Oh, Gary Knell, we hardly knew ye. It seems like just yesterday (April 2012) we were meeting him on Where We Live. He was talking about radio "not going away" but "going everywhere."
Now he's going to National Geographicto be their new President and CEO. This is a gig that will likely make Knell a much richer man (perhaps tripling his NPR salary), and it will leave NPR with its seventh CEO in seven years. It was greeted by shock from all over the public radio world.
Staffers at NPR react with widespread astonishment at news of Knell's departure. He leaves at end of 1st two-year contract in Nov.
— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) August 19, 2013
Knell was just interviewed in the Wall Street Journalabout how he wants to make NPR a "Pandora for news" that would be more responsive to the way listeners are using audio today.
He also just gave an impassioned speechabout the power of public radio journalism at CPTV's 50th anniversary gala. (He begins at around 21:00)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuEvATQNkCQ