LoCurto Joins NPR Programming Team
• Sal LoCurto, Program Director of NPR affiliate KPCC/Pasadena, CA is moving up to the mothership, joining NPR as Sr. Director, Broadcast Programming Strategy, with a start date of June 6.
The announcement of LoCurto’s hire was formalized in a staff memo from Anya Grundmann, NPR SVP for Programming and Audience Development, which reads, in part, “After an extensive national search, we have found an experienced media professional to help drive the strategic direction of our broadcast programming (beyond the newsmagazines) and to oversee our relationship with external program producers — Sal LoCurto, a leader in the news and entertainment sector with experience in commercial media and public radio, will join us on June 6.”
Grundmann continued, “In addition to working collaboratively with divisions across NPR to drive broadcast initiatives and support strong partnerships with third-party broadcast and podcast producers, Sal will lead a core team devoted to supporting NPR Network initiatives. He will also help to build clear and systematic communication channels with our partners, in collaboration with our Member Partnership team. He will report directly to me, and he will be based in Los Angeles. Among the valuable skills and experience Sal brings to NPR are a deep knowledge of broadcast best practices and the needs of our member stations.” Grundmann added, “Over his career, Sal has demonstrated a keen eye for strategy in broadcast and for developing content for Black and Latino audiences.”
LoCurto’s resume includes a stint as Senior Vice President for Program Development and Original Series at fuse TV, VP of Programming for Rave HD and various positions at Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and MTV Networks.
Commenting on his new NPR opportunity, LoCurto remarked, “This is a fantastic opportunity to work with our exceptional programming colleagues around the country and NPR’s production partners as we seek new ways to best serve audiences and fulfill our shared mission. I’m truly honored to join NPR’s team.” [Photo courtesy of Sal LoCurto]
