In October of 2005, Paul La Camera was appointed general manager of WBUR. At the time, the Boston National Public Radio affiliate station was $19 million in debt, but La Camera had high hopes for its future.
Now, after five years, La Camera, a College of Communication and Metropolitan College alumnus, announced in late November that he would resign at the end of the year.
“To be very frank, I’m going to be 68 next month, and that’s not necessarily an appropriate age for someone to be running a media organization, particularly one that is going to be approaching ever-deeper into the digital world,” he said.
“That’s not my strength.”
La Camera took over WBUR after spending almost 34 years at WCVB-TV, Boston’s ABC television station, he said.
“In some ways I was thinking retirement, but when I announced it various opportunities came up,” he said. “I was 62 at the time, and I just thought it would be a wonderful way to revive my interest in journalism.”
La Camera said he especially enjoyed returning to campus.
“Part of the fun being here is being part of BU,” La Camera said. “I am an alum of BU, and I take pride in that. BU is the trustee, the holder of our license, and I don’t think we could have a more responsible trustee.”
With his help, the station created an endowment and reserve fund, firsts for WBUR, La Camera said.
La Camera said station manager Corey Lewis helped reduce debt by raising revenues and Director of Finance Jean Wong contributed to La Camera’s efforts by establishing practices to keep costs in line.
La Camera’s co-workers at WBUR said they will miss his leadership.
“He helped us solidify the business side of the station,” said Sam Fleming, WBUR’s managing director of news and programming.
Fleming said La Camera’s legacy at the station extends beyond finances.
“He also was a strong advocate for the editorial staff, who produced programs and reported on news, so people felt like they had the support of the leadership at the station,” Fleming said.
The WBUR staff will miss La Camera’s friendly support, Fleming said.
“He was an advocate for the kind of work [our editorial staff] does, and we knew he was out there at dinner and lunches and on the streets being an advocate for the station with the important people in the city,” he said.
La Camera’s replacement will have big shoes to fill, Fleming added.
“I think he’s leaving the station in very good shape,” Fleming added. “What you want any new person to do would be to maintain the solid culture he has built over the past five years, while maintaining the solid fiscal picture that he’s leaving behind as well. He’s left a strong sense of camaraderie and culture and teamwork.”
La Camera, who will remain as a WBUR advisor for the next two years, said he and the rest of the staff are “looking forward to having a new general manager who will embody the principles of public radio and understand digital media.”
According to WBUR’s Nov. 19 announcement, BU is expected to name a new general manager in the next few weeks.
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