Larry Mantle is an American radio talk show host and journalist on the Southern California NPR station, LAist (formerly KPCC).

[4] Mantle also hosts the movie review program FilmWeek, which includes interviews with actors, directors, screenwriters, and others essential in making films.

[5] Mantle has interviewed presidents Barack Obama,[6] Joe Biden,[7] and Jimmy Carter,[8] along with governors, senators, cabinet members, and other high-ranking public officials.

He knew that KPCC also produced a daily one-hour local news program and used community volunteers and Pasadena City College students to supplement a small professional staff.

Mantle started volunteering at KPCC and was soon anchoring newscasts and providing play-by-play of college and high sports carried by the station.

Two years later, Mantle launched AirTalk with the intention of combining listener calls from an analytical and news savvy audience with local experts and newsmakers.