WFUV GM Chuck Singleton to retire

Chuck Singleton, GM of WFUV in New York City, will retire in June, he told Current in an email.

The station’s licensee, Fordham University, will begin a search for his successor and aims to hire for the role by July 1, Singleton said. 

Singleton said the move is an “intentional transition.” 

“I believe strongly in succession planning, pushing the next generation forward, and fresh perspectives,” he said.

Singleton has led the station for more than 15 years. He was previously the station’s PD and news director. He got his start in public radio in 1980 as a host and producer for WXPN in Philadelphia, according to his bio on WFUV’s website. He has also served as a board member and officer for Eastern Region Public Media, the University Station Alliance and the VuHaus Group.

“Chuck has led WFUV with steadiness and compassion through challenging moments—including the pandemic, periods of staff loss, and uncertainty around federal support for public broadcasting—while continually strengthening the ties between the station and the University, one personal relationship at a time,” Ellen Fahey-Smith, vice provost for administration at Fordham University, wrote in an email to colleagues.  

As news director, Singleton helped the station transition to public radio, which involved becoming an NPR member and securing federal funding, Fahey-Smith said.

“WFUV has never been just a workplace for me—it’s a community and a shared purpose. I’ve been enormously blessed to work alongside this talented team, and play a role in shaping the station’s direction over the past several decades,” Singleton wrote in his email. “Wherever life takes me after July 1 (Tasmania is at the top of the list), I’ll always remain one of WFUV and public media’s biggest believers.”