WKSU’s Eric Nuzum Accepts Post At NPR
June 24, 200x
When Director of Programming and Operations Eric Nuzum came to WKSU in 1985 as a 19 year-old Kent State University student, he couldn’t have known how that moment would redefine his life nor did he suspect the effect his presence would have on the future of WKSU and the entire public radio system. From his humble beginnings producing station host Leonard Will’s “Ohio Journal,” Nuzum has become a nationally respected consultant and researcher, award-winning producer, and member of the PRPD board, a system-wide group of influential public radio program directors.
Next month, Nuzum starts the next chapter in his public radio career as he assumes the newly-created position of Program and Acquisition Manager at National Public Radio (NPR) beginning July 16. Nuzum’s duties will include oversight of NPR’s relationship with the network’s acquired programs such as
Car Talk, Fresh Air and
The Thistle & Shamrock. Among his other responsibilities will be identifying new talent and exploring ways to attract underserved audiences to public radio. He will report to NPR Senior Vice President of Programming Jay Kernis and NPR Vice President of Programming Margaret Low Smith and will be stationed at NPR’s national headquarters in Washington, DC. Low Smith says, “NPR is extremely lucky to have Eric on board. He is a real leader, with tremendous smarts and a passion for radio. I have no doubt he will make NPR a better place. I know his colleagues at WKSU will miss him tremendously.”
Nuzum’s connection with WKSU stretches back to childhood memories of listening with his family to the evening news program
All Things Considered. After leaving the University and WKSU in the late 1980s, Nuzum produced a call-in show for WOSU in Columbus, returning to Kent as WKSU’s Development Producer in 1995. He was named program director in 1998. He has earned awards for his production work with commentators Harvey Pekar and David Giffels and for his own commentaries. Nuzum is author of the book
Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America, a project that grew out of his nationally recognized web site
“A Brief History of Banned Music.”
WKSU General Manager Al Bartholet says of Nuzum, “I am proud to call Eric one of the best hires I ever made. He has the rare combination of people skills, intuition, knowledge, and love of public radio that will make his shoes very difficult to fill. I wish him all the best in his new role.”
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