Jason Stein to leave Automotive News; KC Crain assumes publisher role

DETROIT — Jason Stein, publisher of Automotive News for the past eight years, is leaving Crain Communications Inc. to host SiriusXM’s new radio show, “Cars & Culture with Jason Stein,” and launch Flat Six Media, a global media services and broadcasting platform.

The announcement was made Tuesday by KC Crain, CEO of Crain Communications, who will succeed Stein as Automotive News publisher effective Sept. 15. In addition, Josh Freed has been named head of strategy.

Stein, 49, joined Automotive News as a reporter in 2003 after a journalism career that included positions in Canada, Ohio and Indiana. He was publisher of Automotive News Europe from 2006 to 2009 and editor of Automotive News from 2009 to 2017. He is a vice president of Crain Communications.

“It’s been an honor to work for one of the greatest business-to-business media organizations,” Stein said in a statement. “I am humbled by the enormous talent within the Automotive News team, all of whom are dedicated to first-class journalism and an everlasting motto that the reader comes first.”

In 2015, Automotive News won the Grand Neal Award for its coverage of the General Motors ignition-switch recall crisis. The Grand Neal, part of the Jesse H. Neal Awards, marks the pinnacle of achievement in business-to-business media.

KC Crain, 41, has been publisher of the Automotive News group since 2013. He is also CEO of Crain Communications, the Detroit parent of Automotive News and nearly 20 other trade and business titles in North America, Europe and Asia.

He started in the family company as a reporter for Automotive News and worked through a series of roles including executive vice president, director of corporate operations, president and COO.

Crain holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Denison University.

Freed, 30, joined Automotive News in 2012. His roles have included digital general manager and content studio leader.