Dear friends,
I wanted to share some news with you about an upcoming change at the station. After a 46-year career in media, I have made the decision to retire. A retirement date is still to be determined, but it will be sometime before the end of 2024.
My career in public radio began when I was a student at the University of Arizona at the NPR news, jazz, and classical station KUAT in Tucson. I was very lucky to get that job back then, and I feel very fortunate to have experienced all of the fulfilling and memorable moments at KPLU/KNKX, where I have worked for the past 36 years.
My career highlight has been working with the team here, and with all of our listeners to lead the campaign to Save KPLU. It was a roller coaster event filled with joy and high anxiety. Virtually no one thought we would be successful in raising $7 million in the 6-month timeline we were given to buy the station, retain the staff, and keep our service going to the community. But something very special happened. The community rose up, put us on their backs, and carried us across the finish line. It was a life-changing event for me, and showed what can be done when people are passionate about something they deeply care about.
Following that campaign, we needed to build new studios and wanted to embed ourselves even more deeply in the communities that saved us. We were fortunate to find locations in Tacoma’s Theater District on Broadway where the Farmer’s Market is held, and in Seattle right next to Pike Place Market. In total, the campaign to save the station and build our new homes totaled $18 million.
Completing our Seattle studios last year marked the final chapter of our station's evolution to a community licensed public radio station. As that chapter came to a close, I started thinking about my next chapter and the timing just seemed right for me to close out my career, and for KNKX to pass the torch to a new leader. The KNKX Board is leading the national search for a new President & General Manager, and my plans are to serve the station until a new leader is identified and hired.
I know I am leaving the organization in good hands—a dedicated staff and board who remain committed to the mission and vision that guides our work, and of course, listeners like you who make KNKX possible with your steadfast support. Together, we are well-poised for the future.
The station’s success is based on our relationship with the community. Listeners saved the station and continued to support us because, as we heard over and over again, the people and the programs felt like “friends or family.” As I devote more time to my family, I want to thank you for your unwavering support and generosity!
With gratitude,
Joey Cohn
President & General Manager
KNKX Public Radio
A Note from the KNKX Board Chair
On behalf of the entire KNKX Board of Directors, I’d like to express my deepest appreciation to Joey for his decades of service to KNKX and our public radio audience.
It’s not an overstatement to say that KNKX would not be where it is—and would possibly not even exist at all—without Joey’s leadership over these last ten years. We have the entire community to thank for saving the station, but it also took Joey to rally us, to champion our cause, and to lead us through incredibly challenging situations to the place we are today.
The board's search committee has selected Seattle-based Valtas Group to support the board and guide the national search process to find a new General Manager who will build on the solid foundation Joey and everyone at KNKX have helped to create. We expect the transition to be complete by the end of the year.
Once again, thank you, Joey, for your years of service to KNKX!
Sincerely,
Claire Grace
Board Chair
KNKX Public Radio
