New appointments further bolster Here & Now, driving engagement and growing audiences
BOSTON (October 28, 2025) — NPR and WBUR announced today three strategic new appointments at Here & Now, the live midday news program heard on 500 NPR member stations across the country. The changes mark an exciting new chapter for one of the fastest-growing shows in public media.
Award-winning journalist Indira Lakshmanan joins as the next co-host of Here & Now, debuting late next month alongside Scott Tong and Robin Young. She will be based in Boston. Lakshmanan brings deep national and international reporting experience to the job.
Peter O'Dowd, the senior editor who has stepped in regularly as a host for several years on Here & Now, takes on a new role as correspondent and regular fill-in host. And international news industry veteran Allan Price joins to lead the team as the new executive producer after two decades with BBC News.
These additions come at a time of success and growth for Here & Now. The show's audience rose 13% over the last six months (Fall 2024–Spring 2025), and now reaches nearly 5 million listeners (Nielsen Audio, Nationwide, Act 1, Spring 2025, P12+). Here & Now is the third most-listened-to NPR news program after Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
"We're building on this momentum with a team that's exceptionally talented and deeply committed to high-quality journalism," said WBUR Chief Content Officer Victor Hernandez. "The Here & Now team is already doing outstanding work. Indira, Allan and Peter will further our efforts to deliver distinctive and engaging coverage every day."
Lakshmanan joins WBUR with more than 30 years of journalism experience. She's currently the ideas and opinions editor at U.S. News & World Report, leading the organization's effort to showcase a wide range of perspectives. Over her career, she has served in prominent editorial roles and as a radio and TV host for respected media organizations, including The Associated Press, Bloomberg, The Boston Globe, National Geographic, the Pulitzer Center and more. Over the years, Lakshmanan has been a contributor and fill-in host on 1A, Weekend Edition, Here & Now and On Point.
"I grew up listening to All Things Considered on family radios that were permanently tuned to public broadcasting, and joined NPR straight out of university as an editorial assistant to the foreign desk and an overseas stringer," says Lakshmanan. "Since then, I have reported and edited from six continents, plus Washington and Boston for national newspapers and magazines, two global wire services, radio, TV and podcasts. I've come to realize that my first love and my greatest strength is in audio storytelling. Joining Here & Now as a co-host is the opportunity of a lifetime."
Renowned broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff is among Lakshmanan's many admirers. "Indira Lakshmanan and WBUR are a perfect match of journalistic excellence and integrity," says Woodruff. "Indira has excelled as a foreign correspondent, Washington political reporter, diplomatic correspondent, columnist and editor. She brings exceptional quality to an exceptional station. The big winners: the listeners."
O'Dowd, who has been with WBUR since 2014, is being elevated to a new role as correspondent and regular fill-in host. He's made important contributions to the show and team, editing and producing segments, traveling across the country to report special series. Listeners value his regular hosting presence on Here & Now and his prized reporting — notably his intrepid coverage of issues impacting the western U.S. His latest project, Undercounted: The hidden deaths in America's jails, is a recent example of his in-depth national reporting, a hallmark of Here & Now.
Price joins Here & Now from BBC News, where he spent 20 years in senior leadership positions. While there, he led flagship radio and television programs and helped guide digital transformation. He managed high-profile live news coverage of major events, including the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum and the UK General Elections. He was most recently based in Glasgow as executive producer for political coverage at BBC Scotland.
About Here & Now
A live production of NPR and WBUR, in collaboration with public radio stations across the country, Here & Now reflects what's unfolding in the news in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth reporting and engaging conversations. For more information about Here & Now, visit wbur.org/hereandnow.
About NPR
NPR's rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans every day — on the air, online, and in person. NPR was founded on a mission to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and more than a dozen international bureaus, NPR and its Member organizations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners and readers can find NPR everywhere — through their local Member stations (npr.org/stations), online at NPR.org, wherever podcasts are available, and by downloading the NPR App. The NPR app brings together the best of the NPR Network from around the world and right in your community — live radio, podcasts, the latest local and national news and more — available wherever you are and whenever you want. Get more information at npr.org/about and by following NPR Extra on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and Instagram.
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