She received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1993 and Doctor of Humane Letters in 2007, both from SUNY–Buffalo. Gross was recognized with the Columbia Journalism Award from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in 2008 and an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Princeton University in 2002. in communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Gross is the author of All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists, published by Hyperion in 2004.īorn and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Gross received a bachelor's degree in English and M.Ed. In 2011, she received the Authors Guild Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community. Murrow Award for her 'outstanding contributions to public radio' and for advancing the 'growth, quality and positive image of radio.' In 2007, Gross received the Literarian Award. In 2003, she received the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Edward R. In fall 2011, Fresh Air reached 4.4 million listeners a week.įresh Air with Terry Gross has received a number of awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award in 1994 for its 'probing questions, revelatory interviews and unusual insight.' America Women in Radio and Television presented Gross with a Gracie Award in 1999 in the category of National Network Radio Personality. The program is broadcast on 566 stations and became the first non-drive time show in public radio history to reach more than five million listeners each week in fall 2008, a presidential election season. Since 1987, a daily, one-hour national edition of Fresh Air has been produced by WHYY-FM. In 1985, WHYY-FM launched a weekly half-hour edition of Fresh Air with Terry Gross, which was distributed nationally by NPR.

Two years later, she joined the staff of WHYY-FM in Philadelphia as producer and host of Fresh Air, then a local, daily interview and music program. There she hosted and produced several arts, women's and public affairs programs, including This Is Radio, a live, three-hour magazine program that aired daily. Gross began her radio career in 1973 at public radio station WBFO in Buffalo, New York. What puts someone on guard isn't necessarily the fear of being 'found out.' It sometimes is just the fear of being misunderstood.' 'But the line can shift, depending on who is asking the questions. 'Anyone who agrees to be interviewed must decide where to draw the line between what is public and what is private,' Gross says. What often puts those guests at ease is Gross' understanding of their work. But Gross sets an atmosphere in which her guests volunteer the answers rather than surrendering them. Gross, who has been host of Fresh Air since 1975, when it was broadcast only in greater Philadelphia, isn't afraid to ask tough questions. 'A remarkable blend of empathy and warmth, genuine curiosity and sharp intelligence,' says the San Francisco Chronicle. Fresh Air interviews, though, are in a category by themselves, distinguished by the unique approach of host and executive producer Terry Gross. Combine an intelligent interviewer with a roster of guests that, according to the Chicago Tribune, would be prized by any talk-show host, and you're bound to get an interesting conversation.

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