Arnie Seipel

KCRW — Chief Content Officer (since July 2023) KCRW — News Director (October 2022–July 2023) NPR — Deputy Washington Editor (prior role) NPR — Supervising Political Editor (prior role) NPR — Editor, Morning Edition (prior role)

Based Santa Monica / Los Angeles, California

Education University of Maryland — BA, Government and Politics (2004–2008) · Arizona State University, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism — seminar (2019)

KCRW profile kcrw.com/people/arnie-seipel

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/arnieseipel

Santa Monica / Los Angeles, California · Chief Content Officer, KCRW

Career

Arnie Seipel is the Chief Content Officer of KCRW, the NPR flagship affiliate for Southern California based at Santa Monica College, a role he has held since July 2023. He oversees KCRW's programming across music, news, entertainment, and food — the station's characteristic mix — including its app, social video, newsletters, and live events, in addition to editorial and talent strategy. At KCRW he has launched programs including Question Everything with Brian Reed and The Sam Sanders Show, and has expanded national distribution for Left, Right & Center.

Before becoming Chief Content Officer, Seipel served as KCRW's News Director from October 2022 to July 2023, leading editorial and programming strategy for the station's news content across broadcast and digital platforms. His move to KCRW came after more than a decade at NPR in Washington, D.C., where he rose through a series of editing and leadership roles focused primarily on political coverage.

Seipel's NPR career began in 2008 as an administrative assistant — working rotations on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, Talk of the Nation, Weekend All Things Considered, and delivering daily weather forecasts for NPR's former Berlin station — before moving into the newsroom. He spent several years as an editor on Morning Edition, then moved into political coverage full-time. As Supervising Political Editor and later Deputy Political Editor, he led NPR's reporting on the 2016, 2018, and 2020 election cycles. Between campaigns he edited coverage of Congress, the White House, and major events including State of the Union addresses, Supreme Court confirmation hearings, and the passage of the 2017 tax legislation. As Deputy Washington Editor — his final role at NPR — he oversaw daily news coverage of Washington beats including the White House, Congress, politics, and voting rights. He also managed talent recruitment and development for editorial roles, and developed integrated strategies for talent, new platforms, and reporting partnerships. He was on the presidential campaign trail as a producer in 2012. His NPR career began with an internship at the CBS News Washington Bureau while a student at the University of Maryland.

Prior Roles

KCRW

Chief Content Officer (July 2023–present) · News Director (October 2022–July 2023)

NPR — Deputy Washington Editor

Oversaw daily Washington news coverage: White House, Congress, politics, voting rights · talent recruitment and development

NPR — Supervising Political Editor / Deputy Political Editor

Led NPR political coverage across 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections · oversaw Capitol Hill team · edited White House and Congress coverage between cycles

NPR — Editor, Morning Edition

Senior editor for live broadcast on rotation · edited host copy · led show's political coverage

NPR — Campaign Producer

On the presidential campaign trail in 2012: field and bureau production, logistics for primaries, conventions, debates, and election night · news spots for hourly newscasts

NPR — Early career

Administrative Coordinator (2008) · rotations on Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, Talk of the Nation, Weekend All Things Considered · weather forecasts for NPR Berlin station

CBS News

Digital Media Intern, Washington Bureau (2006)

Arnie Seipel · Chief Content Officer, KCRW

KCRW: kcrw.com/people/arnie-seipel

KCRW Media Center, Santa Monica College Center for Media and Design
2900 31st Street, Santa Monica, California 90405 · kcrw.com