Local taste-maker radio station KUT 90.5 has appointed Matt Muñoz manager of the Cactus Cafe.
Muñoz, 39, has more than a decade of music industry experience, specifically in sales and marketing for both local and national record labels and music distributors. He has a bachelor of music degree in music business from West Texas A&M University. Most recently, Muñoz was director of sales and marketing at Justice Records, an Austin-based label.
In a press release, Hawk Mendenhall, KUT’s program director, said of Muñoz, “His experience collaborating with booking agents, artist managers and their artists, and record label executives, combined with his experience managing budgets and negotiating music clearance and performance contracts, makes him the ideal fit.”
KUT took over operations of the Cactus last month. Earlier this year, University of Texas officials announced their plans to close the storied music venue on the UT campus in order to reduce the budget, but community backlash prodded campus officials into handing over operations instead. More than 100 applicants were screened for the position.
Muñoz will start his new gig Sept. 13. He takes over for Griff Luneburg, who managed the Cactus for nearly three decades. Check here for the full press release.
UPDATE: Listen to an interview with Muñoz here.