Scannell Retiring From SCPR
• Veteran media executive Herb Scannell announced his impending retirement as President & CEO of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) after four years at the organization, which operates KPCC-FM (LAist 89.3)/Pasadena, LAist.com and LAist Studios. Variety reports that Scannell will remain aboard until a successor is named.
Under Scannell’s watch, KPCC changed its on-air branding to “LAist 89.3,” mirroring the name of the website LAist.com, which SCPR acquired in 2018. SCPR also launched LAist Studios in 2019 to produce podcasts. In September 2022, LAist.com received an Online News Association Award for best website. KPCC/LAist 89.3 continues to rank as the top-rated public radio station in the Los Angeles market.
“Herb has helped accomplish precisely what we hoped when he joined us four years ago,” said Drew Murphy, Chair of the Board of Trustees of SCPR. Murphy said those accomplishments include “building platforms to reach new audiences, aligning the organization to be more diverse in its staffing and its journalism, and creating a unified and more visible brand position in Los Angeles and the region. He has laid the foundation for the next era of contributions SCPR can make in the community as a reliable news source for everyone, even while managing effectively through the pandemic.” Murphy added, “SCPR is well positioned for the changing future we face that is fact-based, and with a mind always on diversity, equity and inclusion to reflect the Los Angeles community it serves. We are grateful to Herb and wish him well as he moves into retirement.”
“I’m immensely appreciative of being a part of SCPR and to have helped enhance our role as an essential voice of and for Los Angeles,” said Scannell, who formerly served as Vice Chairman of MTV Networks & President of Nickelodeon Networks, and President of BBC Worldwide North America. He added, “I will retire with confidence that the extraordinary team at SCPR can continue to bring a multiplicity of compelling voices and programming to an ever-more diverse audience within Los Angeles and beyond.” The SCPR board has launched a search for Scannell’s successor.
