Leonard Lopate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leonard Lopate
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Lopate in 2008
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| Born | September 23, 1940 Brooklyn, New York
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| Career | |
| Show | Leonard Lopate at Large |
| Station(s) | WBAI WHDD |
| Show | The Leonard Lopate Show |
| Station(s) | WNYC |
| Style | Talk show host |
| Country | United States |
Leonard Lopate (born September 23, 1940) is a well-known American radio personality. He is famous for his talk shows where he interviews many interesting people. Currently, he hosts Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI. Before that, he hosted The Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC for many years.
Contents
Leonard Lopate's Radio Journey
Leonard Lopate started his radio career a bit later in life. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He went to Brooklyn College and Hunter College, where he studied to become a painter. For about 15 years, he worked in advertising.
In 1977, he got his first chance to host a talk show on WBAI. What started as a new experience soon became his main passion.
Early Radio Shows
One of Lopate's first long-running shows on WBAI was called Round Midnight. This was a weekly show that aired late at night. He would interview guests and have open discussions with listeners who called in. This show continued through the mid-1980s.
After Round Midnight, Lopate moved to WNYC-FM. There, he began hosting a midday talk show. This show eventually grew into The Leonard Lopate Show, which became very popular.
Beyond the Radio Studio
Besides his radio work, Leonard Lopate often appears at the 92nd Street Y. Here, he interviews famous people and leads discussions. He has also done similar events at other places like the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the New York Public Library. He even created a series of discussions about books for the writers’ group, PEN International.
The Leonard Lopate Show
The Leonard Lopate Show was broadcast on WNYC every weekday from noon to 2 PM. It ran until December 2017. You could also listen to parts of the show as podcasts online.
The show was very popular and even won a Peabody Award. Each show usually had four interviews, lasting about 20 to 40 minutes each. Lopate covered many different topics. These included current events, history, books, and various forms of art like jazz and gospel music. He also talked about food and wine, winning three James Beard Awards for his work in this area. Science was another topic he explored.
Guests were often interviewed when they had a new book coming out. Lopate interviewed many important people. These included politicians, poets, painters, writers, filmmakers, and actors. He also spoke with many Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners. He often talked with actors and producers about their plays in New York City.
Lopate added two special parts to his show. One was called "Please Explain." In this segment, he talked with experts about general interest topics. These topics were not tied to new books or movies. For example, in 2006, he discussed sainthood, nanotechnology, insomnia, and meditation. The other special part was "Underreported." Here, Lopate looked closely at political and social issues. He felt these topics had not received enough attention in the news.
In 2005, the show celebrated its 20th anniversary. For this special event, famous journalist Tom Brokaw interviewed Lopate. They talked about the show's history and Lopate's unique interviewing style. The show was previously known as New York & Company.
Leonard Lopate at Large
On May 24, 2018, Leonard Lopate returned to the radio. He became the host of the Leonard Lopate at Large show. This program is broadcast on WBAI 99.5 FM in New York. You can also listen online at WBAI.org. It airs Monday through Friday from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM.
The show is also broadcast on the Robin Hood Radio network. This includes stations like AM 1020 WHDD-FM 91.9, WBSL-FM 91.7, and WLHV-FM 88.1. On these stations, it airs on Saturday afternoons from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. It also airs on Tuesday afternoons from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. On Leonard Lopate at Large, Lopate usually interviews one guest per show.
Family Life
Leonard Lopate has a younger brother named Phillip Lopate. Phillip is a well-known writer.
Their mother, Frances Lopate, was an actor. She was famous for an Alka Seltzer commercial and other acting roles. Phillip Lopate wrote a book about her called A Mother's Tale. Leonard discussed his mother with Phillip on his show on February 22, 2017.
