“Ask The Mayor” is back on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show.”
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.
Mamdani’s first appearance will be Tuesday, June 2. “The Brian Lehrer Show” airs from 10 a.m. to noon. Listeners can submit questions by phone, text and presubmitted videos.
Lehrer said in a press release he was “extremely happy” that Mamdani accepted the show’s invitation.
"'The Brian Lehrer Show'" was created to give listeners of different backgrounds and political views a voice in the public square,” Lehrer said. He said the show is “a 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.”
“Ask the Mayor” 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.
On his final show in December 2021, de Blasio said having a weekly dialogue with New Yorkers had been “inspiring,” and called the show “a true public service.”
"Ask the Mayor" on "The Brian Lehrer Show" began in 2016 under Mayor de Blasio.
Former Mayor Eric Adams appeared several times with Lehrer, but declined to join “Ask the Mayor.” He instead hosted a semi-regular call-in show on WBLS.
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.
Mayor Fiorello La Guardia had his own radio program called “Talk to the People” that aired on WNYC from 1942 to 1945. In one of the more memorable moments, the Depression-era mayor read the comics to children during a strike by newspaper deliverymen.
Mamdani is no stranger to WNYC. He’s appeared several times on “The Brian Lehrer Show,” going back to 2023.
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.
The mayor joined WNYC senior reporter Brigid Bergin last month for a one-hour conversation about La Guardia’s legacy.
“The Brian Lehrer Show” airs on WNYC 93.9 FM, AM 820 and online at wnyc.org. The segments are also available for download as a podcast.
WNYC and Gothamist are both part of New York Public Radio.
