Rita Houston Steps Back from WFUV After 26 Years

Houston, the multiple award-winning Program Director of WFUV will yield her day to day responsibilities to concentrate on her health and spend time with her family…

By Paul Marszalek
TheTop22.com

New York radio icon Rita Houston is stepping back from her role as Program Director of WFUV/New York. This includes the hand off of her popular Friday night must-listen The Whole Wide World.

For more than 26 years, Houston has played a key role at WFUV as Music Director and Program Director. In turn, her impact was felt throughout the New York music community as a tastemaker, great friend of the artist community, and staunch proponent of diversity and equality.

Said WFUV General Manager Chuck Singleton:

“Our colleagues and audience alike will be sorry to lose Rita’s leadership and musical ear in our daily program development. Given her legacy at WFUV and the scope of her accomplishments, it doesn’t seem adequate to say that she will be sorely missed. I know Rita will stay close with all of us at WFUV, and we won’t be shy about asking for her guidance. She is very dear to our FUV family and the community of music lovers everywhere.”

Assistant Program Director Eric Gottlieb will become interim PD in the coming weeks. Gottlieb spent seven years at Music Choice, as a manager in the Music Programming Department, where he programmed multiple formats, including Alternative, Triple-A, and Americana.

Houston will pass the torch for The Whole Wide World to WFUV host Delphine Blue in January.

Rita Houston and Eric Gottlieb photos by Gus Phillipas.