Radio Station Hires New Program Chief

KCLU-FM (88.3), a National Public Radio affiliate located at Cal Lutheran University, has hired radio veteran Rob Selkow as program director.

Selkow, 33, served as program director for six years at WFIT in Melbourne, Fla. He replaces Mike West, who recently moved to Ohio after being with the station since its inception more than two years ago.

KCLU “is a jewel of a station,” Selkow said in explaining why he made the cross-country trek. “I really like being near L.A. in a market where you aren’t absolutely overshadowed by the giants there.”

A native of Brooklyn, Selkow moved to Jersey City, N.J., as an infant and to Melbourne when he was 7. He began his career there as a teenager and worked at six stations in the east-central Florida market in the last 16 years.

“I’ve been interested in radio forever,” Selkow said.

WFIT, located on the Florida Institute of Technology campus, was primarily a punk rock station when he arrived six years ago. As program director, he oversaw the transition to an NPR affiliate, which also offered jazz, blues and local news stories.

About 33,000 people tune in to KCLU each week, he said.

With the ability to reach more than 500,000 people countywide, the station is trying to widen its listening audience.

Time slots for two popular public radio shows have changed. “All Things Considered,” hosted by Linda Wertheimer and Robert Seigal, has been extended to 4 to 7 p.m. daily, and “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross has moved from 6 p.m. to 9 to 10 a.m. weekdays.

In addition to NPR programming, KCLU will offer local news and cultural programs as well as locally hosted jazz and blues shows as part of a 24-hour lineup that Selkow plans to implement next month. KCLU, with the help of 25 volunteers, now broadcasts from 5 a.m. to midnight.