NPR Taps Award-Winning 60 Minutes Producer Jay Kernis for Senior V.P. of Programming Post

Washington, D.C. - National Public Radio® (NPR®) has named Jay Kernis senior vice president for programming. Kernis is an award-winning producer of CBS News' 60 Minutes, and is one of the founding producers of NPR's most-listened-to news program, Morning Edition® with Bob Edwards. A proven and established creator of public radio programming, Kernis brings more than 30 years of radio and television production experience to his new position. He is scheduled to return to NPR on May 7, 2001.

"I have always considered NPR my home, and I can't wait to return," said Kernis. "I began my career at a public radio station in 1969, and I plan to support the work of today's more than 644 member stations by guiding and strengthening existing programs and by helping to build new programs that attract even more appreciative and loyal listeners."

Kernis will lead the effort to create new programming for all of NPR's programming units, including news, cultural, online and NPR2 - NPR's new satellite radio unit. He will oversee the coordination and direction of current NPR programming and will be responsible for the overall creation, production and acquisition of new shows.

"Jay's broad vision for the future of public radio programming and his extensive multimedia talents will help NPR expand its reach in partnership with our stations to new audiences and into new markets," said Kevin Klose, NPR president and CEO.

Kernis, who originally joined NPR in 1974, was instrumental in the creation, development, and design of the cornerstone NPR News programs Morning Edition and Weekend Edition®. He received a distinguished Ohio State Award for his 1979 documentary, Fascinating Rhythm, and as executive producer of Weekend Edition, he won a prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. In 1981, while senior producer for Morning Edition, the program won an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award. Kernis moved to CBS in November 1987, where he has been an Emmy Award-winning producer of news programming for the past 14 years for a variety of programs, including 60 Minutes and CBS This Morning. Kernis received his B.S. in journalism with honors from the University of Maryland in 1974.

Kernis succeeds Bill Davis, who held the senior vice president for programming position until December 2000. Margaret Low Smith, vice president for NPR2, has been responsible for acquiring and developing new programming during the search for Davis's successor.

Renowned for its journalistic excellence and standard-setting news, information and cultural programming, NPR serves a growing audience of nearly 15 million Americans each week via more than 644 public radio stations. NPR Online at www.npr.org brings hourly newscasts, news features, commentaries and live events to Internet users through original online reports, audio streaming and other multimedia elements. NPR also distributes programming to listeners in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa via NPR Worldwide, to military installations overseas via American Forces Network, and throughout Japan via cable.