After 22 Years, Kalb Out At ABC Radio

Newly appointed ABC Radio GM Stacia Philips Deshishku has been looking at ways to restructure the organization, according to a memo she sent out to ABC Radio employees. As part of that restructuring, it was announced on Monday, that after 22 years with the company, Executive Director of Programming/News Andrew Kalb is leaving.

Here’s a portion of a note Deshishku sent to the ABC Radio team. “I’ve been in discussions with senior managers for some time about how we will restructure our audio business to deliver unparalleled service and journalism while taking advantage of new opportunities in podcasting, digital content, and syndicated programming. I will be asking for input from all of you in the coming weeks as we develop a new vision statement, strategy, and organizational chart that will reflect our working platform.”

Kalb added this short comment to Deshishku’s note: “We reported on the biggest stories in our lifetime. And ABC News Radio has always been the best in the business. It was an honor to be part of it.”

In an e-mail to Radio Ink, Kalb said he’s looking forward to his next opportunity. “It has been an honor to lead a talented team of broadcast and digital journalists and story tellers,
and to successfully re-launch the ABC News Radio business, which now serves over 1650 radio stations. Most recently, I also was Executive Producer and helped launch the ABC News daily audio podcast, Start Here, which was recognized with a Murrow award last week for “innovation in journalism. Along the way, I have served our affiliates in partnership and with pride, understanding that all success is the result of teamwork and collaboration.”

ABC also plans to post job openings for several new roles including Director of News Programming and Executive Producer of Podcasting.