There’s something particularly difficult about reporting that a company built around spreading hope is eliminating the position of someone who has spent much of his career helping people find it. That’s the news involving Hope Media Group, where veteran broadcaster Scott Herrold is exiting as Chief of Content following the elimination of his position. And while organizations occasionally restructure, this departure deserves attention because Herrold wasn’t simply another executive sitting in a corporate office. He was responsible for helping shape the voices, programming, and digital experiences reaching Christian radio listeners across the country.
And make no mistake, this is a significant loss of broadcasting experience.
Herrold joined Houston-based Hope Media Group in January 2023 as Chief of Programming, overseeing 89.3 KSBJ in Houston, the nationally recognized WAY-FM network, Spanish-language Christian brand Vida Unida, and the organization’s creative audio operations.
In March 2025, Hope Media Group expanded his responsibilities, promoting him to Chief of Content and placing its growing streaming and digital properties under his leadership.
Less than two years later, that position is being eliminated.
But here’s what makes this story especially interesting.
When Hope Media Group recruited Herrold, it wasn’t bringing in somebody who had spent his entire career behind a desk. It was bringing in a broadcaster who understood the microphone, the music, the audience, and the ministry.
Before arriving in Houston, Herrold spent fifteen years leading SOS Radio, based at 90.5 KSOS in Las Vegas, serving as both Program Director and morning personality.
Under his leadership, SOS Radio earned major recognition from Christian Music Broadcasters, including Station of the Year honors in 2016 and 2020.
And those accomplishments weren’t limited to ratings or music programming. The organization also received recognition for community service initiatives that connected listeners with people who needed help.
That’s the part of Christian broadcasting I’ve always admired.
A station shouldn’t just tell its audience about compassion. It should demonstrate what compassion looks like.
Herrold understood that.
His earlier commercial radio career included programming and on-air responsibilities in Detroit, Tulsa, and Saginaw, including WDRQ, WDVD, K-Hits, and WIOG.
That experience gave him something valuable: an understanding of how to create compelling radio while recognizing that Christian broadcasting carries an additional responsibility to its audience.
And now, following the elimination of his position, the organization faces an interesting question.
Who will guide the content strategy that Herrold was promoted to oversee just nineteen months ago?
That’s not an accusation, and the decision to eliminate a position doesn’t automatically indicate financial problems or a change in the organization’s mission.
Hope Media Group has not publicly provided a detailed explanation of the restructuring or announced how all of Herrold’s responsibilities will be reassigned.
But it is a reasonable question.
The company operates established radio brands while continuing to develop digital products, streaming experiences, podcasts, and ministry initiatives intended to reach listeners beyond traditional broadcasting.
Those operations require leadership, creativity, and an understanding of how audiences connect with content.
And Herrold brought considerable experience to that challenge.
I’ve always believed great Christian radio involves far more than selecting songs that fit a particular format.
It involves recognizing that somebody listening in Houston, Las Vegas, or anywhere else might be experiencing the most difficult day of their life.
And sometimes the right song, the right conversation, or the right voice arrives at exactly the right moment.
That’s what makes this kind of broadcasting different.
It’s also why experienced programming leaders matter.
You can eliminate an executive position from an organizational chart. Replacing decades of relationships, creativity, and broadcasting knowledge is another matter entirely.
To Scott Herrold, congratulations on a career that has already made a meaningful difference in this industry. His next destination has not been announced, but his experience across commercial and Christian broadcasting gives him an impressive foundation for whatever comes next.
And to Hope Media Group, I hope the organization’s next chapter continues reflecting the values that have helped make its stations important to so many listeners.
Because ultimately, the measure of a Christian broadcasting organization isn’t simply how many signals it operates or how many digital platforms it develops.
It’s how effectively it serves the people who turn to those platforms looking for encouragement, connection, and hope.
Scott Herrold spent years helping radio deliver that message. Whatever comes next, that contribution deserves recognition.
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