Al Bartholet
Executive Director/General Manager

Al Bartholet was named WKSU’s general manager in 2001, being just the fourth person to lead WKSU since it first went on the air in October 1950. Prior to stepping up to this position, Al was station manager for two years, and he served as director of development and operations coordinator during the previous 18 years.

Al first came to WKSU as a student employee—a time that saw him serve as WKSU’s music director coordinating all jazz, folk and blues programming. After graduating from Kent State University in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management, Al’s career path took him to Warner Robbins, Georgia where he was morning host and music director at WRBN. Al returned to Ohio to work for WKDD, moving to WKSU in 1980. He also spent time as president of P.S. Inc., a lifestyle research company specializing in psychographic studies for the media.

In 1999, Kent State’s Alumni Association acknowledged Al’s significant impact on the public radio field by honoring him with a prestigious Special Achievement Award and he has won many other state and national awards, including first-place honors from the Ohio Educational Telecommunications Network Commission for WKSU’s 50th anniversary celebration and for on-and off-air development efforts that he spearheaded. Al currently serves on several boards including Ohio Public Radio, the Integrated Media Association, the Akron Roundtable, the Commerce Club of Akron (where he is past president), WNEO/WEAO PBS 45/49, and the NPR Major Giving Task Force. He is also a recent graduate of Leadership Akron.

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