\u201cAsk The Mayor\u201d is back on WNYC\u2019s \u201cThe Brian Lehrer Show.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has agreed to a quarterly on-air interview with Lehrer, following a time-honored tradition of New York City mayors using call-in radio to respond to the questions, opinions and gripes from regular New Yorkers.<\/p>\n
Mamdani\u2019s first appearance will be Tuesday, June 2. \u201cThe Brian Lehrer Show\u201d airs from 10 a.m. to noon. Listeners can submit questions by phone, text and presubmitted videos.<\/p>\n
Lehrer said in a press release he was \u201cextremely happy\u201d that Mamdani accepted the show\u2019s invitation.<\/p>\n
“‘The Brian Lehrer Show'” was created to give listeners of different backgrounds and political views a voice in the public square,\u201d Lehrer said. He said the show is \u201ca place to listen to each other in good faith and consider the knowledge of experts, and a chance to interact directly with their elected officials.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk the Mayor\u201d began in 2016 with then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, who appeared on the show weekly through his time in office. The segment became appointment listening for fans of the show, as well as political observers and local journalists.<\/p>\n
On his final show in December 2021, de Blasio said having a weekly dialogue with New Yorkers had been \u201cinspiring,\u201d and called the show \u201ca true public service.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former Mayor Eric Adams appeared several times with Lehrer, but declined to join \u201cAsk the Mayor.\u201d He instead hosted a semi-regular call-in show on WBLS.<\/p>\n
New York City mayors have a long history of using radio to discuss their agenda. Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg both had radio call-in shows on WABC.<\/p>\n
Mayor Fiorello La Guardia had his own radio program called \u201cTalk to the People\u201d that aired on WNYC from 1942 to 1945. In one of the more memorable moments, the Depression-era mayor read the comics to children<\/a> during a strike by newspaper deliverymen.<\/p>\n Mamdani is no stranger to WNYC. He\u2019s appeared several times on \u201cThe Brian Lehrer Show,\u201d going back to 2023.<\/p>\n Shortly after announcing his run for mayor in October 2024, Mamdani called in unannounced during a segment on American socialism. Lehrer also conducted the first broadcast interview with Mamdani after he won the mayoral primary.<\/p>\n The mayor joined WNYC senior reporter Brigid Bergin last month for a one-hour conversation about La Guardia\u2019s legacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n