WABE 90.1 FM host and legendary Atlanta radio personality Lois Reitzes announced her retirement Thursday after 45 years with the NPR affiliate station.
Known throughout the city for her distinctive voice and remarkable commitment to the arts, the broadcast veteran will retire from her weekday hosting duties effective June 25, 2025. Her current WABE program, “City Lights,” has garnered a dedicated following in Atlanta’s art and culture community for highlighting musical, artistic and creative talents across the Peach State.
The program will continue production after Reitzes’ departure, with the host scheduled to remain an occasional contributor.
Speaking with WABE’s Jim Burress on her decision to retire, she reflected on the relationship that she has developed with listeners after decades on the air.
“There’s an intimacy and a friendship that they feel with us, and it’s extraordinary,” the Atlanta radio personality notes.
Reitzes reflects that she started considering retirement after experiencing long-COVID systems in 2024.
“It has not been an easy decision, but there are a few things that are making it easier,” she said.” ‘City Lights’ will continue. Any time I want to do any interview on any topic … I’ve got a green light.”
Reitzes first arrived at WABE in 1979, debuting as a music programmer and host of the station’s “Early Morning Music” program, which aired from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. from 1979 to 1982. This tenure was followed by a long-running position as the host of the acclaimed “Second Cup Concert” from 1982 to 2015.
After the run of “Second Cup,” Reitzes stepped into her current position as host and executive producer of “City Lights,” which celebrated its tenth anniversary in January of this year.
“Suddenly, I had filmmakers and visual artists and actors and comedians and dancers and poets and chefs coming through, and it was like a decade class in lifelong learning,” said the public media veteran. “There’s a lot of creativity, and they need support.”
Her contributions to providing that support were recognized in 2022 when she was inducted into the Friends of Georgia Radio Hall of Legends.
In addition to being an on-air talent, Reitzes also played a prominent role behind the radio board as WABE’s Program Director from 1992 to 2007 and became the Director of Arts and Cultural Programming in 2007.
In 2016, Reitzes was invited to give a TEDx talk at Georgia Tech, looking back at her career and exploring how classical music can “affect us as we progress in life.”
“Lois has been the heart and soul of WABE’s arts and culture coverage for decades,” said Jennifer Dorian, president and CEO of WABE. “Her passion for the arts and storytelling has helped shape WABE’s identity. Though we will all miss hearing her daily, we are excited Lois will continue sharing her voice and expertise with our audience.”
Reitzes will continue being heard as host of WABE’s weekly performance broadcasts of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, with her tenure in the role scheduled to end in March 2026.
