Boston Radio: WBUR's Margaret Low To Step Down In June

Margaret Low, chief executive of public radio station WBUR, said Tuesday she will leave the role in June after nearly seven years leading the organization through staff cuts, revenue declines and the loss of federal funding.

Low, 67, told employees Tuesday morning that this will be her last “big job.” She plans to join WBUR’s board of directors next fall and will continue serving on several journalism boards. The station has hired a search firm to find her successor.

Under Low, WBUR expanded fundraising and developed its events business, including the launch of the annual WBUR Festival last year. The station ranks as Boston’s top radio outlet, according to Nielsen ratings.

Margaret Low

“We have faced down so many gigantic challenges. WBUR is soaring,” Low said in an interview. “I would not walk out the door unless I felt the confidence that I do in this place and the people that work here, the purpose in what we do, and my belief that Boston is an extraordinary town, and that they value what we do and what we make.”

Low joined WBUR in January 2020 after running the events business at The Atlantic and previously overseeing NPR’s news operations in Washington. Her arrival coincided with the start of the pandemic, which accelerated declines in terrestrial radio listening as commuting patterns changed and audiences shifted to podcasts and on-demand audio. Underwriting revenue also fell as large technology companies reduced spending on traditional media.

In 2024, WBUR cut its staff by 14% through layoffs and buyouts and reduced travel and other expenses. That year, Boston’s other major public media organization, GBH, laid off 4% of its workforce and suspended three television programs.

The Boston Globe reports WBUR’s finances have improved since then, even after President Donald Trump signed legislation rescinding federal funding for public media. Federal dollars accounted for only about 3% of WBUR’s revenue, though Low had warned the cuts could strain stations nationwide. Increased donations from supporters concerned about station closures have helped stabilize the public media system and benefited WBUR, which earns revenue from smaller stations that carry its national programs “On Point” and “Here & Now.”

Industry leaders remain concerned that the recent surge in donations may not be sustainable and have called for new business models. GBH chief executive Susan Goldberg has endorsed a potential merger with WBUR, but Low rejected the idea, saying the stations have “no plans to merge. Full stop.”