This American Life host and creator Ira Glass has acquired full ownership of the show, breaking away from his longtime home at Chicago Public Media, according to Chicago media reporter Robert Feder.
Glass will start a new public benefit corporation that will employ the staff of This American Life and Serial. Meanwhile, the station will continue to receive a share of the programs’ revenue from underwriting, station carriage fees and listener donations, according to Feder.
Glass told Feder that he made the change not because of issues with CPM but because he wanted to be completely independent and make his own decisions after 20 years of leading the show. Glass said:
I just want to be in a position to decide what I want to do, and not have to clear it with the board or anybody else. I feel that I’m experienced enough that I should get that freedom.
I am very grateful that they agreed. Their concern was that we should continue to collaborate on the things that we developed together. This structure allows me to start other new things without them if I choose to.
Other popular public radio shows, such as Car Talk and A Prairie Home Companion, are also produced independently.
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Love Ira and the work he has done over the years. It’s inspiring to see him take his own path and work for himself. If there is anyone in the world that has proved he can do something unique, unapologetic, and meaningful, it’s him.
Whatever Ira does and decides, I’m with him. And I can understand the need to be free to make decisions without having to discuss/explain/win over etc other people. What counts is that Ira keeps on doing what he does best. Compelling radio. (and of course, together with the new season of GoT, the second season of Serial is what I have been looking forward to).