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WVXU News Team Announced
By The WVXU News Staff
7/25/2008 12:24:15 PM
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Cincinnati Public Radio announced the hiring of five award winning public radio journalists for its WVXU News Team — Mark Heyne, Ann Thompson, Jay Hanselman, Katie Orr and Maryanne Zeleznik. Heyne, Thompson, Hanselman and Orr will have daily on-air shifts and reporting responsibilities. Zeleznik will serve as news director.

Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc. is the licensee of station 90.9 WGUC. In March 2005, Xavier University and Cincinnati Public Radio announced the signing of an asset purchase agreement for 91.7 WVXU and its X-Star Network. The agreement brought together two Cincinnati institutions with the goal of ensuring that WVXU remain a locally owned public radio station, with its proud public broadcast heritage preserved, and that WGUC remain a strong, independent classical music public radio station.

The Federal Communications Commission recently granted the license assignment applications for 91.7 WVXU and its six affiliated stations to Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc., setting into motion the final steps in completing the stations' purchase. Cincinnati Public Radio expects to assume operation of the stations in mid August. The news team will begin its new WVXU reporting responsibilities at that time. Plans are for WVXU to focus on news and information and for WGUC to become a fulltime classical music station.

Cincinnati Public Radio received applications for its WVXU news department from local, regional and national journalists. The caliber of interested journalists made the selection very competitive.

"Over the past several months we have been very pleased by the overwhelming interest in WVXU/WGUC by news broadcasters and journalists locally, regionally, and nationally. Many qualified candidates applied for a spot on our news team," said Robin Gehl, Vice President for Programming. "Our commitment to Greater Cincinnati and our desire to enhance quickly the local news and public affairs presence on WVXU caused us to select local and regional broadcasters with a combined 60 + years of broadcast journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market."

"It's very exciting to have the opportunity to join a primarily news and information station. The commitment the new WVXU is making to news, internationally, nationally and locally is like no other in the Greater Cincinnati region," said Maryanne Zeleznik.

"The new WVXU staff is made up of so many talented and dedicated local journalists, I'm confident we will not miss a beat in covering the news in our community when the the sale is complete," continued Zeleznik.

"Ann, Mark, Maryanne, Jay and Katie have developed strong reputations for professionalism and integrity with both listeners and newsmakers, locally and nationally," observed Richard Eiswerth, President and CEO of Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc. "Listeners can look forward to the quality service this news team will provide."

"I'm excited about the increased news coverage that WVXU will be able to offer our listeners," said Mark Heyne. "Bringing together NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered with a strong veteran news department will definitely strengthen our ability to serve as a news resource for the Cincinnati area."

WVXU News Team

All of the members of the WVXU News Team are award-winning, trusted news voices to public radio listeners.

Maryanne Zeleznik - News Director

Maryanne Zeleznik comes to 91.7 WVXU from WNKU where she served as News and Public Affairs Director for 20 years. At WNKU she is responsible for all news and public affairs programming; hosts and produces the local broadcast of Morning Edition from NPR; covers daily news and produces local features. She is also executive producer and host of the weekly call in show Speaking Frankly and regularly contributes news stories to National Public Radio. Zeleznik has won numerous regional and national journalism awards including awards from the Public Radio News Directors Incorporated, Ohio Associated Press, Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, and the Cincinnati Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Jay Hanselman - Reporter/Announcer/Producer

Jay Hanselman brings 10 years experience as a news anchor and reporter to 91.7 WVXU. In addition to his reporting duties at WNKU, he has hosted the local broadcast of All Things Considered and serves as primarily back-up host for the local broadcast of Morning Edition. Hanselman has been recognized for his reporting by the Kentucky AP Broadcasters Association, the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, and the Ohio AP Broadcasters.

Mark Heyne - Reporter/Announcer/Producer

Mark Heyne, current Morning Edition host and news anchor for 91.7 WVXU, will continue with the station after the official license transfer. His journalism experience in Greater Cincinnati spans more than 20 years and includes positions with WLW, WHIO, WMOH and Traffic Watch/News Watch. At WVXU he produces and delivers local news and traffic segments as well as assisting in the station's expansion of local news coverage and coverage of breaking national and international stories. He has received awards from the Ohio Associated Press, Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, The Press Club of Ohio, and the Cincinnati Society of professional Journalists.

Ann Thompson - Reporter/Announcer/Producer

Ann Thompson will also continue reporting the news for 91.7 WVXU after the license transfer. With more than 15 years of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting. Currently at WVXU, Thompson oversees the news and talk programming while also contributing news reports and features to National Public Radio. She has reported for WLW-TV, WCKY, WHIO-TV, WKRC, Metro Networks and CBS/ABC Radio. Her work has been recognized by the Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists.

Katie Orr - Reporter/Announcer/Producer

Katie Orr joins WVXU from WNIN in Evansville, Indiana. There she produces a weekly current events talk show and anchors daily news updates during All Things Considered. She has also reported the news for Four Corners Broadcasting in Durango, Colorado and KASC in Tempe, Arizona. Orr has been recognized by the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists, the Hearst Journalist Awards, and the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards.