KANSAS CITY, MO. — The Program Director and morning host at Cumulus Media-owned KCMO Radio for the last 6 1/2 years has been promoted to VP of News/Talk for the publicly traded company, putting him in control of what airs across some 43 spoken word radio stations owned by the company.
Earning the promotion is Pete Mundo. He’ll report to Chief Content Officer Brian Philips, and succeeds Bill Hess, who had held the position since 2015.
Hess will now focus on his role as Operations Manager for Cumulus Media in Washington, D.C. and as Program Director for its WMAL-AM & FM; Cumulus sold the former WRQX to Educational Media Foundation as part of a corporate effort to divest its properties in the nation’s largest markets.
Once an on-air analyst for Sports Illustrated, Mundo has experience in Sports Talk, and has hosted nationally syndicated programs for both CBS Sports Radio and FOX News Radio.
Philips commented, “Pete has risen to stardom quickly with his on-air performance and innovative program architecture in Kansas City. Pete is among our most dynamic leaders, in ANY format. It also matters that Pete is Bill Hess’s hand-chosen successor, as Bill returns to oversight of our News/Talk flagship WMAL, in the nation’s capital. Bill has served with distinction in this corporate role, and Cumulus News/Talk is positioned for continued success under Pete’s leadership.”
Mundo commented, “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to join the content leadership team at Cumulus and am grateful for the confidence that the company has shown in me. Learning from Bill Hess in recent years has been a terrific way to make the transition seamless. The News/Talk format is changing rapidly but remains dominant in the audio industry. The format has exceptional upside during this transitional political period, as people continue to seek news and information about their cities, states, and country. I am eager to work with my fellow News/Talk programmers across the nation to make our brands stronger.”
