UT fires general manager of KUT Radio

The banners fly outside of the KUT building at the University of Texas on Sept. 22, 2025. They showcase their multiple news, radio and music stations that are available to Austin residents. Debbie Hiott is no longer the general manager of KUT and KUTX, Anita Vangelisti, interim dean of the Moody College of Communication, wrote in an email to KUT staff Monday. According to a KUT article about the dismissal, Vangelisti offered Hiott the opportunity to resign in a meeting, which Hiott declined; she was then immediately fired. According to the email, an interim general manager will be named as soon as Tuesday and will contact staff to inform them of the change. KUT is Austin’s NPR station, but it is licensed to operate through the University and is housed in the Moody College of Communication. According to KUT, the general manager is overseen by the dean of the Moody College of Communication, but no University employees are involved with KUT’s reporting process. According to the article, Hiott said that she was told the reasons for her firing were related to planning issues with the KUT festival in May. The University required major changes to the festival, citing safety concerns to move it off campus days before the event, according to previous reporting by KUT. “I want to thank Debbie for the service she has provided in this role since 2019,” Vangelisti wrote in the email. “She has been a dedicated proponent of providing news, content and music to the Central Texas community and beyond.” KUT and the Moody College of Communication officials declined to comment. Hiott was not immediately available for comment.