WSJ folds radio ops into newsroom

Alan Murray, the deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal and executive editor of its online operations, sent out the following announcement on Friday:

Today we are taking the next step in strengthening our longstanding and successful efforts in radio – a business we have been in since 1982 and that currently reaches more than 30 million listeners via 723 affiliated radio stations across the country under The Wall Street Journal Radio Network and MarketWatch Radio brands.

I am pleased to announce that the WSJ Radio news team will formally become part of the news department, which will further strengthen our multimedia offerings of Journal journalism to audiences at hundreds of radio stations as well as through WSJ.com and other digital platforms. We are also bringing the operations of The Wall Street Journal Radio Network and MarketWatch Radio closer together so they can both leverage and learn from each other’s proven expertise. While the teams will work together, both networks will maintain their own editorial teams, branded programming and affiliate relationships.

Patrice Sikora, who oversees WSJ Radio in New York and South Brunswick, and John Wordock, who manages MarketWatch Radio out of Washington, D.C., will both report to Raju Narisetti. On the business side, Nancy Abramson continues in her role as Executive Director of WSJ Radio, and will maintain oversight of our long-form news/talk programs, ‘The Wall Street Journal This Morning’ and ‘The Daily Wrap with Michael Castner,’ as well as affiliate relationships, and will continue to report to Paul Bell, Vice President, Partner Businesses.