NPR has announced that it has hired 89.3 KPCC Pasadena/Los Angeles Program Director Sal LoCurto as Senior Director For Broadcast Programming Strategy.
LoCurto has spent the past five years leading KPCC’s programming. In his new role he will oversee the strategic direction of NPR’s non-newsmagazine broadcast programming and oversee relationships with external program producers.
Prior to joining KPCC in February 2017, LoCurto spent much of his career in television. He served as Senior Vice President for Program Development and Original Series at fuse TV, Vice President of Programming for Rave HD, VP/Marketing for Warner Brothers, and VP/Music Programming and Program Planning at VH1.
The announcement of LoCurto’s appointment at NPR was shared in the following memo from SVP/Programming & Audience Development Anya Grundmann:
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  Sal LoCurto, a leader in the news and entertainment sector with experience in commercial media and public radio, will join us on June 6 as the new Senior Director, Broadcast Programming Strategy.
Sal notes, “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.”
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. Most recently as Program Director for Member station KPCC in Pasadena, CA, Sal was responsible for the station’s original local programming and program acquisitions, scheduling, on-air promotion strategy, and production — among other things. Under his leadership, KPCC experienced its highest rated nine months in the station’s history. Sal also managed and coached key on-air talent, including A Martinez – who has since joined NPR – during his tenure at the station.
Over his career, Sal has demonstrated a keen eye for strategy in broadcast and for developing content for Black and Latino audiences. As Senior Vice President for Program Development and Original Series at fuse TV, Sal created a strategic roadmap for the network’s content development targeting younger demographics, oversaw the production of pilots and series across many genres, and supported noteworthy series such as The Hustleand Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce. Before that, Sal worked as both a media consultant and as Vice President of Programming for Rave HD at the network and prior to that has held various positions at Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and MTV Networks.
Sal has a reputation as a strategic thinker, collaborative leader and supportive manager who knows how to have fun while doing great work. We’re thrilled he’ll be joining us at NPR to help us serve our mission to serve the American public with essential news, culture and context in partnership with our member stations. We look forward to welcoming him next month!
