Brian Lehrer is host of The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC Radio's daily call-in program, covering politics and life, locally and globally. The show airs weekdays from 10am-noon on WNYC 93.9 FM, AM 820 and wnyc.org.
The Brian Lehrer Show was recognized with a 2007 George Foster Peabody Award for "Radio That Builds Community Rather Than Divides."
The New York Times called Lehrer a "master interviewer." Time magazine called the program "New York City's most thoughtful and informative talk show." The Daily News calls it "cutting edge" for its extreme interactivity and creative use of the internet. Political guests have ranged nationally from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to Mitch McConnell and Kellyanne Conway, and locally from Chris Christie to Cynthia Nixon and beyond. Cultural guests have included Wynton Marsalis, Margaret Atwood, Junot Diaz, Judd Apatow, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Yogi Berra, and so many others.
Lehrer is also a commentator on local and national issues on television and in print. He has appeared on TV channels including CNN, MSNBC, Fox Newschannel, C-SPAN, NY1, and The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. He has written op-ed pieces for publications including The New York Times, The Daily News, Newsday, and Slate. He also hosts a weekly television program on CUNY-TV, "Brian Talks New York.”
In addition to the Peabody, Lehrer has won numerous awards, including seven Associated Press New York Broadcasters "Best Interview" Awards since 2000 and “Best Talk Show” by the Garden State Journalists Association in 2009 and 2011.
Lehrer has been a questioner in televised New York City Mayoral Debates for every election since 1997.
He has hosted his eponymous program, originally called On The Line, since its inception in 1989. Prior, he was an anchor and reporter for the NBC Radio Networks, and an award-winning author and documentary producer.
Lehrer holds master's degrees in public health from Columbia University and journalism from The Ohio State University and a bachelor's in music and mass communications from the State University of New York at Albany.
Shows:
Brian Lehrer appears in the following:
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Celebrating three organizations who did great work helping their neighbors get vaccinated.
Monday, February 28, 2022
Democracy won’t work if we can’t talk to each other. So how do we do have conversations across cultural and political divides?
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Brian Lehrer announces the top three photos from this year's contest.
Tuesday, January 04, 2022
Tuesday, November 02, 2021
Host Brian Lehrer hears from reporters and callers from New York and New Jersey about the voting, campaigning and what comes next.
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Join host Brian Lehrer for a live call-in special to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11/01.
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday nights during Biden's first 100 days. This week, the series concludes with a look back at what's been accomplished and where we go from here.
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday nights during Biden's first 100 days. This week: Earth Day and Racial Equity
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday nights during Biden's first 100 days. This week: Voting Rights after 2020
Thursday, April 08, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday nights during Biden's first 100 days. This week: Infrastructure -- built and "human"
Thursday, April 01, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday nights during Biden's first 100 days. This week: Connecting with rural voters, with former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp.
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday nights during Biden's first 100 days. This week: Pres. Biden's first press conference.
Thursday, March 18, 2021
WNYC's 2020 Time Capsule has been delivered to it's semi-permanent home for the next decade: Next to our station's transmitter, at the top of the Empire State Building.
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday nights during Biden's first 100 days. This week: Biden/Harris and the world
Thursday, March 11, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday nights during Biden's first 100 days. This week: The president's prime-time address with analysis from Susan Page, Kai Wright and callers.
Thursday, March 04, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday nights during Biden's first 100 days. This week: Can Biden repair the nation-to-nation relationship with Native American tribal communities?
Thursday, February 25, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday evenings during the first 100 days of the Biden administration. This week: Immigration Reform.
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday evenings during the first 100 days of the Biden administration. This week: Economic Recovery
Monday, February 15, 2021
The Senate’s trial and acquittal of Donald Trump left many with mixed emotions. But did it move us any closer to a reckoning with the worst of America’s political culture?
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Join the national conversation Thursday evenings during the first 100 days of the Biden administration. This week: The Senate impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump.