TN Radio: Steve Swenson Named Pres/CEO For Nashville Public Radio

Steve Swenson

Nashville Public Radio has appointed veteran CBS Radio executive Steve Swenson to serve as its new President and Chief Executive Officer effective April 29, 2019.

Swenson succeeds Nashville Public Radio’s longstanding CEO Rob Gordon, who announced his retirement last fall after 24 years of leadership during a tenure marked by content expansion and fiscal stability.

Swenson brings more than three decades of experience in all facets of radio leadership, from news direction to general management, to Nashville Public Radio. Most recently, Swenson served as the Senior Vice President and Market Manager at CBS Radio, Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for leading six different stations. Previously, Swenson also served as VP & General Manager of CBS Radio’s news stations in New York City, 1010 WINS and WCBS 880. Before his stint in NYC he served as the general manager of WTOP in Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, Swenson has successfully grown diverse formats including Urban, Spanish, Sports, Adult Contemporary and All News.

“We are delighted to have attracted Steve Swenson to Nashville Public Radio during this period of accomplishment and opportunity for our stations WPLN and 91Classical,” said Bill Carpenter, chair of the Nashville Public Radio Board of Directors. “Steve is well-recognized for bringing engaging content rooted in community partnership to grow the markets he has served. Nashville Public Radio’s award-winning team is known for their ingenuity in providing in-depth reporting and programming that engages our long-standing and new listeners. We believe that Steve’s proven abilities will be a terrific complement to our station and our broader community as we continue to expand our offerings throughout Middle Tennessee.”

“I’m so excited to become a part of the Nashville community, which is among the most high-potential and culturally rich media markets in the country.” Swenson said. “I look forward to working with the board and the great team at our stations to further our mission to be the most trusted Nashville voice connecting our communities through fact-based, nonpartisan journalism, great storytelling, civil conversation and music discovery.”