Scott E. Hanley has returned to Pittsburgh and named general manager of WZUM 1550 AM/ 88.1 FM/ 101.1 FM, the public radio service licensed to Pittsburgh Public Media.
Pittsburgh-area listeners might remember Hanley from his years as director and general manager of WDUQ-FM from 1995 to 2011. In that time, the station pioneered digital services, enhanced news and cultural programming, and engaged in many partnerships and collaborations in the region and across the commonwealth. His tenure also saw record growth in listenership and financial support from the Pittsburgh community.
“Bringing Scott back to Pittsburgh, to WZUM, is huge. We really appreciate his experience,”relates Pittsburgh Public Media Board Chairman Ron Schuler. “Scott shares our mission, to use WZUM as a tool to build upon the region’s rich jazz heritage, providing a place where we not only present national artists, but showcase local artists, the overwhelming number of solid jazz students and educators who create superb sounds. We will be doing live interviews and concerts. Scott will be working with us to reach our goals.”
Hanley has spent the majority of his career in public broadcasting, including at various radio stations in Michigan, Texas and Iowa. Most recently, he served as general manager for NPR affiliate WBHM-FM, Birmingham, Al.
A trained musician, Hanley has performed widely as a vocalist and instrumentalist, as well as producing regional and national events and broadcasts. He has a strong affinity for jazz, serving for many years as the leader of the Jazz Radio Consortium, which encouraged communication and collaboration of hosts and stations across north America.
Hanley served on the NPR Board of Directors from 2002-2008. During his time on that board, he served on its executive, investment, membership, and strategic planning and technology committees. In addition, from 2003-2008, he was chair of the NPR distribution/interconnection committee, which oversees the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS), the distribution network for public radio stations throughout the United States. In 2011, Hanley received the Public Radio Regional Organization PRRO Award for contributions on behalf of public radio stations nationwide.
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Hanley is member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Public Radio Engineers (APRE) and an active member of the Radio Television Digital News Directors Association. Currently, he teaches broadcasting, journalism, media sales and media management at LaRoche College, and offers consulting services across the U.S.