Local
WBUR’s first CEO will leave in June 2027 after leading station through funding cuts
Margaret Low plans to step down at the end of June 2027 and join WBUR’s board the following fall. Her tenure included a major expansion of the station’s live events and a $1.6 million annual hit from federal public media cuts.
Margaret Low will leave her role as WBUR’s CEO at the end of June 2027, concluding more than seven years leading Boston’s NPR station. She will join the station’s board of directors the following fall.
Low, 67, announced her plans to staff on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. The Belmont native said she believed WBUR was in a strong position and that it was a good time to hand over leadership. The station’s board has identified a firm to lead the search for her successor, board chair Paul Gannon said.
Low became WBUR’s first CEO in January 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, she spent decades at NPR, where she rose from overnight production assistant to senior vice president for news, and five years overseeing live events at The Atlantic.
Gannon, who led the search that brought Low to WBUR, called her the right choice for the moment and credited her with improving the station’s ratings, journalism recognition and finances.
Her tenure also brought a sharp funding challenge. Congress approved a $1.1 billion federal funding rescission for public media in July 2025, costing WBUR about $1.6 million a year — roughly 3% of its annual budget. The station reported a surge in new members and successful fundraising drives in response.
Low also worked to extend WBUR’s presence beyond radio. She expanded programming at CitySpace, the station’s events venue, and helped launch the WBUR Festival in 2025. She described gathering in person as especially important in the current moment, while emphasizing that broadcast radio remains central to the station’s work. In a message to employees, she said WBUR is Boston’s top-rated radio station.
WBUR Morning Edition host Tiziana Dearing said Low would be missed, describing her as a strong leader and advocate for journalism and audiences. Executive Editor for News Dan Mauzy said Low believes journalism can make a difference and has supported the people doing the work.
Low began her career producing overnight broadcasts at NPR, including Morning Edition. She recalled working with longtime NPR host Robert Siegel on reporting projects and on a live 1998 Oval Office interview with then-President Bill Clinton, conducted on the day news of Clinton’s affair broke.
“I’ve been working essentially eight days a week for 45 years,” Low said. She called WBUR the job of a lifetime and offered a short message for her eventual successor: “WBUR is gold. Keep soaring.”