104. Laura Walker, New York Public Radio President and CEO

Laura Walker is the president and CEO of New York Public Radio, the largest public radio station group in the US, and a well-known leader in podcasting, though its flagship station WNYC. In fact, it was the first public station to release a podcast, which sparks a conversation about how podcasting fits in with the station's mission as a public broadcaster, and why the organization stuck with the medium in the late 2000s when much of the excitement around podcasting had worn off. Laura discusses the recently launched WNYC Studios and its $15 million fund to incubate innovative new audio programming, and details the station’s goal to bring gender balance to iTunes top podcasts chart. She also tackles the question of the so-called “public radio exodus” into for-profit podcasting—and her answer might surprise you.