since becoming head of programming in 2015, Grundmann has overseen music, entertainment and talk shows such as Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and Fresh Air (which originates at member station WHYY), and most of the network's podcasts.

Grundmann was integral to creating Up First, NPR's daily podcast based on the top news stories in its flagship morning show, Morning Edition. It is routinely cited as one of the nation's leading news podcasts.

With Grundmann's involvement, NPR launched many other podcasts that earned accolades and new audiences for the network. Podcasts on politics and popular culture became daily properties; new shows including Code Switch won NPR new audiences; the podcast No Compromise won a Pulitzer Prize; the Planet Money spinoff The Indicator has been a hit.

NPR chief executive John Lansing praises Grundmann's record and casts her departure exclusively as her own decision. "She's really legendary in the world of public media," Lansing says. He says Grundmann "led the podcasting revolution in many ways, and has been just an invaluable partner for me in my four years here."