Ken Stern
Encyclopedia
Ken Stern is a former Chief Executive Officer
of National Public Radio.
A native of Washington, D.C., Stern grew up in South Korea
and Germany. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Haverford College
with a B.A. in political science. He also holds a J.D. from Yale Law School
.
Prior to entering broadcasting, Stern was an attorney specializing in litigation with Wilmer Cutler and Pickering (now Wilmer Hale) in Washington. He also served as chief counsel for the 53rd Presidential Inaugural Committee and deputy general counsel for the Clinton
/Gore
1996 Campaign.
From 1997 to 1999, Stern served as Senior Advisor to the Director of the International Broadcasting Bureau
in Washington, D.C., the umbrella organization overseeing American worldwide broadcasting operations including Radio Free Europe
, Radio Liberty, Voice of America
and Radio
and TV Marti
. He previously was legal and management consultant to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, based in Munich
and Prague
.
He joined NPR in November 1999 as Executive Vice President. During his tenure, NPR also achieved financial stability for the non-profit organization. Additionally, he oversaw the April 2006 launch of NPR Berlin, an FM channel in Germany that marked the organization's move into international broadcasting. Stern's tenure is most remembered for the abrupt removal of Morning Edition
founding host Bob Edwards
in the months prior to Edward's 25th anniversary as host of the show. No definitive reason was ever given for Edward's removal, and the affair colored the rest of Stern's tenure until his 2008 dismissal.
On March 6, 2008, the NPR Board announced that Stern would be stepping down from his role as Chief Executive Officer. He made $1,319,541 in 2008.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of National Public Radio.
A native of Washington, D.C., Stern grew up in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Germany. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
with a B.A. in political science. He also holds a J.D. from Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
.
Prior to entering broadcasting, Stern was an attorney specializing in litigation with Wilmer Cutler and Pickering (now Wilmer Hale) in Washington. He also served as chief counsel for the 53rd Presidential Inaugural Committee and deputy general counsel for the Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
/Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
1996 Campaign.
From 1997 to 1999, Stern served as Senior Advisor to the Director of the International Broadcasting Bureau
International Broadcasting Bureau
The International Broadcasting Bureau is an entity within the Broadcasting Board of Governors , which is a U.S. independent agency. The IBB supports the day-to-day operations of Voice of America and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting...
in Washington, D.C., the umbrella organization overseeing American worldwide broadcasting operations including Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
, Radio Liberty, Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
and Radio
Radio Martí
Radio y Televisión Martí is a radio and television broadcaster based in Miami, Florida, financed by the United States government , which transmits Spanish radio broadcasts to Cuba...
and TV Marti
TV Martí
TV Martí was created by the US government to provide news and current affairs programming to Cuba. It is named after Cuban independence leader José Martí, and is the television equivalent to Radio Marti.-History:...
. He previously was legal and management consultant to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, based in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
He joined NPR in November 1999 as Executive Vice President. During his tenure, NPR also achieved financial stability for the non-profit organization. Additionally, he oversaw the April 2006 launch of NPR Berlin, an FM channel in Germany that marked the organization's move into international broadcasting. Stern's tenure is most remembered for the abrupt removal of Morning Edition
Morning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
founding host Bob Edwards
Bob Edwards
Robert Alan Edwards is a Peabody Award-winning member of the National Radio Hall of Fame. He was the first broadcaster with a large national following to join the field of satellite radio...
in the months prior to Edward's 25th anniversary as host of the show. No definitive reason was ever given for Edward's removal, and the affair colored the rest of Stern's tenure until his 2008 dismissal.
On March 6, 2008, the NPR Board announced that Stern would be stepping down from his role as Chief Executive Officer. He made $1,319,541 in 2008.