The following is WNYC's Annual Review for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2008.

1. Mission Statement WNYC's mission is "to make the mind more curious, the heart more tolerant and the spirit more joyful through excellent radio programming that is deeply rooted in New York."

2. WNYC Board of Trustees (current as of February 2008)
Nicki Newman Tanner, Chair
Jean B. Angell, Vice Chair
Frank D. Yeary, Vice Chair
Alan G. Weiler, Vice Chair
Howard S. Stein, Treasurer
Lulu Wang, Secretary
Laura R. Walker, President and CEO

Vickee Jordan Adams
Tom Bernstein
David R. Caplan
Schuyler G. Chapin
Andrea Collins
Charles M. Diker
Jerry Della Femina
Martha J. Fleischman
Susan K. Freedman
Alexander Kaplen
Kate D. Levin, ex officio
Joanne B. Matthews
Zarin Mehta
Jonathan F. Miller
Eduardo G. Mestre
Richard A. Pace
Ellen Polaner
Norman Redlich
John S. Rose
Jon W. Rotenstreich
Joshua Sapan
Herb Scannell
Irwin Schneiderman
Jack P. Schwebel
Susan Rebell Solomon
Andrea L. Taylor
Keith Thomas
Wilma S. Tisch
Cynthia King Vance

3. Latest audited financial statements (attached as a PDF)

Overview of WNYC Radio Income and Expenses for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2008
Total Support & Revenue: $50,884,097

Program Services:
Radio Programming: $20,579,165
Technical Operations: $3,732,927
Marketing: $2,381,066
Total Program Services: $26,693,158

Total Expenses: $37,541,593

Total Assets: $101,387,413
Total Liabilities: $33,130,904
Net Asset Balance: $68,256,509

4. Most recent IRS Form 990 (attached as a PDF)

5. Senior Staff

Laura Walker, President and CEO
Kathy Brown, Chief Operating Officer
Dean Cappello, Chief Creative Officer
Noreen O'Loughlin, Vice President of Marketing and Digital Media
Michele Rusnak, CFO and Vice President of Finance
Vacant, Vice President for Development

6. 2007 Recent Activities Update

OVERVIEW

As the most listened-to radio station in Manhattan -- commercial or otherwise -- and the most listened-to public radio station in the country, WNYC Radio reaches over 1.1 million listeners each week. Consisting of AM 820, FM 93.9, and wnyc.org, WNYC aims to inform the public locally and globally on current events, politics, and civic affairs; export New York's arts and cultural riches to the rest of the world; and give voice to diverse audiences. WNYC provides the most comprehensive news, music, and cultural programming radio has to offer, completely free of charge. Established in 1924 as a municipal radio station and operated as such for seventy-three years, WNYC New York Public Radio is now run as an independent, not-for-profit organization. The station has more than 100,000 members, giving it one of the largest membership bases of any institution in the city.

With original programming and content from National Public Radio (NPR), Public Radio International (PRI), and other public radio distributors, WNYC brings news and cultural reporting and content to its listeners 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As a creative and ambitious content producer, WNYC continues to investigate and invest in creative ventures, partnerships, people, and technology to help fulfill our public service mission.

WNYC produces 104 hours weekly of local and national programming that includes the Peabody Award-winning programs On the Media, Studio 360, and Radio Rookies as well as the innovative and popular program Radio Lab. Other content produced by WNYC includes The Brian Lehrer Show (which Time hailed as "New York City's most thoughtful and informative talk show"); The Leonard Lopate Show (a talk show with a roster of guests that are a "who's who" in culture and the arts); Soundcheck (daily talk and live musical performance); New Sounds (a daily exploration of world, ethnic, and jazz music); and Jonathan Schwartz's Saturday and Sunday shows (songs from the Great American Songbook). Each week night, beginning at 7 PM on our FM station, we broadcast a curated schedule of classical music and opera. WNYC's programming also includes public radio favorites such as NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Car Talk; PRI's This American Life; and American Public Media's A Prairie Home Companion and Marketplace.

We also host special events and live recordings throughout the community, including live town halls and music performances. Other activities include serving as a media partner through our "Salute the Arts" program, where we provide free on-air promotional spots and web placement to small community arts organizations that cannot afford electronic marketing.

In 2008, the organization will enter a new era when it moves to a new headquarters in Lower Manhattan. Located at 160 Varick Street, WNYC's new facility will feature three floors of office and production facilities as well as a ground-level public performance space for live events, broadcasts, and town hall meetings. For the first time in its 82-year history, WNYC will be able to interact with its audiences and listeners in person, allowing the station to reach new levels of service to and impact on its community.

NEWS AND INFORMATION

In-Depth, Informed, and Connected to Our Community

At the heart of WNYC's news and information effort is our award-winning centralized newsroom that believes that independent information sources are vital to democratic societies. Our reporters work tirelessly in support of WNYC's distinct news mission of providing in-depth news programming while encouraging active participation of citizens in their communities. WNYC-produced pieces are frequently aired on the nationally distributed programs Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Marketplace. The goals of our news and information programming are to: provide in-depth news programming, promote informed discussion on issues of our time and encourage people to actively participate in the life of their community.

The Brian Lehrer Show

Reaching more than 350,000 knowledgeable, politically-aware, and connected listeners per week, The Brian Lehrer Show uses its powerful platform as a voice for those that are all too often unheard amid New York's vast media market.

The Brian Lehrer Show is rooted in the life of the City, focuses on the varied lives we live, and explores the ways we New Yorkers are connected to each other. Heard each weekday during the prime hours of 10 AM to 12 PM, veteran and widely-respected radio personality Brian Lehrer leads discussions of politics and events of the day that reach across social and ideological boundaries. The format of the show is simple yet elegant. Brian interviews his guests on a range of topics connected to civic and political affairs, and then listeners call in and join the discussion. The program is a true convener of community conversation, allowing listeners to learn about each other and to respectfully discuss and debate issues regardless of their everyday commonalities or differences.

The Brian Lehrer Show strives to engage new, diverse audiences by broadcasting the real stories and real concerns of people that have been traditionally underrepresented by mainstream media platforms. Brian also uses new distribution methods such as podcasting, internet blogs, and a video blog of his weekly program at CUNY TV to make his program and discussions more widely accessible.

Brian continues to be a major source of news, information, and discussion about the issues at the heart of New York's borough life, including the importance of small businesses, public housing, the local housing market, education, public transportation, and local community life. Just a few of the many stories covered by The Brian Lehrer Show over the past year include:
- Brian conversed with Joel Rivera, majority leader of the New York City Council to discuss new WIC regulations and the push to bring more healthful food to bodegas
- Brian spoke with author Gregory Rodriguez about the cultural and political impact of Mexican migrants in the country.
- Brian moderated a discussion about the residents of Flatbush, Brooklyn, over their hope to have their plans and concerns included in Imagine Flatbush 2030, a plan regarding the development of the Brooklyn neighborhood
- With the introduction of new education policies by Mayor Bloomberg, Brian spoke with schools Chancellor Joel Klein to outline the new policies.
- Brian took a look at the legal, moral and economic issues raised by the case of Evelyn Coke, the home health aide from Queens who wants to be covered by the minimum wage laws.

Additionally, The Brian Lehrer Show has covered the following special news stories during the past year:

Sean Bell Coverage: The Brian Lehrer Show provided in-depth coverage the Sean Bell shooting and its ongoing citywide impact and aftermath during 2007.

The Show has encouraged audiences across the city to weigh in, while making certain to provide a neutral forum for discussion. The show has continued to take a hard look at the effects of police surveillance, police training, the relationship of cops and community, and undercover police tactics.

Focus on Public Housing: In the summer of 2007, The Brian Lehrer Show featured a multi-part series on public housing. Segments included:
City Housing: It's a Mod, Mod World: Nathan Glazer, professor emeritus of sociology and education at Harvard University and the author Beyond the Melting Pot, We Are All Multiculturalists Now and From a Cause to a Style: Modernist Architecture's Encounter with the American City, joined Brian with a critique of modernist architecture and its effects on public space.
Managing Public Housing featured Tino Hernandez, chair of the New York City Housing Authority, who explained New York City's public housing system.

Public Housing: Tenants Voices, a residents' roundtable discussion with Reginald Bowman, Brooklyn East District chair and acting citywide chair of the Residents Executive Board and resident of Seth Low Houses, Corinne Haynes, resident of Queensbridge Houses and a member of the East River Development Alliance Team and Agnes Rivera, resident of Wagner Houses in Manhattan and member and leader at Community Voices Heard, a low-income activist organization.

The Politics of Public Housing: A conversation with some of the City's political leaders about the role of politics in public housing. Brian welcomed City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, (D-2nd) representing the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Manhattan Institute's Julia Vitullo-Martin, director of the Center for Rethinking Development, and David Jones, president and CEO of The Community Service Society (CSS).

Ears to the Ground: The Brian Lehrer Show has been experimenting with crowdsourcing -- community-based group journalism projects -- that involve listeners in watch-dog style investigative reporting. Already, the show has successfully executed crowdsourcing to projects on topics including price gouging, the immigrant experience, and environmental journalism.

During the price gouging investigation, Brian Lehrer asked listeners and New York residents to source the price of milk, iceberg lettuce, and a six-pack of beer to show whether there are inconsistencies among prices in different neighborhoods. Listeners post their findings in the show's comments section and Brian parsed the results on air with Producer Jim Colgan. Data showed that both wealthy and poor neighborhoods were being gouged. The cheapest price for a quart of whole milk was $1.09, the most expensive $2.42, and the average $1.39, yet we also discovered an obscure state law that caps its price at $1.20, a fact that drew the attention of the State Department of Agriculture. Although the price of milk is a modest example, the project effectively raised flags about the likelihood of price gouging citywide.

In 2008, The Brian Lehrer Show hopes to create a specific investigative unit, Ears to the Ground -- comprised of WNYC reporters and citizen journalists -- that uses on-air content, online technologies, open-source software, and crowdsourcing tactics to watchdog local structural, policy, or community-based inconsistencies that fall below the radar of most media agencies, but which warrant broader attention or change. With listeners, we are developing a list of possible investigations including How Safe is My Block?, Who Owns Your Hood?, Diversity/Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, and Who Recycles?

One of the most powerful aspects of the show is the size, diversity, breadth, and quality of its audience. Counted among the 350,000 weekly listeners is the very segment of the population -- the policy makers, politicians, opinion leaders, non-profit directors, and business professionals and business owners -- that have the inclination to utilize knowledge and information to effect positive change in their communities. The show's call-in format -- and now its commitment to new media applications that enable "crowdsourcing" -- fosters a dialogue that links our listeners to the community stakeholders, airs different perspectives, challenges easy answers, and offers positive solutions.

The Brian Lehrer Show is committed to building community by offering New Yorkers a forum for expression and by offering a gathering place for the virtual community of public radio listeners in the New York area. In various civic centers throughout the metropolitan area, Brian hosts panel discussions that bring newsmakers into listeners' communities. These events, known as "live remotes," are free and open to the public, and are taped for a later broadcast.

On June 1, 2007, Brian hosted Urban Conversations: Strengthening the Middle Class, a live, two-part panel discussion at The New School that examined whether an urban middle class is possible in the 21st century. The first half of the day, Liveable Cities for the Urban Middle Class featured panelists including the Hon. Shirley Franklin, the mayor of Atlanta, and Ester Fuchs, professor of international and public affairs and political science, the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University and former advisor to Mayor Bloomberg, while A Viable New York City for Working Families welcomed Dan Cantor, executive director of the Working Families Party, Dennis Walcott, New York City deputy mayor for education and community development, and others to the discussion.

On the Media

Hosted by respected veteran journalists Brooke Gladstone and Bob Garfield, On the Media is a weekly, nationally-distributed, hour-long program (produced as fifty-two unique hours per year) that provides valuable news and media analysis that is designed for the general public. On the Media is one of the few programs in this country that has the specific mission of helping the general public look behind the stories that play out around them on television, in print, on the radio, and on the Web. On the Media covers a range of news stories, from climate change and the environment to health care to the global economy. In a media environment where sensation and sales often take precedent over analysis and straight news, this show has become a unique, indispensable public service to millions of people each week across the nation

On a regular basis, On the Media brings coverage of civil liberties and human rights to its national audiences, and consistently examines the media's coverage of issues from multiple angles to help audiences understand the real story. For example, On the Media has followed the record of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales since his nomination, tracking his problematic record with government transparency and the erosion of press freedoms, and, perhaps most controversially, his role in upholding Department of Justice-approved interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding and other physical and psychological tortures. Through the Gonzales affair, the war in Iraq, and Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prison scandals, the word waterboarding has become a part of the national lexicon, but without a general understanding of what the procedure actually entails. On the Media examined the word in one of its regular Words to Watch segments, dissecting the technique semantically, showing how words and language can be used to obfuscate reality -- that waterboarding, in practice, is akin to drowning, and much more serious than some might have the public believe.

Inspired by Brooke Gladstone's travels to and reports on Israel and Palestine in late 2005, On the Media has begun developing site-specific investigative reports from international locations that are widely reported in the American press but which American consumers understand in a limited way. In 2006, Bob Garfield traveled to Turkey to report on freedom of expression, including the law forbidding any critiques or insults to "Turkishness." In 2007, Brooke Gladstone -- who had spent time in Russia during the early 1990s as a reporter for National Public Radio -- and two members of the On the Media team traveled to Russia to conduct major site-specific research into the state of journalism in Russia that was then featured on a special one hour On the Media.

On the Media's international reports have been so successful that producers are hoping to take at least two international trips in the next twelve months, most likely to China and Cuba, and it is our hope to make this series a more regular feature of our program schedule. These special programs allow On the Media to create special, deeper material easily promoted in the press while still producing in its signature style. With all of the recent media coverage of both countries -- China, as host of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and its growth into a global economic and industrial super-power; and Cuba, at the center of the U.S. prisoner detention system -- provide ample opportunity for On the Media to provide more sustained and in-depth coverage of the issues that it has already begun addressing in the weekly broadcasts, particularly with regard to each country's repressive approach to civil liberties, freedom of speech, and access for the press.

Radio Rookies

WNYC's most recent Peabody Award (2005) was bestowed on our Radio Rookies, a program that provides teenagers with the tools and training to create radio documentaries about themselves and their communities. The Peabody judges hailed the Radio Rookies' reporting as "remarkably immediate and illuminating." Since 1999, WNYC has conducted Radio Rookies workshops across New York, in predominantly under-resourced neighborhoods, training young people to use words and sounds to produce stories that open windows into worlds rarely represented authentically in the media. Radio Rookies stories are broadcast to WNYC's 1.1 million weekly listeners, usually during the local edition of NPR's Morning Edition, and also have been heard on NPR's All Things Considered, and PRI's This American Life.

Each year, Radio Rookies conducts two, six-month long workshops for teens in the metropolitan New York area that result in completed, broadcast-quality radio documentaries. Six to eight teens participate in each workshop. The workshops are conducted in partnership with community-based organizations in different New York City neighborhoods. In the fall of 2007, the program began a workshop at The Door in Manhattan, a multi-service youth development organization that provides comprehensive services primarily in health care, counseling, legal services, career development services, and recreational activities. Their stories aired in February 2008 on WNYC's Morning Edition, which is heard by 1.1 million listeners weekly.

In October 2007, Radio Rookies initiated the "Short Wave Workshop", new workshop series that focuses on a general introduction to audio documentary production skills, including editing software, interviewing skills, writing techniques, and research. These workshops are shorter in length (six weeks as opposed to the six month Broadcast Workshops), which allows the program to work with a larger number of youth per workshop. The first Short Wave Workshop was a partnership with Radio Rookies, Global Kids, and the High School for Global Citizenship (HSGC) in Brooklyn. Twelve students created stories on a wide range of topics. Their stories are featured on the Radio Rookies web site and on the Radio Rookies bi-weekly podcast.

In response to the numerous inquiries the program receives from educators across the country, the Rookies staff has begun creating curriculum kits that can be distributed to schools. During the summer of 2007, the Rookies staff worked with an educational consultant and web designer to develop a curriculum based on Rookies' stories that teachers can use in their classrooms. The program has also begun meeting with New York City's Department of Education to discuss distribution.

The students reflect the dynamic diversity of the metropolitan New York area: an average of past workshops indicate that 72% of our students are of African American, Caribbean or Hispanic descent; 10% are Caucasian; 14% are of Korean, Chinese or Pakistani descent; and 4% are Middle Eastern. Ages range from thirteen to twenty one years. Many of the Rookies are first-generation immigrants; some Rookies do not speak English as a first language, and most live in low-income households.

This innovative program has won numerous awards and accolades, including a 2006 "Coming Up Taller" Award from the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, a 2006 Edward R. Murrow Regional Award for Rookie alum Veralyn Williams' piece "The N-Word: It Represents Hatred", and a 2006 Reverend Mychal Judge "Voice of New York City Youth" Award. Other notable awards include the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Journalism Award, the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism, the Radio and Television News Directors' Foundation UNITY award, and the Third Coast International Audio Festival public service and silver awards. And, as previously mentioned, Radio Rookies won a prestigious Peabody Award in 2005.

Special Coverage

Feeling the Heat: New York Responds: The rise in global temperatures already is having an effect on the region. City officials say the last nine out of 10 summers have set heat records and various scientists predict the New York metropolitan area will face more intense storms and rising sea levels in the near future. How are people in the region responding to the challenges? During the past year, WNYC Radio has brought listeners the voices of leaders in the scientific and political spheres, amateur birdwatchers who are seeing the changes in action, and those who are trying to help us adapt. Some are looking at changes in how buildings are built, how people commute, and ways of reducing our energy consumption and handling our waste. Special news pieces produced as part of Feeling the Heat include reports on the solar powered ferry that is being planned by the Circle Line to carry tourists around Manhattan and to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty; reports on the rising level of the seas in the metropolitan region; news on Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan; and the plans New York State is taking to cap carbon dioxide emissions, among others.

Vote 2008: Covering the issues that affect our region most: In the run-up to the 2008 Presidential Elections, WNYC Radio is presenting a multi-platform strategy involving special on-air and online programming that is keeping the public informed and up-to-date on the candidates and their views. The Brian Lehrer Show is central to WNYC's election coverage and, in addition to the show's daily reports, is producing the following election-based series:

President Next: Interviews with the Candidates -- Throughout 2007, Brian sat down with many of the candidates for the Presidential nomination about the most pressing issues on the campaign trail: the war in Iraq, health care, education, global warming, and the economy. Among others, he has welcomed now frontrunners John McCain, Barack Obama, Mike Huckabee, and John Edwards.
- Are you the one? is Brian Lehrer's series of news reports, interviews, and call-in segments all leading up to the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut primaries, as well as about 20 other contests, on "Super Duper Tuesday", February 5th.
- Digesting Politics: Brian Lehrer and WNYC's Senior Political Reporter Andrea Bernstein sit down for lunch and talk about the issues. Conversations have included the candidates' stances on universal healthcare, "the Obama zeitgeist," whether electability is driving the issues, and the run up to the Iowa caucuses.

ARTS & CULTURAL PROGRAMMING

WNYC's rich legacy of bringing its listeners the best in music -- from classical to jazz to emerging artists -- is still evidenced today with programs that reflect the broad spectrum of cultures and interests of our audiences.

In 2008, WNYC will move to a new, state-of-the-art digital broadcast facility in Lower Manhattan. One of the primary features of our new headquarters will be an accessible street level studio that will be used for live broadcasting, musical performance, theater, and public education. This performance space is at the core of WNYC's vision of redefining the relationship a public radio station has with its home community. Anchored in one of Manhattan's most active artistic communities, SoHo, it will provide a sorely needed publicly accessible performance space for poets, musicians, and artists developing their craft.

Evening Music

WNYC broadcasts ten hours of locally-produced music programming on WNYC 93.9 FM every evening with host David Garland on Evening Music. From midnight until 5 pm, Overnight Music fills the hours with a range of classical, jazz, and early music. Over the past twelve months, WNYC has undertaken a radical re-thinking of its music programming under the guidance of newly-appointed Executive Director of Music, Limor Tomer. Tomer has expanded the station's approach to classical music, bringing new voices to our airwaves and diverse sounds from around the globe. In addition, WNYC now provides classical music 24 hours a day, seven days a week via WNYC2, an internet music stream. Evening Music also recently appointed a new host, Terrance McKnight. McKnight joins WNYC from Georgia Public Broadcasting. Donald Runnicles, Music Director of the San Francisco Opera, recently said that there is "no other journalist who is more knowledgeable, more personable and more infectiously enthusiastic than Terrance."

Festivals and Special Initiatives

24 Hours and 33 Minutes - The Playful and Playable Cage: A WNYC Festival: WNYC's first-ever Digital Radio and online music festival celebrated the life and legacy of the patriarch of American contemporary music, John Cage. Weekend Overnight Host Helga Davis guided us through 24 hours and 33 minutes of exclusive audio from the WNYC archives, as well as Cage tributes, commentary, and performances by some of the most influential musicians of our time. The festival remains available to on-demand listening via WNYC.org. Our site features Web exclusives, including videos, interviews, a timeline, links to Cage's visual art, and more.

Berlin Without Walls: WNYC saluted Berlin's re-emergence with "Berlin Without Walls," an unprecedented 13-day multi-media festival celebrating the culture and music scene of this city. "Berlin Without Walls" complements Carnegie Hall's "Berlin in Lights," an ambitious international festival built around the Berlin Philharmonic's 17-day residency in New York, with Sir Simon Rattle conducting. This special coincided with Carnegie Hall's "Berlin in Lights" festival. Our live broadcast being one of the concerts in the festival. For nearly two weeks, programs all around the WNYC clock will bring Berlin's theater and literature, history and civic infrastructure to life in New York, and closely examine the city's crown jewel, the Berliner Philharmoniker. Through live broadcasts, cultural reportage, conversations with artists and audiences, in-depth interviews, features, and dispatches from the city itself, "Berlin Without Walls" will take Berlin's cultural temperature. WNYC will also examine the Philharmoniker's history, influence and relationship to its home city from many angles: its players, audience, repertoire, concert halls, leadership, unusual governance practice, and of course its conductors -- with special attention to Rattle's current tenure and the 35 years under von Karajan's baton.

New Moon Rises Festival: Celebrating the Asian Lunar New Year: The New Moon Rises Festival, held on WNYC in February 2008, was Dedicated to the Diverse and Thriving Musical Traditions of Asian Countries Observing the Calendar of the Moon. From traditional Chinese court music, to contemporary Indonesian pieces for solo piano, to the music of remote Tibetan monasteries, to the orchestras of Korean classical composers, WNYC presents a glimpse into the rich panorama of Asian music.

The New Americans: The New Americans is a station-wide initiative to celebrate foreign-born artists now residing in the United States. In addition to special programming on Evening Music and our HD/Internet channel WNYC2, we feature in-depth interviews with artists on shows including Ear to Ear and Soundcheck, as well as related features on New Sounds and upcoming specials on Spinning on Air, Studio 360, and The Fishko Files.

Must Have Festival: Author and commentator Katherine Lanpher hosted WNYC's 2007 "Must Have Festival." This year, we featured conversations with six New Yorkers who are transforming the city and our culture, asking them for the music that has transformed them in turn: Majora Carter (Sustainable South Bronx), Alex Ross (music critic for The New Yorker), dancer and choreographer John Jasperse, Gerard Mortier (New York City Opera), performance artist Stew, and Lisa Phillips (New Museum of Contemporary Art) all dug through their CD collections and plugged in their iPods to share the music that they just can't live without. The following table illustrates coverage aired by each guest host.

American Music Festival: WNYC presented its annual American Music Festival, a showcase of the great music of our land. This year, WNYC turned its attention to the current American musical vernacular and its many accents. Every night on Evening Music, listeners entered the landscape of contemporary musical expression through a variety of unexpected pathways. Conversations centered on everything from the most American of instruments -- the electric guitar -- to American music by recent immigrants, to the innovative ways the two youngest generations of composers are incorporating technology and global influence in their work.

The Tristan Mysteries: In the spring of 2007, WNYC presented "The Tristan Mysteries", a week long, full-sensory, in-depth examination of one of Richard Wagner's most brilliant and enigmatic operas. This special coverage was crafted as a comprehensive accompaniment to the highly publicized and visionary multi-media presentation at Lincoln Center of The Tristan Project with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Programming spanned across numerous WNYC programs and platforms, including a segment on WNYC's nationally-aired program Studio 360; interviews and conversations on Evening Music; web exclusive ring tones, links and timelines; and production stills and video clips at wnyc.org. Highlights of the programming included interviews with playwright Terrance McNally; anthropologist Helen Fisher; adult film actress -- and Wagner fanatic -- Savanna Samson; choreographer Mark Morris; and acclaimed video artist Bill Viola. Evening discussions covered issues such as: sleeping during long operas; the famous "Tristan Chord"; and why Tristan may well have been the world's first pornographic opera. WNYC also presented a one-hundred-and-fifteen-hour marathon of recordings of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde on our HD (digital radio) and Internet channel WNYC2. This special event was promoted throughout the station's day parts and news programming with pre-recorded on-air announcements and live reads.

Live Concert Broadcasts

Broadcasting live concerts from the area's premiere venues is a core piece of WNYC's mission to increase access to extraordinary musical performances. Recent broadcasts have included the Vienna Philharmonic from Carnegie Hall, the London Symphony Orchestra at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the New York Philharmonic, and a live broadcast of the Berlin Philharmonic's concert at Carnegie Hall with Sir Simon Rattle conducting.

New Sounds and Soundcheck

Each weekday, John Schaefer hosts New Sounds at 11 pm, which explores the vistas of contemporary music. Soundcheck, also hosted by John Schaefer, is our daily afternoon interview program about music, and a showcase for the region's best new cultural offerings. These programs are a key component in realizing WNYC's goal of igniting passion for classical and other types of music, educating listeners about music, and motivating participation in music and the arts. Plans are currently underway to take Soundcheck national.

Recent highlights of Soundcheck's activities include:

Soundcheck Showcase Series: Soundcheck presents a regular series showcasing artists who are on the brink of wider fame and recognition. Many of these artists are young but are quickly rising through the ranks of the music world. They come from the spheres of rock, pop, jazz, classical and world music.

Soundcheck OnSite: Berlin, Germany: In advance of the WNYC's "Berlin Without Walls Festival" (held in conjunction with Carnegie Hall's "Berlin in Lights Festival"), the Soundcheck staff traveled to Berlin to discover what's truly new and exciting about the music scene there. The staff kept a detailed blog of their trip, taking readers behind the scenes.

SoundcheckOnSite: Pyongyang, Korea: Soundcheck's host John Schaefer was part of the New York Philharmonic's Asian 2008 entourage as the orchestra made a grand overture of cultural diplomacy, performing a concert in North Korea, which Schaefer hosted. Schaefer blogged about his trip, with reports on reactions to the concert from Korean citizens.

Soundcheck OnSite: South by Southwest: The Soundcheck staff headed to one of America's most important music festival, South by Southwest in Austin, TX. Their trip featured live broadcasts from the Festival and blog updates from the Soundcheck staff.

Big Labels, Small Labels, and Beyond: New Hopes and Harsh Realities: For record labels, these are tumultuous times. Conventional record sales are down 16% from the same period last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and the major labels, giant retailers, and independent record shops all continue to downsize. But sales of music via the Internet are on a major upswing, with the potential for offsetting those losses: In 2006 music downloads were up 65%. In a three-part mini-series, Soundcheck looked at how decades-old business models and distribution systems are changing, and the impact that is having on musicians, recording artists and consumers.

The Jonathan Schwartz Saturday and Sunday Shows

When WNYC announced in 1999 that celebrated Sinatraphile Jonathan Schwartz was coming to WNYC, The New York Times, Daily News, Newsday, and the Gannett Journal were just a few of the papers that heralded the radio return of New York's "Dean of The American Standard." Every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 PM, Jonathan Schwartz hosts the Jonathan Schwartz Saturday and Sunday Shows featuring Schwartz's favorite picks from the world of jazz and popular standards presented in an engaging mix of music and commentary with cultural insight, acclaimed guests and storytelling.

The Leonard Lopate Show

The Leonard Lopate Show is the cornerstone of WNYC Radio's New York-based cultural programming. Broadcast every weekday from 12 pm to 2 pm, this interview show covers everything from hip-hop operas to haute cuisine to home repairs.

Among many other guests during the past year, Lopate has welcomed economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, Terry McAuliffe, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee, actor Forest Whitaker, Gourmet Editor-in-Chief Ruth Riechl, and new Nobel Prize winner and former Vice President, Al Gore, about his new book, The Assault on Reason.

During 2007, special programming included:

Six Years Later: On the 6th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Lopate presented Six Years Later, an examination of the redevelopment of Ground Zero. Why has the construction of the Freedom Tower been delayed? When will Larry Silverstein's 3 towers be completed? How does Governor Eliot Spitzer compare to Governor Pataki on the redevelopment issue? What will the September 11 memorial look like? What do ballooning costs mean for the Santiago Calatrava-designed World Trade Center Transportation Hub? Lopate was joined by Dr. Eugenie L. Birch, Professor of Urban Research and Education and the Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania, Rick Bell, Executive Director of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and Ethel Sheffer, President of the New York Metro Chapter of the American Planning Association to assess the development.

Underreported: Major news events throughout the world continue to be largely ignored until they reach tragic proportions. Underreported, a weekly feature on the Lopate Show, tackles these issues and gives an in-depth look into stories that are often relegated to the back pages. Recent segments have ranged from diverse topics such as whether the mercury inside each energy-efficient light bulb offsets the environmental benefits of using the bulbs to a two-part special on the rise of hate crimes in Russia to how skin-care products are regulated, and whether or not cosmetics should be able to advertise medical benefits.

Please Explain: One of Lopate's most popular segments, every Friday afternoon, Please Explain helps get to the bottom of one complex issue by stepping back and reviewing the basic facts and principles of complicated issues across a broad range of topics, from history to politics to science. Among topics covered by Please Explain during the past year, acupuncture, bed bugs, beer, sound recording, podcasting, the sport of cricket, were audience favorites.

Poetry Break: During Poetry Break, a two-week poetry series on the Lopate Show celebrating National Poetry Month, April, producers asked some of the show's favorite poets to come into the studio and read poetry live. Guests included Mark Doty, who read "Heaven for Stanley," from his new collection School of the Arts; Philip Schultz, who read two selections from his recent book-length poem, Living in the Past; Charles Bernstein, who read "Ballad of a Girly Man;" Anselm Berrigan, who read "We're Not Gonna Turn Me In" from his forthcoming book Some Notes on My Programming; and Ann Lauterbach, who read "After Mahler" from her new book of poems, Hum, among others.

Underappreciated Literature: This past August, Lopate explored underappreciated and forgotten works of great literature as part of a special summer reading series. The series focused on authors that are little-known in America, authors that mysteriously fell out of fashion, and authors who never gained wide recognition in the first place. Authors included Eileen Chang, Stefan Zweig, George Gissing, Richard Hughes, Cornell Woolrich, Junichiro Tanizaki, and Yevgeny Zamyatin, among others.

Digital content: WNYC has begun experimenting with digital applications that provide a much more interactive experience for producers, hosts, and listeners, allowing them to post comments and feedback on wnyc.org. Following the lead of websites such as YouTube, The Leonard Lopate Show has begun posting video from live interviews on wnyc.org, providing an additional outlet for exposure to the show, his guests, and WNYC Radio. Clips from Leonard's recent interviews with Paul Krugman, comedian George Carlin, and actor David Hyde Pierce can now be accessed via wnyc.org, as can Brian Lehrer interviews with Ray Kelly, John McCain, and Chris Matthews.

Additionally, in time with the Passover holiday, Lopate featured a segment on matzo balls that received more user commentary than any other test show. On Passover, Lopate aired listener's favorite matzo ball soup recipes, family stories, and matzo ball mishaps during his conversation with Jewish holiday cookbook author Joan Nathan and invited several contributors into the studio. It was an opportunity for WNYC to give listeners an ownership stake in the development of content, share cultural knowledge with the public, and help to build community around shared experiences, thereby bringing audiences closer to each other and to WNYC.

Studio 360

Studio 360 is a weekly, one-hour look at the intersection between art, popular culture and everyday life hosted by novelist and journalist Kurt Andersen, distributed by Public Radio International and heard on 142 stations nationwide. Through richly textured stories and insightful dialogue about everything from opera to comic books, Studio 360 presents ideas that are provocative, moving and always engaging. Discussions have included Woody Allen musing on how jazz shaped American culture; rapper Guru on the repetition in music, art and dance; Eric Bogosian and William Styron talking about drugs in the art world; and Teller of Penn & Teller in a rare speaking role discussing secrecy in all its guises. Recent shows have included:

Herzog, Green Screen, Lang: Studio 360 escapes into the jungle. Werner Herzog talks with Kurt Andersen about his new movie, Rescue Dawn, which tells the true story of the mind-boggling heroics and survival skills of Vietnam War pilot Dieter Dengler. Movie actors tell us what it's like working with a green screen -- - where their computer generated costars get filled in later. And singer k.d. lang looks back on her Canadian roots.

Kingsley, Oates, Organ: Studio 360 throws you for a loop. Gandhi plays a hitman, and an Irish-American novelist discovers her Jewish heritage. And old technology is new again: we pay tribute to the trusty typewriter and then travel down dusty roads in Cuba's sugarcane country to hear a 19th century mechanical organ.

Creatures, Milch, McEwan: Father's Day with a twist. Kafka meets Claymation when real-life parents are turned into bumble bees. Deadwood and Hill Street Blues creator David Milch says the shady real-life dealings of his own dad inspired several of his unsavory characters. And a toymaker's son has a soft spot for the 2-cent tchotkes his dad created for cereal boxes. Plus: novelist Ian McEwan on his new book, On Chesil Beach.

Blonde, Axl, Utermohlen: Like OMG, you guys... it's the husband-and-wife songwriting team behind the Tony-nominated songs of Legally Blonde: The Musical. We'll peek at a new album from Guns N' Roses, which rock fans have been eagerly expecting for more than a decade. And film director Eric Steele talks about a year in the life of the Golden Gate Bridge: its postcard good looks are shrouded in tragedy.

Radio Lab

Radio Lab is an innovative new science program about discovery and wonder. Each hour-long Radio Lab episode centers on a core scientific theme i.e. Time, Stress, Emergence, Consciousness and the Self that is highlighted by vivid audio production featuring an expansive use of sound musical, documentary, and illustrative and through a pastiche of forms conversation, theater, and story. Each program explores the specific theme through a textile of people, sounds, stories and experiences that are artfully framed and illustrated by co-hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich. A sampling of recent pieces follows:

Placebo: Could the best medicine be no medicine at all? With new research demonstrating the startling power of the placebo effect, Radio Lab examines the chemical consequences of belief and imagination...from the symbolic power of the doctor coat to the very real stash of opium in your mind.

Sleep: Every creature does it - from giant hump back whales all the way down to fruit flies - and yet science still can't answer the basic questions: Why do we sleep? What is it for? We'll eavesdrop on the uneasy dreams of rats in search of answers.

Zoos: In a cruel trick of evolution, humans can stand just three feet from a ferocious wild animal and still be perfectly safe. What's with our need to get close to 'wildness'? We start with the Romans and end in the wilds of Belize, staring into the eyes of forest jaguar.

Memory and Forgetting: According to the latest research, recall is an unstable and profoundly unreliable process. It's easy come, easy go as we learn how true memories can be obliterated and false ones added. And Oliver Sacks joins us to tell the story of an amnesiac whose love for his wife and music transcend his seven second memory.

Mortality: Is death a fact of life or a disease that can be cured as some scientists claim? We filter the modern search for the fountain of youth through personal stories.

Public Radio Favorites

In addition to WNYC-produced shows such as The Leonard Lopate Show, Radio Lab, Selected Shorts, Fishko Files, and Studio 360, WNYC also airs public radio favorites from across the country such as Fresh Air, This American Life, A Prairie Home Companion, News and Notes with Ed Gordon, and Car Talk.

Cultural Arts Partners

The Cultural Arts Partnership initiative is an annual program that supports cultural organizations in the Metropolitan area, by supporting their seasons and making affordable underwriting available to them. The partners are generally small-to-medium cultural non-profit organizations that deliver culture, quality, diversity and expansion. Current partners include Wave Hill, Signature Theatre Company, George Street Playhouse, Franklin H. Williams Caribbean Cultural Center, and New York Collegium, among many others.

STAR Initiative

WNYC's Salute The ARts Initiative is a program that supports small cultural non-profit organizations in our coverage area over a 12-month period, through free on-air promotional announcements and web coverage. Our current 120 participants include organizations from all five boroughs and span the range of theater, classical to modern dance, opera, avant-garde performance art, cutting edge visual art, museums, galleries, concert series, and arts alliances.

THE CAMPAIGN FOR NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO

Recognizing a need to put the "public" back in public radio, in early 2005 the WNYC Board of Trustees adopted a five-year Strategic Plan and $57.5 million Capital Campaign that will bring us to the next stage of our organizational evolution.

During the first part of its 2007 fiscal year, WNYC has been rapidly moving forward with plans to relocate to its first independent headquarters in its 82-year history. With The Campaign for New York Public Radio, WNYC is renewing and expanding its commitment to its historic home neighborhood of Lower Manhattan through a long-term lease at 160 Varick Street.

The centerpiece of our new home will be a ground-level public auditorium to be used for live broadcasting, concerts, theater, readings, political debates, symposiums, town hall meetings, and other events. Visible from the street and seating an audience of up to 140, the performance space will attract thousands of visitors yearly, while millions will listen to the programs that originate there. At long last, WNYC will enjoy the physical presence every great civic institution requires.

In addition, our new offices will provide room for the additional staff needed to develop new shows and enhance existing programming. Our new home will be outfitted with the latest technology and flexible enough to adapt to whatever the future brings as well as create a more efficient and creative work environment.

A new home and new technology are, finally, only means to an end: more and better programming that engages and expands our audience. As part of The Campaign for New York Public Radio, $12.5 million of the total $57.5 million Capital Campaign goal has been earmarked for a programming fund that will be used to enhance our quality and extend our reach. The goals of this fund include:

- Doubling the size of the news department
- Creating a staff as diverse as the city we serve
- Producing three new programs
- Broadcasting more concerts and other live events
- Making more documentaries

Finally, The Campaign for New York Public Radio will help WNYC invigorate our city, and our democracy, while setting a new standard for excellence for public radio, all media and ourselves.