A noise blanker for use in a radio receiver includes an audio blanker (115) configured to mitigate impulse noise associated with a signal received by the radio receiver and a blanker controller (117) configured to selectively enable the audio blanker and further comprising at least a first blanker enabler and a second blanker enabler. The noise blanker controlled and corresponding method (500) can include a first noise detector, e.g., MPX noise detector (213), configured to provide a first signal when impulse noise is detected in a demodulated signal and a second noise detector, e.g., log RSSI noise detector (211), configured to provide a second signal when impulse noise is detected in a modulated signal, and a logic function (217) coupled to the first and second signals and configured to provide an enable signal to the noise blanker when the first signal or the second signal is provided. Note that in addition to or in lieu of either of the noise detectors, a switching enabler (215), responsive, e.g., to diversity switching controller (125) or other indications of a state change, can provide a signal to the logic function and thus enable the audio blanker.