(Bloomberg) -- Sam Sanders, the former host of National Public Radio’s “It’s Been a Minute” show, will host a new podcast for New York magazine’s Vulture website in the latest example of talent leaving public radio.

His yet-to-be titled culture show will debut this spring as a “weekly showcase of the best of Vulture,” Sanders said in an interview. New York magazine is owned by Vox Media.

“I’m not sure I would have made this jump without a pandemic’s worth of time to think about all these existential things,” he said, adding that the move “feels good for both sides.”

Sanders joins a growing number of figures leaving the network as the business of podcasting has exploded and listener-supported radio must compete even more for talent with for-profit competitors. 

Other recent departures include Audie Cornish of “All Things Considered,” who left for CNN, and Lulu Garcia-Navarro, who departed for the New York Times. Noel King left her job hosting “Morning Edition” to co-host Vox’s “Today, Explained.” Her program will be distributed to public radio stations by WNYC Studios. Other employees, including ones in product development and human resources, have also left. 

Isabel Lara, a spokesperson for NPR, said that while the network is proud of the work Sanders did, it has named five new hosts since December. 

“We’re focused not only on those who choose to leave NPR, but also on the many remarkable people who are currently working and growing here -- as well as those who are coming to work at NPR,” Lara said.

Sanders said the exodus goes beyond NPR-specific issues. 

“Legacy newsrooms like NPR have had to deal with an industry and industry norms that are changing really, really quickly,” he said. “On top of the boom of podcasting and rise of the internet period, it’s a more competitive marketplace.” 

Sanders, who is Black, said the Me Too and Black Lives Matter movements have changed the conversation around “what ‘capital J’ journalism means and who it’s for.” 

“I don’t want my comments about any of this to be about me,” he said. “Entire systems and structures need to change, and it’s bigger than me and bigger than NPR.”

Ultimately, he said he chose to leave for Vox because he enjoyed the shows he heard there.

Vox has made multiple podcast hires and acquisitions over the past year, including buying Criminal Productions, creator of a true crime podcast founded by public radio alumni, and Preet Bharara’s Cafe Studios, whose “Stay Tuned With Preet” was initially distributed by WNYC Studios. It also signed the “Gastropod” and “Longform” podcasts to distribution deals.

 

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