NPR's New News Head Comes from Digital End

National Public Radio began digitizing about six years ago. Now, its new head of news and programming is moving in from its digital media division, signalling, perhaps, a sea change in the way business is done at one of our premier networks and signalling ... I don't know what, but something.

Most of us in print media know of the inevitability of going online only because it makes so much sense--cutting costs substantially and making us all as immediate as the "Enter" key on your keyboard. The only thing holding us back is that advertisers aren't ready for it. It really doesn't have to do with readers being ready. If the advertisers come along, we're there and the change will be quick, easy and painless for anybody who is computer literate.

There are those--including me--who will mourn the loss of paper, but we'll just have to adjust.

Here's the NPR announcement from Robert Preston's blog (which he somewhat old school calls a "weblog"):

NPR said Friday that its executive in charge of digital media, Kinsey Wilson, would start to oversee news and programming as well, effectively stitching together the organization’s core radio divisions and its newer online and mobile division.

Mr. Wilson will be the chief content officer for the organization. The announcement represented the first major leadership move by Gary Knell, who became the chief executive of NPR last December, nine months after the prior chief resigned under pressure.

Mr. Knell also said that Margaret Low Smith, the acting senior vice president of NPR News for the last 13 months, and Eric Nuzum, the acting vice president of programming for the last 13 months, would remain in those positions on an official basis.