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NPR founding mother Susan Stamberg is set to retire; a walk down memory lane as we say goodbye

Charlotte Talks host Mike Collins with NPR's Susan Stamberg in 2017.
Jeff Cravotta Photography
Charlotte Talks host Mike Collins with NPR's Susan Stamberg in 2017.

On the next Charlotte Talks: Susan Stamberg. After five decades with NPR, she's retiring. A founding mother of NPR and a broadcast pioneer, Stamberg changed the sound of radio as the first woman to anchor a nightly newscast — All Things Considered.

Back in 2017, she joined Charlotte Talks host Mike Collins in front of a live audience at the Foundation for the Carolinas. She discussed her life in radio — including her broadcast debut as a “weather girl,” and what it was like being a lone woman in a male-dominated industry. She also shared reflections on navigating the new world of digital and social media as a radio host, and more.

To celebrate her career, we revisit this conversation filled with many laughs, behind-the-scenes stories, and her personal thoughts on the future of radio. Plus, Mike offers his own reflections on her influence and legacy in radio.

GUEST:
Susan Stamberg, NPR special correspondent

Mike and Susan post-interview looking at a painting of the famous cranberry relish recipe by a local artist.
Jeff Cravotta Photography
Mike and Susan post-interview looking at a painting of the famous cranberry relish recipe by a local artist.

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Sarah Delia is a Senior Producer for Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. Sarah joined the WFAE news team in 2014. An Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, Sarah has lived and told stories from Maine, New York, Indiana, Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina. Sarah received her B.A. in English and Art history from James Madison University, where she began her broadcast career at college radio station WXJM. Sarah has interned and worked at NPR in Washington DC, interned and freelanced for WNYC, and attended the Salt Institute for Radio Documentary Studies.