Former NPR CEO and President Kevin Klose has died, the public radio network has shared.
Klose died at his home on Wednesday due to complications from Alzheimer’s.
He served as the President and CEO of the network from 1998 to 2008. In 2008, he was named president emeritus of the company. He also served as a member of NPR’s corporate board of directors and as a trustee on the NPR Foundation.
In a statement to staffers, current NPR CEO Katherine Mahre remembered the longtime executive.
“Kevin was deeply idealistic about the role of public media in a democracy,” Maher said. “He called independent journalism ‘the first partner of building democracy, and helping it stay strong and vital.'”
Following his departure from NPR, Klose served as the president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty from 2012 to 2014.
During his career, he also worked for more than 25 years as a reporter and editor at The Washington Post. While at the Post, he also spent a four-year stint as the Moscow Bureau Chief.
Kevin Klose was 85.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
