George Preston will begin leading KMFA in Austin, Texas, as CEO at the end of January, the classical station announced Thursday.
He will succeed Ann Hume Wilson, who is retiring at the end of the month after 10 years of leading the station, according to a station spokesperson. Preston is currently VP of radio and GM at WFMT in Chicago.
“George comes to us with exceptional experience leading a classical radio station,” said Soriya Estes, KMFA board chair, in a press release. “One of KMFA’s central goals is to increase our community partnerships as a collaborator both inside and outside the Austin arts community. He has a deep understanding of the classical music landscape and possesses the qualities needed to expand and engage our listening audience size and diversity in the coming years in Austin, Central Texas, and beyond.”
Preston has also worked as GM of Classical KCME in Colorado Springs, Colo., and as a host and music director at WNYC in New York.
“The potential for growth at KMFA is unlimited,” Preston said in the release. “The station already has an impressive legacy in one of America’s great music capitals. The gorgeous facility, including the spectacular Draylen Mason Studio, and the dynamic and talented team of staff and board, have KMFA positioned to be a national leader in Classical Radio. I can’t wait to get started!”
Can y’all get a repeater to Houston? We desperately need a classical station!
You HAD a classical station. It didn’t work out terribly well. (shrugs)
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/94191/houston-public-media-to-sell-91-7-kuha-classical-format-to-move-online/
Also, doesn’t KUHF broadcast 24/7 classical music on their HD2? I dunno. Maybe they’d prefer a more curated feed from KMFA vs the C24 satfeed. But then again, I know Texas well enough to know that every city in it likes to think it’s the only city in Texas that matters. So I’m not sure how well Houston would accept dining on Austin’s offerings.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/classical/