KPLU/Jazz24 General Manager Joey Cohn announced the hiring of Matt Martinez as Director of Content. Martinez leaves NPR after 15 years as producer and creator of some of the organization’s most successful programs and initiatives. He’ll join KPLU/Jazz24 on August 3.
Cohn said, “Matt's experience creating exceptional and unique programming, and his respected leadership skills will bring great value to us moving forward.”
Most recently as Senior Producer for NPR Programming, Martinez led a team of producers responsible for developing new show and podcast pilots, supporting live events, and assisting stations in their fundraising efforts. He played essential roles in the launch of Invisibilia, the planning of Hidden Brain, and developing the creative for the NPR’s Spark project.
Martinez came to NPR in 2000 as a producer for NPR's afternoon flagship newsmagazine All Things Considered (returning in 2012 as Supervising Senior Producer), and also worked on the production team for Weekend Edition Saturday. He created and was the Supervising Senior Producer for The Bryant Park Project, a multi-platform morning show on Sirius Satellite Radio produced at NPR New York, from 2007 to 2008. Following Bryant Park Martinez ran the weekend version of All Things Considered where he successfully reinvigorated the format by overhauling the sound and editorial direction of the program.
Martinez began his career at public radio station KNAU-FM in Flagstaff, Arizona as a weekend host, then became a reporter and eventually the local host of All Things Considered. Before going to NPR, he produced Down to the Wire with former CNN anchor Aaron Brown and NPR correspondent Elizabeth Arnold—a four-hour live, national radio show focusing on the 2008 presidential election—in conjunction with Public Radio International and NPR affiliate KJZZ-FM in Phoenix. He graduated from Northern Arizona University.
“The future of public radio rests with member stations, and I hope I can do my part at KPLU/Jazz24 to make sure the station and the public radio system stay strong today, tomorrow and many years ahead,” Martinez said. “KPLU and Jazz24 have big ambitions in the years ahead, and I’m excited that I’ll be here to help make those a reality.”
