Ian Pickus

News Director

A lifelong resident of the Capital Region, Ian has been with WAMC as a producer since late 2008. He began working on Morning Edition and has produced The Capitol Connection, Congressional Corner, and several other WAMC programs. Ian can also be heard filling in as Morning Edition and Weekend Edition anchor and on The Roundtable, various newscasts, and Any Questions?. An avid fan of sports and music, Ian holds a BA in English and journalism and an MA in English, both from the University at Albany. He became news director in March 2013.

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The Roundtable
9:12 am
Wed May 9, 2012

Glenn Frey - An Eagle stays After Hours

WAMC's Ian Pickus speaks with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Glenn Frey about his return to solo material, how he chose the standards to cover on his new album After Hours, and the meaning of the 40th anniversary of The Eagles.

Capital District News
8:16 am
Mon May 7, 2012

Governor Cuomo Plans to Propose New Agency

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo plans to propose creating a new agency to oversee care of the disabled.

The New York Times reports that Cuomo will announce the proposal this week in response to the state’s history of overlooking abuse of the disabled living in publicly financed housing, a group numbering nearly one million.

The paper says the new law enforcement and oversight agency will monitor the care of several types of at-risk patients. It would also be granted subpoena power.

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New York News
7:36 am
Mon May 7, 2012

President Obama Will Visit Capital Region Tomorrow

Credit WAMC
President Barack Obama in Burlington VT

The president will visit New York’s Capital Region on Tuesday, but his destination has shifted. WAMC’s Ian Pickus reports…

President Obama had been slated to visit the $4.6 billion GolbalFoundries chip plant in Malta when word of his stop first trickled out last week, but the Commander-in-Chief will now head to the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering instead.

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Capital District News
8:10 am
Fri May 4, 2012

President Obama Plans Visit to Capital Region

Credit WAMC
President Barack Obama in Burlington VT

President Barack Obama is slated to visit Saratoga County next week to speak on jobs and emerging technology.

The president will visit the Global Foundries chip plant in Malta, his third visit to the Capital Region since taking office. He is expected to draw attention to ways in which the government and private companies can work together to spur new high-tech industries.

President Obama has previously visited General Electric in Schenectady and Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.

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Arts & Culture
7:30 am
Fri May 4, 2012

Any Questions? #36

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel have mixed some mint juleps and studied the lyrics of "My Old Kentucky Home" in anticipation of this week's show, an ode to the Kentucky Derby and horse racing.

Last week's challenge
Start with the name "Babe Ruth." Change one letter to an "s", then rearrange the result to spell a thing and a person, both of which you might see at a ballpark. What are they?
Answer: The thing is a BAT and the person is an USHER.

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New York News
8:28 am
Tue May 1, 2012

NYRA Chief on Leave During Winnings Payment Probe

The New York Racing Association has placed its top executive on unpaid administrative leave pending a state investigation into $8.5 million in winnings that weren't paid out to bettors on horse races.  WAMC’s Ian Pickus reports…

The state Racing and Wagering Board's interim report on the unpaid winnings was released Monday and was highly critical of NYRA's top management.

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Capital District News
8:21 am
Tue May 1, 2012

Occupy Albany Returns with Green, Pro-Labor Agenda

Occupy Albany is back, this time with a specific platform to change New York government and politics.  WAMC’s Ian Pickus reports…

The group credited in part with pushing Governor Andrew Cuomo to accept a higher tax on millionaires plans opening ceremonies from noon to midnight Tuesday across from the Capitol, coinciding with international May Day protests.

The park is within shouting distance of the Democratic governor dubbed "Governor 1 Percent" because of some of his policies and because his biggest campaign contributors are top corporate executives.

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The Roundtable
11:51 am
Fri April 27, 2012

Blaine Harden - Escape From Camp 14

WAMC's Ian Pickus speaks with journalist Blaine Harden about the thrilling life of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person born in a North Korean concentration camp to escape to tell his story. Harden is the author of Escape from Camp 14:  One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West.

Arts & Culture
10:53 am
Fri April 27, 2012

Any Questions? #35

Last week's challenge
Think of an 11-letter adjective beginning with U that describes a person who isn't getting all that he or she needs. Drop the first R from this word, and you'll get another adjective that describes something given to a person who shouldn't be getting it. What are these adjectives?
Answer: The adjectives are UNDERSERVED and UNDESERVED.

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