KUER General Manager John Greene Announces Retirement
KUER’s General Manager is retiring from the University of Utah after 28 years of service to the largest public radio station in the state. John Greene led KUER through substantial programming changes, new media platforms and continuous threats to funding. After more than three decades in public radio, he will retire in January 2017.
John Greene began his broadcast career as a volunteer on-air host for KRCL 90.9 in Salt Lake City. From there, he found his spot permanently on staff and eventually became the General Manager. Greene then managed the NPR affiliate KUNR in Reno, Nevada before coming back to Salt Lake City to KUER 90.1. Greene has also served on the board of NPR and numerous non-profit organizations in Salt Lake City.
“For nearly three decades, John has successfully guided KUER through major changes in the media landscape. His understanding of and commitment to the core values of public radio is unsurpassed in the country, and John is rightly recognized as a national leader in his field. It has been a personal pleasure for me to be able to work closely with John throughout his tenure. He will be sorely missed, but his influence for good on KUER will be felt for years and years to come,” reflects Fred Esplin, Vice President of University Relations at the University of Utah.
Greene is most publicly known for his major programming changes at KUER, specifically transitioning KUER to an all-news and information format by discontinuing classical music in 2001 and jazz music in 2015. But Greene’s colleagues remember him as a fearless leader who embraces change and remains committed to the mission of public radio. KUER’s staff is now larger than ever, with plans to expand local news coverage with the News Team and RadioWest, and the station now serves more listeners throughout the state with a complex translator and transmitter system.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with KUER’s staff, board, volunteers and community partners over the past 28 years to help grow the station to become a valued public service for tens of thousands of listeners. We’ve worked together to expand our local news department and offer a new conversation each day on RadioWest. We completed our statewide transmitter network, and we continue to connect with our listeners through special events and partnerships with vital non-profits throughout the state. KUER’s success is truly a community effort – with generous support from listeners and the steadfast dedication of the many talented individuals I’ve been blessed to call my colleagues and friends,” said Greene.
John Greene’s successor will step into the General Manager position in February 2017. An official announcement and introduction will be sent from KUER in mid-January.
90.1 KUER, a charter member of NPR, broadcasts from the Eccles Broadcast Center at The University of Utah. KUER provides a commercial-free mix of programming to more than 175,000 weekly listeners across eighty percent of the state. KUER and its HD channels can be streamed online at www.kuer.org and with KUER's mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android.