Jeff Hullinger, the veteran Atlanta media fixture going back nearly four decades, is joining Georgia Public Broadcasting as an executive producer for local content.
Reflecting his interest in Atlanta and Georgia history as shown in social media, Hullinger will seek out often untold stories and unique lived experiences throughout the state.
“I’ve had a front row seat to news and sports and everything in between for the last 40 years that I’m grateful for,” said Hullinger in a press release. “It really matters to me that people know about and understand where they live. I love this state so much. I’m looking forward to my beginnings at GPB and doing those things that are near to my heart.”
Hullinger said he will be producing, anchoring and reporting. A spokeswoman said Hullinger’s future specials and programs will end up on some combination of TV, radio and digital though they don’t have anything specific or firmed up just yet. “I’m going to do the same things I’ve done my entire career,” he said.
Last month, Hullinger chose not to sign a new contract with 11Alive, where he worked for nearly 14 years as an anchor. His final day on air at the NBC affiliate was Sunday, Oct. 1. Previously, he had worked for 18 years at WAGA-TV, which was a CBS affiliate when he joined in 1984 and later became a Fox affiliate. He has also worked at former news/talk station WGST-AM, current news/talk station WSB-AM and former rock station 96rock.
Bert Wesley Huffman, chief executive of GPB, said Hullinger’s hiring is a reflection of how GPB is “leaning into our role as a cultural touchstone for Georgia. The intersection of our skills and our mission is unique and often untold Georgia stories. While Jeff has had a long and successful career in commercial journalism, he seems to have hit his truest stride in telling just these kinds of stories. I’m excited to give him a larger platform to share them with all of Georgia, reminding us all where we came from and where we’re going. That’s GPB.”
GPB in June let go political commentator and host Bill Nigut, which raised questions about the possible political motivation behind the move. (GPB has not commented on why the organization dropped him.)
The nonprofit media operation, which is heavily subsidized by the state, abruptly dropped Nigut’s political podcast and daily show and did not replace the programming. Nigut is now working with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on its political team and will be joining a “Politically Georgia” daily show and podcast which officially debuts on Monday, Oct. 30, on 90.1/WABE-FM.
WABE is owned by Atlanta Public Schools and independent of GPB but operated by the Atlanta Educational Telecommunications Collaborative (AETC), a non-profit organization created in 1994.
11Alive’s employer Tegna kindly waived Hullinger’s non-compete clause after doing so with both Fred Kalil and Paul Ossmann when they left 11Alive for CBS46.
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