NYPR Taps Christy Tanner As Next President And CEO.

Broadcast industry veteran Christy Tanner has been named President and CEO of New York Public Radio (NYPR), effective immediately, the organization’s Board of Trustees announced. NYPR operates WNYC-AM/FM (820/93.9), WQXR (105.9), WNYC Studios, Gothamist, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, and New Jersey Public Radio.

A longtime New Yorker, Tanner brings more than two decades of senior media leadership spanning journalism, digital innovation, and executive management. Her career includes top roles at CBS, TV Guide, and The Washington Post Company, as well as board service at Audacy and her current position as Chair of streaming TV company Swerve Sports.

“Christy is the leader NYPR needs at this moment,” said John Rose, Chair of the NYPR Board of Trustees. “She brings the leadership, experience, and vision to lead NYPR into an exciting and successful future. During an extraordinary career, she has distinguished herself as a pacesetter for media organizations that have successfully adapted, innovated, and grown while delivering award-winning public service. She recognizes our singular role in New York City, and the importance of reinforcing the trust we’ve earned with audiences over generations – while having the vision to advance our services, platforms, and formats to make the center of excellence that is NYPR sustainable for years to come.”

Tanner began her career as a reporter and editor at The Associated Press and The Commercial Appeal in Memphis. In subsequent executive roles at companies including The Washington Post Company and Reed Elsevier, she helped pioneer multiplatform programming and new revenue models. As CEO of TV Guide Digital, she led a turnaround that culminated in its sale to CBS Interactive in 2013.

She later assumed leadership of CBS News Digital in 2015, overseeing innovations across mobile, audio, social, and connected TV. Under her direction, CBS launched CBSN, a 24/7 live streaming news service that expanded to 89 countries and 12 local markets and became a template for other news organizations. During Tanner’s tenure, CBS News Digital rose to the top of its peer set, achieving triple-digit annual growth and surpassing one billion streams in 2020.

“As a longtime fan of NYPR’s magnificent work, I’m honored to join this powerhouse organization with local heart and global impact,” Tanner said. “I’m looking forward to serving New Yorkers and audiences everywhere alongside the trusted, world-class team that sets the standard for audio and multiplatform excellence.”

Tanner’s honors include serving as Co-Chair of Digital Content Next, founding Co-Chair of the Reykjavik Global Forum for women’s leadership, and designation as a UN Generation Equality Leader. She was part of two Pulitzer Prize–winning teams at The Associated Press and has received multiple Webby Awards, along with recognition from Scripps Howard, the Society of Professional Journalists, Broadcasting & Cable, and Ad Age.

She holds an MBA in Media and Marketing from Columbia Business School and a BA in Art History from Brown University.

The appointment follows a national search led by an NYPR board committee that included Rose, Anna Quindlen, Jenna Weiss-Berman, Gary Knell, and Marc Chamlin. Tanner succeeds LaFontaine E. Oliver, who will continue with the organization as Executive Chair, focusing on stability and collaboration across the public radio system amid the recent elimination of federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.