Baltimore Public Media, home of WTMD & WYPR, is proud to announce the promotion of Danyell Irby as Chief of Content for both stations. Irby brings more than 25 years of distinguished experience in radio journalism, spanning both public and commercial media.

This new role for Irby reflects President and General Manager Craig Swagler’s FY25 strategic priorities focused on alignment, partnerships, and revenue growth to support Baltimore Public Media’s mission. Most recently, Irby served as Executive Director of News at WYPR, joining the organization’s leadership team in April 2020. Prior to that, she held multiple editorial and leadership roles at NPR, including anchor, editor, and Senior Supervising Producer of Newscasts. As Supervising Editor of NPR’s Local Impact of War project, Irby traveled to member station newsrooms across the country, mentoring and editing reporters covering the impact of repeated deployments on National Guard troops and their families. She also led coverage of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions as a Supervising Editor for NPR’s National Desk.

In addition to her work at NPR, Irby has contributed to American Public Media as a Senior Editor on its flagship program Marketplace and worked in television before taking on leadership at WYPR.

She is a proud alumna of Towson University and the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park where she earned her master’s degree. Irby brings a collaborative spirit, deep editorial experience, and a bold, strategic vision to her new role — helping lead WTMD and WYPR into an exciting new chapter of journalism, music, arts, and culture programming.

This announcement marks the start of a new chapter for BPM, reinforcing our commitment to connect, enrich, and elevate the diverse communities we serve. “Danyell Irby brings deep experience, trusted leadership, and a powerful vision to this new role. Under her direction, we’re aligning the strength of WYPR’s programming and news with WTMD’s creative energy — building a more unified, intentional, and catalytic presence in the community,” noted Swagler.

”She is a passionate mentor to the next generation of journalists and has earned numerous accolades throughout her career for editorial excellence and industry leadership,” says Craig Swagler the President and General Manager of Baltimore Public Media.

Jonathan Blakley will assume the newly created role of Program Director, for WTMD and WYPR

Tyler Laporte will return to his key role as Assistant Program Director and Host on WTMD, following a period as Interim Program Director. In this role, he will focus on artist and performer curation and deepening relationships within Baltimore’s vibrant music community. With this renewed focus, Laporte will elevate emerging artists across WTMD’s on-air, online, and live performance platforms and will continue to report to Blakley.

WYPR will begin the search for an Assistant Program Director and Host to support the station’s day-to-day programming operations. This new role will mirror the strong foundation established at WTMD, further aligning our structure and strategy across both stations. By building intentional systems and unified leadership, Baltimore Public Media is positioning itself for continued growth and greater impact in the communities we serve.

Kyle Leslie will continue in his current role under the newly adjusted title of Director of Digital Media. As digital platforms continue to play a central role in our growth, Leslie will now report directly to the Office of the President to ensure alignment with overall strategy and growth to new audiences

This realignment marks a critical step forward in unifying news and programming under one strategic vision — ensuring that WTMD and WYPR remain powerful, responsive, and relevant platforms for storytelling, music discovery, and civic dialogue. By aligning our content across both stations, Baltimore Public Media is doubling down on its mission to inform, connect, and elevate the communities we serve in Baltimore and beyond.

About Baltimore Public Media

Baltimore Public Media is a nonprofit organization committed to informing, connecting, and elevating the communities of Baltimore and the region through high-quality journalism, music, arts, and cultural programming. Home to WYPR 88.1 FM and WTMD 89.7 FM, Baltimore Public Media provides trusted news coverage, compelling storytelling, and vibrant music discovery across broadcast and digital platforms. Located at 2216 N. Charles Street in Baltimore, Baltimore Public Media is a listener-supported radio organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

For more information,
visit www.baltimorepublicmedia.org or call 410-235-1660.