Vermont Public announced on Friday that Vijay Singh, a seasoned public media professional, will become the new CEO on October 1. He will replace Brendan Kinney, who has been the interim CEO since October 2023 after Scott Finn stepped down. Finn had led Vermont Public for six years and oversaw the merger of Vermont Public Radio with Vermont PBS.
After a 10-month nationwide search, the board chose Singh as the next leader. “I’ve admired Vermont Public from a distance,” Singh said. “Public media is powerful, and Vermont Public is a great example of its impact through storytelling. I’m thrilled to join the team.”
Singh was previously the chief operating and content officer at CapRadio, an NPR affiliate in Sacramento, California. During his time there, the organization faced challenges, including a 12% staff cut and financial mismanagement. “It was a difficult time,” Singh said. “My job was to help guide the organization through that period.”
Singh joined CapRadio in September 2022 as the director of product and strategy and left in January. He worked on expanding the digital audience and launched a new newsletter, SacramenKnow. “I didn’t take it as far as I wanted, but I started building systems and giving people a voice in the process,” he explained.
Christopher Bruno, CapRadio’s chief marketing and revenue officer, praised Singh for his audience-focused approach and his role in stabilizing the organization during the financial crisis.
Before CapRadio, Singh was head of product at KPCC, an NPR station in Los Angeles. He began his career as a documentary filmmaker and has held senior positions in various companies. Kerri Hoffman, a board member, highlighted Singh’s problem-solving skills and strategic thinking, noting his ability to tackle tough challenges.
Singh is eager to continue Vermont Public’s tradition of storytelling while also reaching new, younger audiences. If we can truly serve the people we’re not currently reaching, I’ll be proud of the work we do, he said.
Singh, 39, currently lives in upstate New York with his wife Amanda, an interior designer, and their two terriers, Noodle and Nellie. He’s looking forward to moving to Vermont and becoming part of the community. Growing up in a rural, low-income area with immigrant parents from Guyana has shaped his approach to storytelling and his commitment to public media’s mission of serving everyone, especially marginalized communities.