Paul Hunton was named president and GM of WUNC in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Hunton succeeds Connie Walker, who died last year. Nora Casper, the station’s finance director, served as acting president and GM during the search for a permanent leader.
Hunton’s first day with the station, licensed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is Oct. 3.
“Paul’s commitment to the highest standards of journalistic integrity, serving all audiences, working [collaboratively] with partners at UNC and throughout the community, and leading talented teams is exceeded only by his creativity and vision for WUNC’s role in a dynamic media environment,” said WUNC Board Chair Michael Schoenfeld in a news release.
Hunton most recently worked as GM for Texas Tech Public Media in Lubbock. He joined the station in 2011 as a production director and was appointed GM in 2015.
During his tenure, Hunton oversaw the acquisition of PBS El Paso in 2019, utilized crowdfunding to launch web series and helped create 24 Frames, a series supporting local art and culture.
Before working for the Texas station, Hunton founded an independent production company and worked as a producer for the PBS program Creative Living.
Hunton joined the PBS board of directors last year. He is also vice chair for Texas PBS. His additional board services include work for the Digital Media Advisory Council at PBS Digital, the NETA Production Council and Vision Maker Media.
“I am thrilled to join the incredible team at WUNC,” Hunton said in the news release. “It is an honor to be chosen to lead one of the best public media organizations in the country. WUNC has consistently outperformed broadcast trends by serving diverse audiences across the state with unbiased and trusted journalism, and are supported by a loyal listenership who care deeply about storytelling that uplifts, illuminates, and informs. I want to thank the WUNC board. I can’t wait to get started.”