Neal Shapiro: A Career Shaping Public Broadcasting
Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin
iHeartPodcasts
4.3 • 8.4K Ratings
🗓️ 14 April 2026
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Neal Shapiro is an award-winning producer and media executive whose 30-year career spans print, broadcast, cable, and online media. Currently the CEO and President of WNET, Shapiro oversees the operations of ten public media channels and one radio station including THIRTEEN, WLIW21, and NJ PBS which reaches a combined monthly audience of nearly 10 million viewers. Prior to joining WNET, Shapiro served as the President of NBC news where he oversaw MSNBC, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and Dateline. Prior to NBC News, Shapiro started as a Research Assistant at ABC News and rose through the ranks to serve as writer and producer for PrimeTime Live and World News Tonight. From there, Shapiro executive produced Dateline and is responsible for transforming the show into a primetime staple of American Broadcast journalism. Shapiro’s work has been recognized with 32 Emmy Awards and 31 Edward R. Murrow Awards over the course of his career. Now WNET and Shapiro face a new challenge in the form of an executive order to dismantle the federal funding and government support for public television.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an IHeart podcast. |
| 0:02.5 | Guaranteed human. |
| 0:04.4 | No gloss, no filter. |
| 0:07.4 | Just stories. |
| 0:09.1 | Spoken without fear. |
| 0:10.9 | Person who is not generous can not be an artist. |
| 0:13.8 | The world will be at peace only when it is ruled by poets and philosophers. |
| 0:18.4 | Listen to my weekly podcast, the Pooja Abhawad show |
| 0:21.1 | and the IHeart Radio app, |
| 0:22.9 | Apple Podcasts, |
| 0:24.2 | or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:27.6 | Come for the honesty. |
| 0:29.2 | Stay for the fire. |
| 0:35.1 | This is Alec Baldwin, |
| 0:36.9 | and you're listening to Here's the Thing from IHeart Radio. |
| 0:41.6 | My guest today is one of the most renowned executives in the history of American broadcast journalism. |
| 0:49.8 | Neil Shapiro is the president and CEO of the public television organization WNET, |
| 0:56.9 | with 10 public media channels and one radio station. |
| 1:01.9 | WNET reaches nearly 10 million viewers across the tri-state area. |
| 1:07.6 | Prior to joining WNET, Shapiro served as the president of NBC News, where he oversaw MSNBC, |
| 1:15.7 | The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, and Dateline. |
| 1:21.3 | Shapiro also worked at ABC News for 13 years, and another eight years as the executive producer of Dateline, |
... |
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