NPR Podcast Host Ramtin Arablouei Exits Amid Workplace Inquiry

“We take allegations regarding workplace conduct seriously and are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful and professional environment for all employees,” Ms. Walls said.

Mr. Arablouei did not respond to messages asking about his departure.

Mr. Arablouei has been involved with some of public radio’s most ambitious podcasts. Before co-founding “Throughline,” Mr. Arablouei helped create “How I Built This,” a popular business podcast hosted by the journalist Guy Raz, and he has made contributions to shows including “TED Radio Hour,” “Hidden Brain,” “Radio Ambulante” and “Reveal,” a podcast from the Center for Investigative Reporting.

The investigation into Mr. Arablouei began in March, after an employee of “Throughline” told a manager about her experiences working with him, the two people said. The manager filed a formal internal complaint on the employee’s behalf, and a lawyer at the network opened an investigation.

The employee told the lawyer that Mr. Arablouei had made her uncomfortable by discussing details of his personal life during frequent one-on-one meetings. She also said he had made inappropriate remarks during meetings with the “Throughline” team and flirted with guests and a contract employee of the show. During one meeting, the employee said, Mr. Arablouei said one producer was “a case for race mixing,” a remark that struck some attendees as an untoward appraisal of her physical appearance.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/15/business/media/npr-podcast-ramtin-arablouei-throughline.html