R.I.P.: Leonard Lopate, Longtime WNYC Radio Personality

Leonard Lopate (1940-2025) (NY Times Photo)

Leonard Lopate, a prominent New York radio personality, passed away Tuesday, at the age of 84 in his Brooklyn home due to complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. 

Born on September 23, 1940, in Queens and raised in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, Lopate was a beloved figure in New York’s cultural scene, known for his 40-year career as a talk-show host, primarily on WNYC, where he hosted The Leonard Lopate Show from 1985 until 2017.

After working in advertising for 15 years, he transitioned to radio in 1977 at WBAI, hosting a gospel music program and a late-night talk show called Round Midnight. This led to his long tenure at WNYC, where his midday show became a staple, featuring in-depth interviews with a diverse array of guests, including writers, artists, politicians, scientists, and Nobel Prize winners like Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, and Joseph Biden. 

His show, which won a Peabody Award in 2012 and three James Beard Awards for its food segments, was known for its thoughtful discussions on literature, art, current events, and unique segments like “Please Explain” and “Underreported.”

In December 2017, Lopate was fired from WNYC following allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct, including comments deemed sexually provocative by some female producers. Specific complaints included remarks about the etymology of “avocado” and comments on a producer’s appearance, which he denied or downplayed, calling the accusations a “smear campaign” and attributing his dismissal partly to his age and salary. 

The firing, amid the #MeToo movement, sparked controversy, with some listeners and colleagues supporting him, evidenced by a petition with nearly 1,400 signatures to reinstate him.

The NY Times reports Lopate returned to radio in July 2018 with Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, where he began his career, and also hosted the show as a podcast on Robin Hood Radio. The move was met with mixed reactions; some WBAI producers criticized his hiring due to the prior allegations, while others saw it as a chance to leverage his large audience. 

Lopate’s legacy is defined by his intellectual curiosity and ability to engage with a broad spectrum of ideas, though his career was also marked by the contentious end to his WNYC tenure.