New York Public Radio Names Shannon Connolly Senior Vice President and General Manager, Music

(New York, NY – March 28, 2017) -- New York Public Radio, home of WQXR, WNYC Radio, and WNYC Studios, today announced that digital music executive and entrepreneur Shannon Connolly has been named Senior Vice President and General Manager, Music at New York Public Radio.

In this role, Connolly will lead WQXR, one of the country’s leading classical music stations and New York’s only classical music station. Her role will include a strong focus on expanding the digital reach and footprint for classical music. She will also advance digital music strategy and audience development across WQXR and WNYC’s digital music offerings, which include a roster of music-focused podcasts – such as the Peabody Award-winning Meet the Composer – and music streams, including WQXR’s live webstream, Q2 Music (contemporary classical), The Jonathan Channel (American Standards with Jonathan Schwartz), and Operavore.

“I can think of no better leader for our digital music strategy than Shannon Connolly,” said Laura Walker, President and CEO, New York Public Radio. “As more and more people consume media and music on digital platforms, we have a tremendous opportunity to further our mission of making the joy of classical music accessible and available to a new and broader audience. Shannon brings a wealth of digital experience, inspiring leadership, boundless creativity to the challenge, and I’m delighted to welcome her to the team.”

Connolly brings over two decades of digital music experience to the role, including product management, ad sales, and business development. As Senior Vice President, Music Strategy & Operations for the Viacom Music Group, she built and managed a cross-functional team responsible for growing digital reach and revenue for the world’s largest music channels (MTV, CMT), shows (Unplugged, Crossroads), and live events (Video Music Awards). As Vice President, Digital Music, her team helped put the “M” back in MTV by launching mobile apps, original programming, and strategic partnerships that doubled MTV’s music traffic in one year. Shannon was also the co-founder and General Manager of Ripcord, Viacom’s first creative studio and digital lab, whose goal was to make hits on new platforms for a global youth audience.

Most recently, Connolly founded her own company, The Yams, a chat-based recommendation service. She began her career as a consultant in the Media and Entertainment practice at Accenture.

Shannon is the recipient of many industry awards. She was named to Billboard’s “40 Under 40” Music’s Young Power Players in 2014, and Billboard’s Top 40 Women in Music in 2011. She won a Webby Award in July 2012 for co-creating and producing the world’s first 24-hour, live music awards show. 

“Classical music has been around for centuries, but new technologies present the possibility of making it relevant and accessible in exciting new ways,” said Connolly. “As a lifelong fan of classical and public radio, I’m thrilled to join the stellar team at WQXR and NYPR to bring this art form to new platforms and new audiences around the world.”

ABOUT NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO

With an urban vibrancy and a global perspective, New York Public Radio produces innovative public radio programs, podcasts, and live events that touch a passionate community of over 23 million people monthly on air, online and in person.  From its state-of-the-art studios in New York City, NYPR is reshaping radio for a new generation of listeners with groundbreaking, award-winning programs including Radiolab, Freakonomics Radio, On the Media, Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin and Carnegie Hall Live, among many others. New York Public Radio includes WNYC Studios, WNYC, WQXR, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, and New Jersey Public Radio.  Further information about programs, podcasts, and stations may be found at www.nypublicradio.org.