NPR affiliates, WMFE and WMFV, have just named journalist Judith Smelser as their new president and general manager.
Smelser has been serving as the stations’ interim president and GM since September 2021 and served as a reporter there from 2004 to 2007 and then news director until 2011, before she left town to work for Colorado Public Radio in Denver.
“My ambition was never to lead a station, but for me, WMFE is not just any station. My career has taken me all over the country and given me a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing public media and journalism; now I get to put that experience to work for an organization and a community I love and consider my home.”
– JUDITH SMELSER
During her time as a journalist at WMFE, Smelser covered Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne in 2004, and the final Space Shuttle missions. She also oversaw the launch of WMFE’s Intersection, now hosted by Matthew Peddie.
Smelser’s first official day with the station was on February 8.
Nothing will help WMFE, the worst NPR station in existence…the worst announcers, the most boring local programming, the least local reporting, the most advertising–yes, those “support from…”are advertising.. and sucking money from local non-profits for announcements instead of providing for free like other stations….just everything wrong. And they took your money and bought another station to service the Villages, when the Villages already has an NPR station nearby…Need to shut this monster down, wait 6 months and start from scratch…