Fordham University AAA 90.7 WFUV New York has announced the return of Rich McLaughlin to the station as Program Director.
McLaughlin, who served as Content Director at the station in 2008-2009, succeeds the late Rita Houston as Program Director. The Fordham graduate began his career at the then-startup Sirius Satellite Radio in 2001 as Format Manager where he programmed the Alt Nation and Left of Center channels until his first stint at WFUV. He worked at Clear Channel New York as Digital Program Director from 2009-2011 and then as Director of Digital Programming and SVP/Programming for iHeartRadio from 2012-2015 and Merlin Media as Senior Director of Digital Programming in-between. McLaughlin has been with Amazon Music since 2016 as Seattle based Senior Music Curator and since last September as New York based Global Programming Lead for its music catalog.
WFUV (90.7 FM/wfuv.org), New York’s source for music discovery, is pleased to announce it has named Rich McLaughlin as Program Director. McLaughlin currently oversees catalog programming globally for Amazon Music. He starts at WFUV on June 14.
“Rich is uniquely qualified for this role,” said Chuck Singleton, WFUV’s General Manager, citing McLaughlin’s blend of terrestrial, digital, and streaming radio experience. “His accomplishments speak directly to the transition WFUV and the wider industry is experiencing. Rich’s leadership will be a booster shot for our content development and programming outreach to diverse new audiences.”
“I’m over the moon about joining WFUV as Program Director,” said McLaughlin. “The opportunity to serve a station and university deeply embedded in my DNA is especially meaningful. FUV’s reputation for music discovery is well earned. The depth of industry partnerships with artists, labels, venues, and cultural organizations is extraordinary. The engaged community of music lovers who support its mission as listeners and donors is second to none. I’m grateful for the chance to guide WFUV’s next programming chapter, and I can’t wait to start contributing.”
It’s a poignant homecoming for McLaughlin, who succeeds Rita Houston in the role. Houston passed away in December 2020 after a 26-year tenure at WFUV, serving as program director, music director, and DJ. McLaughlin’s radio career began, under Houston’s mentorship, as a Fordham University student in the late 1990s. “WFUV’s rich history and culture is steeped in its training mission,” said McLaughlin. “The education I received from Rita is evidence of her mission accomplished. Rita taught me that success achieved at the expense of authenticity is failure in disguise. The path she paved allowed for missteps along the way, and always led me back to what’s real. Rita’s spirit, fearlessness, and love of music continues to inspire.”
FUV host Paul Cavalconte will introduce Rich to listeners on Sunday, June 13, at 6 p.m. EDT, joining him as guest co-host of “Cavalcade.”
McLaughlin joined Amazon in 2016 as a Senior Music Curator, leading US rock programming strategy across web, mobile, and Alexa-enabled voice devices and platforms. He designed and executed the original rock programming platform for Amazon Music Unlimited, the corporation’s full-catalog premium music-streaming service.
Before Amazon, McLaughlin was Senior Vice President of Programming at iHeartMedia. He oversaw programming strategy for the network’s digital station platform, successfully expanding the company’s digital brands across all genres. McLaughlin also led content strategy for the launch of iHeartRadio’s first-ever podcast platform, building partnerships with artists, managers, major music labels, and broadcast networks such as NBC, HBO, and ESPN.
McLaughlin’s first post-undergraduate role was at Sirius Satellite Radio. He was part of the pioneering team that built the broadcast company’s original station platform. In addition to programing Sirius’s Alt Nation and Left of Center (now called Sirius XMU), Rich helped architect The Spectrum, Lithium, Faction, and several other stations.
A graduate of Fordham University (B.A. 2001, MBA 2010), McLaughlin lives on Long Island with his wife, Sarah, and their three children.
“I’m grateful to WFUV’s entire team,” said Singleton. “They’ve done an amazing job of keeping us moving forward in a most difficult year.” WFUV’s four-month, national search attracted a diverse group of more than 60 individuals and was completed with support from Ann Blinkhorn/Blinkhorn, LLC as well as Mike Henry/Paragon Media Strategies.
