Chris McBride has been named President and General Manager of KCBX Public Radio, the Central Coast’s NPR member station that has been a reliable source of important news and issues, musical discoveries, culture and connection since it was founded in 1975.
McBride has been with KCBX since 2023, when she was hired as development director to oversee fundraising and outreach activities for the station, including the biannual pledge drives. The following year, she was promoted to assistant general manager to support executive leadership while simultaneously continuing her work as development director.
KCBX has been a constant part of McBride’s life well before her hire date, from listening to news and music to attending the Live Oak Music Festival with her family. McBride is thrilled to be leading the team behind such an important community resource. “I’m excited to step into this role. It is inspiring to see how deeply our staff, volunteers, and the Central Coast community care for and value KCBX,” said McBride. “The station truly is a community treasure.” McBride succeeds KCBX’s previous President and General Manager Frank Lanzone, who will now serve as executive director of Live Oak Music Festival. “I believe Chris to be an outstanding choice to meet the expected and unexpected challenges ahead of us. Her expertise in planning, fundraising, collaborating and troubleshooting will serve KCBX well,” said Lanzone. “Chris has also been a longstanding member of the community with deep roots in San Luis Obispo County, just like KCBX, making her a great match for this position.”
Prior to joining the team at KCBX, McBride has had a storied career in development, communications and marketing. She served as director of annual giving for over a decade at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and as the first outreach director at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo. Before her professional career with the university, McBride attended Cal Poly as a student, where she graduated with a degree in Business Administration.
McBride resides in San Luis Obispo with her husband, where they spend most weekends riding bicycles along backroads throughout the Central Coast and enjoying the outdoors together with their dog, Red