WABE Ramps Up Staff as it Continues Investment in Studio and Streaming Offerings

By Staff Writer Atlanta Trend

• Apr 28, 2023

WABE, Atlanta’s choice for NPR and PBS, is ramping up its staff as it continues strengthening its investment in local journalism, original, Atlanta-centered video, and podcast content. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the public media outlet is moving beyond only being a station that brings national scope to the Atlanta market, adding extensive local news, local storytelling, and casting across every platform and streaming with digital products like apps, websites, e-newsletters, podcasts, and digital video.

“We are doubling down on Atlanta and going from a public media station that only broadcasts to being a streamer and a studio also reaching regional and national audiences,” says Jennifer Dorian, WABE’s President and CEO. “With these distinguished additions to our already award-winning, stellar team, we are perfectly positioned to continue to fulfill our mission to inform, inspire, reflect, and empower the greater Atlanta community and beyond.”

To lead the original development content team, Alison Hashimoto has been tapped as Vice President of WABE Studios. In this new position, she will develop a slate that includes multi-part series, full-length features, and short-form digital videos. Before WABE, Hashimoto served as vice president of programming and production for CNN/Turner Private Networks for over 20 years, managing production, programming, and partnerships for all the brands under the umbrella, including CNN Airport Network. Hashimoto is no stranger to public media, having been Chief Content Officer at Georgia Public Television (GPB), where she spearheaded the development of a multiplatform content strategy and the transformation from a traditional broadcast media operation into a digitally focused enterprise.

Scotty Crowe has joined WABE as Senior Director of Podcasting, where he will lead strategy and development for all podcast content.  He brings creative and production experience from an array of industries, including film and television, music, design, brand marketing, and education. He most recently was Creative Lead for The Speed Project, directing narrative, editorial, and experience design. Born in College Park and raised in Southeast Georgia, Scotty is a Moth Atlanta StorySLAM winner, Georgia Tech alum, and the current board chair for ATL Collective. He seeks to further the mission of WABE, reflecting and amplifying the voices of Atlanta through his belief in the power of storytelling.

Tiffany Griffith joins as Supervising Producer for Closer Look with Rose Scott. The Murrow Award-winning journalist has extensive TV, radio, and news experience, including writer and producer for Morning Express with Robin Meade on HLN. She was also a producer, fill-in anchor, reporter, and Web content creator for Morning Edition at GPB and Southeast bureau chief, and national and regional news anchor at iHeart Radio. Other WABE new hires include Emmy Award-winning director and editor Victoria Bostic as Short-Form Video Editor, Tori Druilhet as Senior Station Coordinator, Sawyer Vanderwerff as Operations Coordinator, and Marlon Hyde as Business Reporter.