Christopher Ayers
News DirectorChristopher started listening to public radio shortly after he picked up the keys to that ’98 Chevy Cavalier back in 2004. He no longer has that car, but he still listens to and — for the last decade-plus — has had a hand in creating public radio programming everyday.
A native of Columbus, Ind. (a small city known for diesel engines and modern architecture), Chris was the morning newscaster at Indianapolis member station WFYI for two years before joining Pittsburgh’s NPR News Station in 2016.
Here at 90.5 WESA, Chris has filled a variety of roles: he started out producing the local portion of NPR’s Morning Edition before becoming the station’s All Things Considered host in Jan. 2018. He moved off the air in Aug. 2022 to serve as an editor in the WESA newsroom and has served as news director since Feb. 2023.
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Officials ask residents to avoid Downtown Monday as Harris and Trump both plan rallies in PittsburghBoth Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will be in Pittsburgh Monday for separate campaign rallies in the lead-up to Tuesday’s election. -
The home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers is one of four NFL stadiums that have been designated as a “Mission Ready Venue.” -
Brian and Krystal DiPippa pleaded guilty in federal court this week to obstructing law enforcement during the April 2023 protest on the University of Pittsburgh campus. -
Former employees of Adda Coffee & Tea House have reached a compensation agreement with the defunct Pittsburgh chain following its permanent closure last month. -
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved a settlement reached last October between PWSA, customers and consumer advocates regarding proposed rate increases. -
Pittsburgh's Department of Public Works has begun the search for the 108th Christmas tree to adorn the City-County Building this holiday season. -
With no Republicans on the primary ballot, O'Connor and Brusselars are both likely to win their races in the November general election. -
On today’s episode of The Confluence: We ask about the implications of the Pittsburgh police again enforcing minor traffic violations, despite a 2021 ordinance to prevent them from doing so; the American Lung Association’s annual State of Tobacco Control report finds Pennsylvania has a long way to go in providing tools for reducing tobacco use and secondhand smoke; and the Pittsburgh Penguins are stumbling heading into the All Star break. Today’s guests include: David Harris, WESA’s legal analyst; Deb Brown, chief mission officer with the American Lung Association; and Rob Rossi, senior writer for The Athletic. -
On today’s episode of The Confluence: The region is experiencing a shift in power dynamics as new leaders are elected and voters will soon weigh in on who should become the next Allegheny County executive; the local Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count tallied 20,000 crows over Duquesne University; and a report on conventional drillers finds many aren’t following state regulations to protect public health and the environment.Today’s guests include: Charlie Wolfson, local government reporter with PublicSource; and Brian Shema, operations director for the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. -
Republicans have held the 44th District seat for 25 years. The latest round of redistricting didn’t really affect voter registration in the Allegheny County district; it remains evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.
