National Public Radio (NPR) has come a long way in mining newer media opportunities. But there's a fresh phase of success ahead for the storied media organization, according to its Chief Operating Officer, Will Lee. He's a self-proclaimed NPR "super fan" who joined the organization in March.
"NPR is at a very important moment in its life cycle," Lee said. "There are a lot of things we can do as a media company, and there is a lot of growth to be captured in video and beyond the ear."
Under his direction, NPR is continuing its push to diversify its audiences and expanding content that appeals to people of color, younger listeners and users with diverse ideas. Even its new marketing campaign, "More Voices, All Ears," which launched late last year, emphasizes that direction.
"We want to find more diversity and younger audiences and reach them in places where they might not necessarily consume NPR," Lee explained. "That's our North Star."
As a first-time audio executive, he brings a fresh perspective. Most recently he was Senior Vice President and Head of Digital for Meredith Corp.'s Entertainment Group. He oversaw digital and video business for some of Meredith's popular brands, including People and Entertainment Weekly. He also dipped into audio, working to develop a SiriusXM channel for Entertainment Weekly and a foray into podcasting for People. Before that stint, he served as Vice President Of Digital Content and Programming for The Hollywood Reporter.
Lee is a long-time NPR devotee who grew up listening to WILL-AM, Illinois Public Radio. (He used to ask his parents to donate to get as much WILL swag as possible.) He regularly tunes into KCRW-FM Santa Monica, KPCC-FM Los Angeles, WNYC-FM New York and WQXR-FM New York. His favorite NPR podcasts include Throughline, Invisibilia and Pop Culture Happy Hour.
At NPR, Lee oversees technology, research, archives and data strategy, content operations and member partnerships. He said he's impressed by the company's massive network of assets, which includes 251 member stations, more than 3,000 journalists nationwide, and 18 international bureaus. On the digital side, NPR operates a popular website as well as the NPR One mobile app. It also produces more than 40 podcasts.
In a crowded audio industry that gets more competitive by the day, Lee said this arsenal is what makes NPR stand apart.
"The difference maker is we have a real brand and a sonic connection, texture and flavor that people really understand," he said. "It is very recognizable. And when someone downloads an NPR podcast, they're going to get real value."
Looking ahead, Lee said he wants to expand NPR's relationship with the member stations, which he calls the company's "great competitive advantage and superpower." He envisions the local stations and NPR collaborating on advanced fundraising efforts and sharing more content. "Because we have so much reach at the local level, we have a unique opportunity that [many] other media companies do not have," he added.
As NPR works to expand its audience, the member stations can contribute fresh ideas and voices, Lee noted. Across the country, NPR's affiliates are producing more than 600 podcasts, many of which can appeal to listeners nationwide, Lee said. For example, at WUNC-FM, North Carolina Public Radio, Anita Rao hosts Embodied, a weekly podcast about sex and relationships -- a topic that transcends the local market.
"It seems like every week I discover a podcast from a station I hadn't heard about before," he noted. "It's amazing how much great work is happening around the country. We can and should talk about the network's podcasts in a much more expansive way."
Another item high on Lee's to-do list is expanding NPR's video content. Video, he said, is highly complementary to NPR's strong audio assets and storytelling. To date, NPR has dipped into video with its popular Tiny Desk concert series and video news dispatches from Ukraine, and Lee wants to build on those efforts.
"Just because there is an 'R' in our name doesn't mean we can't have a FAST channel or a more developed video news strategy," he asserted. (A FAST channel is a free, ad-supported video channel for streaming distribution.) "The next step is to make video a business and a destination."
As he surveys NPR's revenue-generating opportunities, Lee said he would like to develop more live events -- including festivals and live podcast shows. He envisions mining NPR's vast archives to create documentaries. Building the brands of popular podcast franchises like Life Kit is another one of his ambitions.
Lee also wants to find new ways to showcase NPR's deep bench of highly respected journalists, producers and podcast hosts.
Diversity is a key objective with all of that. NPR's future, "is all about creating more entry points for younger and more diverse audiences," Lee concluded. "We need to diversify revenue and figure out where the NPR brand can be relevant and serve the consumers."
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