On Monday Salem Media Group announced that CEO Ed Atsinger will transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors as of January 1st. David Santrella, who’s on the December cover of Radio Ink Magazine, will become the new CEO.
Currently Santrella serves as the company’s President of Broadcast Media. In addition David Evans, Salem’s current President of Digital Media and Publishing, will be promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer.
Santrella said, “I am deeply honored to have been appointed as Salem’s next CEO. I look forward to working in close partnership with David Evans to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities that exist in today’s media landscape, to further the mission of our company and to grow our business. I am blessed that I will have Ed alongside me in my new role.”
Atsinger has been on Radio Ink’s 40 Most Powerful People in Radio list longer than any other member of that club (25 years).
Atsinger commented, “I am pleased to serve as Executive Chairman and to oversee the succession to the next generation of leadership of our company. I am looking forward to working with the executive team to continue Salem’s vitally important mission of serving the media needs of the audiences interested in Christian content and public policy programming with a traditional conservative focus. With Salem well-positioned for continued growth into the future, now is the right time to take the next step in implementing our long-term leadership transition. We have a tremendously talented, deep and dedicated leadership team at Salem. David Santrella and David Evans each have played a critical role in developing and executing the strategy in place today, and I am confident they have the vision, skills, experience and capabilities necessary to provide continued leadership of Salem well into the future.”
Atsinger launched the company in 1974 with his brother-in-law Stu Epperson. Epperson, Salem’s current Chairman, will resign from Salem’s Board of Directors effective January 1, 2022, transitioning to the position of Chairman Emeritus, and Stuart W. Epperson, Jr. will join the Board of Directors, filling the vacancy created by Mr. Epperson Senior’s resignation.
