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NPR names Jarl Mohn new President/CEO

T

TheBigA

The board of directors of NPR has selected Jarl Mohn to become its next president and chief executive officer. Mohn is currently chairman of Southern California Public Radio and has had a life-long career in media, including serving as founding president and chief executive officer of Liberty Digital and president and chief executive officer of E! Entertainment Television.

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Interesting choice. Definitely understands public radio from the Board of Directors' position. KPCC is one of the best stations in the system. Also brings a lot of knowledge about digital media to the table. Has access to some great funding opportunities. My only question is will he want to live in DC?
 
My only question is: How long will this one last?

Maybe we should start a pool.

He was a Hot AC jock ("Lee Masters"), under Bob Pittman - THAT Bob Pittman - at WNBC in the late 70s. NBC Radio and NPR: Two of the most mismanaged operations in the history of the medium.

KPCC is operated by Minnesota Public Radio (owned by Pasadena City College). Station boards have little to do with the operation of any public radio station.

As a venture capitalist, he has funded a "flirting app" and a bit-torrent app (of questionable legality). The manager of KPCC says he will understand the "station perspective." But this guy's recent career has been development of new media. So, he's already on the edge. NPR needs to embrace new media to survive (and will push him that way). Station reps want to protect their stations' positions and have fired (or pushed out NPR CEOs who have moved toward new media.

So, sometime in 2015 we will read either that (1) Jay is pursuing some new opportunity (or alternatively, wants to spend more time with his family), or (2) has been fired by NPR's board dominated by station reps.

Who said he's going to move to DC? He can give himself an office in Culver City and use "new media" (plus occasional visits to DC). No reason for him to be in the shop every day. This is the 21st century (and other CEOs work from some place else).
 
where did Mohn work as jock Lee Masters before or after WNBC---660 ?
 
FredLeonard said:
KPCC is operated by Minnesota Public Radio (owned by Pasadena City College). Station boards have little to do with the operation of any public radio station.
Click to expand...

The fact that he's actually a broadcaster is different. Quite a few of their CEOs weren't. He knows the boundaries better than previous CEOs. I think the comparison to Pittman is a good one.
 
TheBigA said:
The fact that he's actually a broadcaster is different. Quite a few of their CEOs weren't. He knows the boundaries better than previous CEOs. I think the comparison to Pittman is a good one.
Click to expand...

He has not been a broadcaster for some 30 years. He got out and made a bunch of money. He was a big donor to KPCC and got a seat on their board, essentially an honorary position. Some stations are owned by foundations and the boards do have a role in overall policy and hiring and firing top people. KPCC is run by MPR (which also owns APM, NPR's main competitor). Apparently, Mohn's main role is going to be fund-raising. And being a DJ is not journalism, yet he talks about NPR mainly as a news operation. So, he is running a news operation without any news experience. Then again, there are all those NPR "member stations" that run classical, jazz or alternative and don't carry any NPR news programs - maybe they pick up World Cafe or Mountain Stage or some such. Yet they get the same vote as real "news and information stations" the put out big bucks for NPR's news product.

I'm taking odds on when this guy will be back in venture capital full time.
 
FredLeonard said:
He has not been a broadcaster for some 30 years.
Click to expand...

As I said, the comparison to Pittman is a good one. They both left radio, got into cable TV, then into the internet, made a lot of money, and now both are back in radio.

Yes, of course the CEO's main role is fundraising. Previous CEOs have run foundations or that kind of thing. He doesn't have to run the news operation. He has lots of experts doing that. Jeff Bezos has no journalism experience yet he owns and runs the Washington Post. Mohn's job is to get them money, and promote their work.


FredLeonard said:
I'm taking odds on when this guy will be back in venture capital full time.
Click to expand...

He can do both. But at his age, why take those kinds of chances any more? Like a lot of very rich guys, he's looking to build a legacy. He already has a building with his name on it in Pasadena. If he can straighten NPR's finances out, provide some vision, and mediate among the various factions, he will have been a success. And it shouldn't take a long time.
 
I remember listening to him on his very first radio job in 1967 while he was still in high school in his hometown of Doylestown, Pa. (suburban Philadelphia) on daytimer WBUX, a country music & block-programmed station, under the name Jerry Masters. A little later while working weekdays at WBUX he also worked weekends at WRCP AM-FM (Real Country Power) in Philadelphia as Lee Masters. I think from there he went to a country station in Louisville, Ky. and I was surprised just a couple years later when he showed up in NYC on WNBC in 1977 during the time of 'Imus in exile' at WHK Cleveland. He was talented on the air and has certainly carved out a successful career starting at a little 5,000 watt suburban station.
 
did Jarl Mohn come from a family with $$$ in Phillly or
'is he a self made milllionaire ?
 
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