DAVE PIGNANELLI TO LEAD WKSU NEWSROOM

Monday June 27, 2005

Dave Pignanelli has been named Assistant Director of Programming and Operations for News and Public Affairs for WKSU. He succeeds Vincent Duffy, who was recently promoted to Director of Programming and Operations. Pignanelli comes to WKSU from Cleveland’s 90.3 WCPN and WVIZ/PBS ideastream where he served as Director of News and Information.

Born and raised in Youngstown, Pignanelli moved to Florida after graduating from Youngstown State University with a degree in Speech Communications. In 1985, he joined the staff of WMFE, a joint public television and radio broadcast organization in Orlando, eventually being promoted to News Director. While in Florida, Pignanelli also acted as National Public Radio's space science correspondent, reporting on more than 60 space shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.

After returning to Northeast Ohio in 1996 as WCPN News Director, Pignanelli became an integral part of both the station’s switch to a news and information format and, in 2001 the merger between WCPN and WVIZ/PBS, which brought together television and radio programming to form ideastream. During his tenure with ideastream, Pignanelli also hosted NewsDepth, a weekly instructional television series presenting state, national and international news to students in grades 3-8 throughout Ohio. Under his direction, Pignanelli and his staff earned the title Best News Operation in Ohio from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists five times.

WKSU General Manager Al Bartholet says, "WKSU is very fortunate to fill Vince Duffy’s shoes with someone of Dave's caliber. He is nationally acknowledged within the public broadcasting system as one of the leading news directors in the country. Adding his skills and commitment to our award-winning news staff will allow WKSU to continue to provide listeners throughout the region with the quality news programming that they have come to rely on from WKSU."

WKSU broadcasts NPR & Classical Music at 89.7 FM, and is a service of Kent State University. WKSU programming is also heard on WKRW 89.3 FM in Wooster, WKRJ 91.5 FM in Dover/New Philadelphia, WKSV 89.1 FM in Thompson and WNRK 90.7 FM in Norwalk. The WKSU web site is www.wksu.org.

PR05.17           ###           6/27/05

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