Louisville Public Media, the parent company of Louisville’s NPR news station 89.3 WFPL, 90.5 WUOL, 91.9 WFPK, the Peabody Award-winning Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting and Do502, announced today that its board of trustees has chosen Stephen George as the organization’s next President and General Manager.
George has served as interim president since January. He will assume his role as president effective immediately.
“Great journalism, music and the arts have the power to make communities better. Everyone at Louisville Public Media comes to work with a passion for serving that mission every single day,” said George, a Louisville native. “At a time of broken trust and social upheaval, we are a trusted source of news and information, an arbiter of the arts and a cultural wayfinder for the place we love and serve. I look forward to a future where LPM is serving our city, state and region even more deeply through radio, digital channels and face-to-face connections.”
George joined Louisville Public Media as executive editor in 2015. He led a restructuring of LPM’s news operations that resulted in audience growth across broadcast and digital platforms. He also spearheaded multiple new initiatives and partnerships, including the regional journalism collaborative Ohio Valley ReSource, a news partnership with the Spanish-language newspaper Al Día en América, and LPM’s acquisition of Do502.com.
Under George’s leadership, Louisville Public Media has received national recognition, including a Kaleidoscope Award for its coverage of diversity in the community and a Peabody Award for “The Pope’s Long Con.” Prior to his career in public media, George served as editor of the Nashville City Paper and LEO Weekly.
“After an extensive search involving multiple nationally-known candidates and days of in-person interviews, Stephen emerged as the clear leader to take LPM to further heights,” said LPM Board President Todd Lowe. “We believe his vision and leadership will carry LPM to significant success in our mission to serve our community.”
Louisville Public Media conducted a national search in collaboration with Development Resources, inc. (DRi), one of the country’s foremost executive search firms for non-profit organizations. Nancy Racette, principal at DRi, applauded the search’s outcome.
“It is a testament to the talented staff at Louisville Public Media that Stephen was ready to step into this role, and it is a testament to the leadership of the Board that they were able to recognize that local talent as they reviewed accomplished candidates from across the country,” Racette said.
George succeeds Michael Skoler, who resigned in January 2018.