Eric Nuzum, vice president of programming at NPR, is leaving the public radio network for audiobook company Audible.com, he tweeted Friday.
Very excited to announce that I will be joining @audible_com as SVP of Original Content. Leaving NPR & public radio, my home since I was 19.
— Eric Nuzum (@ericnuzum) May 15, 2015
Nuzum, who oversees programming at NPR, is responsible for evaluating, developing and acquiring programs at the network. He is also one of the principle architects of NPR’s podcasting strategy, which has prompted consecutive periods of audience growth in recent years.
According to his bio, Nuzum’s public radio career began when he was a student employee at WKSU in Kent, Ohio. He work has won several laurels — including the George Foster Peabody Award — and he has written several books.
Nuzum’s last day is June 10. In the interim, he will be replaced by Anya Grundmann, who is executive director of NPR Music.
Here’s the memo announcing Nuzum’s departure from Emma Carrasco, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of audience development:
All,
I’m writing to share that VP of Programming Eric Nuzum has accepted a new role with Audible as their SVP of Original Content Development. It’s a great new opportunity, and I know you join me in wishing him all the best.
Over the past two decades, Eric has devoted himself personally and professionally to the mission, programs, and people who make public media what it is today.
From his rise as a two-hour-a week board operator at WKSU while he was still a teenager, to that station’s Program Director, to NPR’s Vice President of Programming, Eric built a national reputation for his innovative approaches to on-air sound and stationality. He also led a number of system projects and research initiatives, including public radio’s first exploration of how the Internet might impact station service to listeners and his milestone on-air promotion research and best practices work commissioned by CPB.
Throughout his 11-year run with NPR, Eric has led our acquired show portfolio to unprecedented growth and impact, both on radio and digitally. Ever a pioneer, he was an early innovator in podcasting at NPR and created a number of the podcasts that are pillars of NPR’s podcasting portfolio today. Since becoming VP of Programming in 2012, Eric has revitalized NPR’s program development efforts, creating the hit programs Ask Me Another and TED Radio Hour, shepherding the rise of Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me! as an essential programming and live experience, and being on the core team that reimagined Here & Now, and, of course, Invisibilia.
In late 2013, Eric stepped back into podcasting to lead efforts to redefine our strategy and offerings and was most recently part of the major, cross-functional team that has put NPR on track to serve more than one billion podcast downloads in 2015.
His list of accomplishments is long, and his imprint on NPR programming will be felt for years to come.
Following Eric’s departure on June 10th, Anya Grundmann will become Interim Vice President of Programming, overseeing both Eric’s team and NPR Music. I will be undertaking a national search for Eric’s successor.
I know you all join me in thanking Eric for his leadership and innovation throughout the years and wishing him much success in this new chapter of his career. While he may be changing jobs, he will always be part of our public radio community.
– Emma
