NPR VP for News Programming Sarah Gilbert has dropped the “acting” from her title, the network announced April 24.
Gilbert has held the job in an acting capacity for more than a year. “This move is overdue, in part, because I am still new to NPR, and I want to thank Sarah for her patience in giving me time to get up to speed,” said NPR Senior VP for News and Editorial Director Nancy Barnes in a note to news staff.
Before joining NPR, Gilbert worked at the BBC for more than a decade on its international desk and as an EP for BBC Radio Four. She joined NPR in 2012 as a senior editor on Weekend Edition. After serving as managing editor for Marketplace, she returned to NPR, where she has also worked as senior supervising editor of Weekend Edition and as EP of Morning Edition.
“During her tenure here, she has reshaped our franchise shows with the support of our talented show teams, putting an emphasis on a newsier agenda, and increasing audience and ratings,” Barnes said.
Content
Bim Adewunmi announced that she’s joined This American Life.
KPBS in San Diego hired Shalina Chatlani as a science and technology reporter. Chatlani was previously the Emerging Voices reporter for Nashville Public Radio. She has also co-hosted and produced School of Thought, a weekly show for WPFW-FM in Washington, D.C.
Will Stone is leaving KJZZ in Phoenix after four years with the station.
Innovation
Umbreen Bhatti has left San Francisco’s KQED to become the Constance Hess Williams ’66 Director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College in New York City. An alumna of Barnard, Bhatti was director of KQED’s innovation lab, where her work included a project on how driverless cars could affect public media. She was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University in 2014.
Audience
Meanwhile, KQED has promoted Delinda Mrowka to chief audience officer, a newly created position. Her responsibilities include “extending brand, deepening audience engagement and growth and strengthening the membership and corporate sponsorship programs,” according to a station release. Mrowka joined KQED in 2013 as executive director of marketing and communications. In 2015 she was promoted to VP of corporate sponsorship, and in 2017 she was promoted to VP of marketing.
Prior to joining KQED, Mrowka was executive director of CPB’s Public Awareness Initiative; senior director of marketing and media relations at WETA in Washington, D.C.; and director of business affairs for Oliver Productions. She is on the board of Greater Public.
Consulting
Paragon Media Strategies has hired two staffers and promoted two more. Hannah Eaves joined Paragon as media impact consultant. She previously worked for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Public Media Co. and VuHaus. Dwayne Taylor also joined Paragon as cause marketing consultant. A radio promotions specialist for the past 25 years, Taylor has worked with local and national organizations including Jefferson Pilot Communications, Lincoln Financial Broadcasting and Broadcast Company of the Americas. In addition, Paragon promoted Michele Tharp to marketing strategy consultant and Michelle Conrad to social and digital media consultant. Based in Lakewood, Colo., Paragon’s clients include public media stations.
Governance
The Public Media Business Association announced newly elected and reelected members to its board. Dave Duke, director of finance for WGCU Public Media in Fort Myers, Fla., and Mike Waruszewski, CFO of WQED in Pittsburgh, will begin new terms on the board following PBMA’s meeting this month in Orlando, Fla. Rita Echeverria, director of finance and administration at WUCF in Orlando, and Maureen Hughes, director of finance and administration at St. Louis Public Radio, won reelection for second terms. And filling vacant seats on the board to complete existing terms are Anthony Padgett, CEO of SCETV and SC Public Radio in Columbia, S.C., and Howard Pearl, CEO of CARS.