Leonard Lopate is DEAD TO ME
I listened to him for decades on wnyc radio at lunchtime on the weekdays — he had great guests on and was a terrific interviewer. Each day was an adventure — he’d have a variety of guests on and spent enough time to really discuss their book or new album or movie or tv show. I learned so much from his show. His show was a fixture of midday radio in Manhattan. In the summers I’d frequently go to Bryant park and sit on the lawn and listen to his show.
Then several years ago he got caught up in metoo and it was revealed he could say crass things to women. He was also reportedly a tyrannical boss, although how much of that was legit and how much millennial snowflakism we will never know.
After being fired from NYC seven years ago, he went to WBAI, where he’d actually had a show before his time at WNYC. He continued to do this in an interview format, but instead of 4-5 guests in two hours, he had one guest for the full hour. Still enjoyed it a lot but frankly an hour was sometimes too much, and the stations radical/progressive content limited the guests he could have on.
His frequency of broadcasts was diminished by his accelerating illness (ALS) and he died earlier this month.
I must say there will never be a radio interview show quite like the Leonard Lopate Show. One segment I especially loved was “Please Explain,” in which Lopate would have a very knowledgeable guest on to clearly explain a frequently misunderstood topic. Lopate would ask all the questions you as an intelligent person would ask. Warts and all, he was a fantastic broadcaster. I will miss him.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | August 19, 2025 3:33 AM
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His show is archived here:
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | August 18, 2025 3:24 AM
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Very sorry to hear that. He kept me in good company for hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of commuting over several decades. He could interview anyone about anything (except Jerry Lewis, who was a complete asshole in the interview).
My favorite laughter breakup was when Joan Rivers said that if she didn’t want someone to sit next to her on a plane, she would quickly ask before they sat down, “Will you be able to help me change my colostomy bag during the flight?” I thought Leonard wasn’t going to be able to finish the interview because he was laughing so hard.
His dismissal from WNYC was distressing. I was glad he was able to get on WBAI afterwards.
Rest in peace, and thank you, Leonard.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | August 18, 2025 4:06 AM
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I think Leonard would find it funny if we listened to this segment to remember him:
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | August 18, 2025 4:22 AM
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What a great show he had on WNYC - so informative without being pedantic - and Food Fridays were always a treat.
WNYC went into the woke toilet after he was pushed out and his new show was unlistenable - like sitting through lectures at Oberlin.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | August 18, 2025 5:00 AM
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He started losing his mind about 5-6 years ago and that's when much of his troubles began. Not really a mystery.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | August 18, 2025 11:07 PM
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His mother appeared in an Alka Seltzer commercial.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | August 18, 2025 11:13 PM
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What do you mean r5? That was 2020 and I was listening to his show on BAI. I couldn’t hear any mind-loseage.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | August 19, 2025 12:14 AM
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I miss Leonard Lopate but Alison Stewart , who replaced him, is a fabulous interviewer, though, admittedly, it took her a year to get into the groove.
Unfortunately, she hasn't always had the broad range of guests Lopate had, but I think that's more of a change in NPR's aesthetic than Alison's choice. It all skewers younger now (or maybe that's my perception being older).
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | August 19, 2025 12:32 AM
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- so informative without being pedantic -
…he would have flopped as a DL poster….
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | August 19, 2025 2:57 AM
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Lopate is gone but Diane Rehm, who is 88 and has sounded like she was 140 for 2 decades, lives on.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | August 19, 2025 3:33 AM
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