Meet the New Guy Running the Show at KERA The NPR and PBS exec aims to build consumer trust and expand public media’s reach. The future of audio media has never been brighter—or more threatened. There has never been more quality audio content, with endless podcasts and radio programming in every niche, appealing to every passion. At the same time, competing technology is giving consumers more video options, from streaming to virtual reality, pushing them to put down their headphones and turn on their screens. Nico Leone began his tenure as president and CEO at KERA—North Texas’ National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Station affiliates—during this shifting market landscape. He arrived in February 2020, just weeks before the pandemic upended the station’s operations and refocused the news it covered. Although conditions were less than ideal, Leone made the most of starting a new post in a new city.