After 46 years as the iconic voice of WABE, Lois Reitzes will sign off as host of her “City Lights” program on Thursday, June 26.
Reitzes’ final show will air live from 1 to 2 p.m. on 90.1 FM and stream live on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
The veteran broadcaster announced at the end of her March 6 broadcast that she would retire this month.
“It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to work at WABE,” Reitzes said.
Reitzes said she wouldn’t disappear from WABE, as she plans to contribute occasional interview segments. She will also continue hosting WABE’s Atlanta Symphony Orchestra broadcasts through March 2026.
Reitzes, a Chicago native, joined WABE in 1979 after graduating from the Chicago Music Conservatory with a degree in music history.
To WABE, she brought her knowledge, love of classical music, and signature warbly voice to the airwaves. Her daily “Second Cup Concert” program of classical music was a favorite for listeners.
Along with hosting duties, Reitzes was program director at WABE from 1992 to 2007. She began hosting “City Lights with Lois Reitzes” in 2015.
On July 7 at 1 p.m., WABE will launch “The City Lights Collective,” a new weekday show focused on Atlanta’s arts and culture scene.
Designed in a magazine-style format—similar to NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered”—the show will include interviews, local stories, field reports, and conversations led by a rotating group of contributors from across the city.
Kim Drobes, WABE’s current Managing Producer of City Lights, will serve as the show’s executive producer and co-host. She will be joined by Jon Goode, an Emmy-nominated writer, poet, and host of The Moth’s Atlanta events.