Carla McCabe was named president and CEO of VIA Public Media, a dual licensee in Pittston, Pa., effective July 13.
McCabe is currently COO of KCPT in Kansas City, Mo. She replaces Tom Currá, who resigned in December. Chris Norton, senior VP, was interim leader during the search for a permanent replacement.
“We are proud that Carla has agreed to take the helm at VIA Public Media,” said Board Chair Jay Lemons in a news release. “She has the talent, energy, and vision to guide VIA Public Media in exciting directions and take it to new levels.”
Vice Chair Peter Frieder, who led VIA Public Media’s search committee, said in the release that McCabe has proven herself “to be a rising star in public media.”
McCabe joined KCPT in 2013 and has been promoted several times. She became COO in 2018.
Prior to joining KCPT, McCabe was head of production at Tern Television Productions Ltd. in the United Kingdom, overseeing productions for broadcasters including the BBC, RTE and National Geographic. She began her media career with the BBC in Northern Ireland as a production planner.
“I am excited for this opportunity to join the talented team at VIA Public Media,” said McCabe in the release. “The need and importance of public media in our communities continues to grow, especially in light of recent events. I look forward to impacting the lives of our neighbors in this region by ensuring this service remains relevant and effective.”
“Carla is intelligent and effective and has been instrumental in evolving our organization and building our talented team,” said KCPT CEO Kliff Kuehl. “Her leadership has paved the way for KCPT, 90.9 The Bridge, and Flatland to expand services, audiences, and revenues in recent years. We will miss having her on our team — but I’m excited to see her take her energy and talent to WVIA.”